Similarities and differences between male and female entrepreneurial attributes in manufacturing firms in the informal sector in the Transkei

Although South Africa has consistently registered positive economic growth rates since the democratic government took office in 1994, there has been no surge in new formal sector jobs. The public and private sectors have been shedding labour in response to economic imperatives of the domestic and global circumstances. Accordingly, more and more people are taking the route to informal sector entrepreneurship. Traditionally more men than women ventured into business; currently an increasing number of females are turning to self-employment. However, much that is known about business individuals is based on studies of male entrepreneurs. This article presents a comparative assessment of selected entrepreneurial attributes of male and female individuals engaged in informal sector manufacturing activities in the Transkei. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire administered to a sample of 80 micro-entrepreneurs in four urban centres. This study shows that the general entrepreneurial tendencies of the surveyed male and female micro-entrepreneurs are more similar than they are different. However, differences exist in value adding and job creation between the two groups.