Abstract
Literature indicates that the use of mobile technology by small businesses improves how
the business performs and increases its likelihood of success. This paper sought to identify the
access and use of mobile technology by small businesses in South Africa and its perceived
impact on their success. A positivism approach was followed with a quantitative research
method albeit the study was exploratory in nature. Surveys were conducted through the use of
standardised questionnaires to collect data. Results revealed that small business owners in
Noordwyk have access to mobile technology, with the majority owning about 3.4 devices on
average, and that they make use of mobile technology extensively in the running of their
businesses. The costs associated with the use mobile technology such as the cost of data and
airtime are some of the obstacles that hinder small business owners from taking full advantage
of the benefits of mobile technology. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram
play an important role in the marketing and branding of small businesses. This paper
recommends that future research should focus on same study on various samples and studies on
how mobile technology impacts productivity and profitability in small businesses. In addition, it
suggests that the South African government can look into subsidising small businesses with
regards to the costs associated with the use of mobile technology, over and above the funding
initiatives in place.