Small business perceptions in the central business district fringes of four metropolitan areas in South Africa

Abstract

Much as it has happened in cities across the world, the central business district (CBD) fringes of South African cities have also undergone ‘facelifts’ in a cyclical fashion. Many South African city centres went through a period of decline from the mid- to late 1990s; the cities responded to this decline in similar ways, but at different rates and with different levels of success. This paper will discuss selected results from a broader empirical study done in four metropolitan centres in South Africa: eThekwini, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Tshwane. The focus is on small businesses in the fringes of the inner-city areas, their reasons for locating and remaining there, and general perceptions of their business environment and the wider CBDs. Results reflect diversity in reasons, ranging from lower rentals to business linkages, for small businesses locating in these fringe areas. With regard to whether and where these businesses want to move, trends vary across the CBDs. Adding to this, evidence drawn from the small business perceptions survey reflects interesting results in the context of broader urban dynamics within the four CBDs, some of which support generally accepted views around revitalisation in particular CBDs and fringe areas, whilst others appear to be at odds with these views. It is clear that each CBD reflects its own set of trends and economic dynamics, pointing to the fact that broad-brush statements relating to revitalisation require greater interrogation on an area-by-area basis.