Gender nuances in tourism-related entrepreneurship in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Previous studies have found that the number of women entrepreneurs is increasing, though many of them fail to sustain their businesses, compared to their male counterparts. This study explored gender nuances in the performances of tourism-related businesses in the Durban Central Business District, KwaZulu-Natal, with particular emphases on traditional societal perceptions and access to capital. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 150 purposively selected (75 females and 75 males) tourism-related entrepreneurs. We employed descriptive, bivariate and multivariate data analyses to address the research objectives. This study did not make a conclusive finding that gender plays a strong role in differentiating business success or performance. However, the study found that it is somewhat easier for female entrepreneurs to find business start-up capital. This study recommends that entrepreneurial training and mentorship programmes should emphasise that gender has no role in determining entrepreneurial success, and also increase the awareness level of entrepreneurs regarding business funding.