Abstract
Abstract : Mantsopa Municipality is faced with a challenge of high unemployment and stagnant economic performance. The study explores the relationship between the entrepreneurship skills of small and medium-size business owners and business success. It assumes that if business owners lack entrepreneurial skills, then business success will be low. Therefore, a positive relationship between the two variables was assumed. Low levels of entrepreneurship skills and business success have a high chance to serve as a partial explanation for unemployment and stagnant economic performance in the Mantsopa Municipality. The technical research project identifies the relationship between the investigated variables, and analyses the existing gaps that might be related to poor business performance. An exploratory, cross-sectional survey design has been conducted. The findings confirmed that technical business skills have a strong influence on business practice to acquire a large-scale market share and to sustain business in the long term. Improving business success can enhance the potential for vibrant economic activities to impede the high level of unemployment rate that has been persistent in this local municipality of Ladybrand.
M.Com. (Local Economic Development)