{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11163"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11163","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Exploring the circumstances and experiences of youth immigrants when establishing and running a successful informal micro-business","abstract":"In the era of rampant youth unemployment, governments are rethinking strategies to respond to this global crisis. At the centre of these strategies is the promotion of youth-owned informal micro-businesses. While literature acknowledges the challenges faced by youth in running their informal micro-businesses, there is much less in the way of information that explores immigrant informal businesses. This is a qualitative study aimed at exploring the circumstances and experiences of youth immigrants when establishing and running a successful informal microbusiness. This study was conducted amongst youth owners of informal micro-businesses and four service providers in Cape Town. Twenty in-depth interviews were done with these participants. The four service providers represented a non-governmental organisation (NGO), a government department, a commercial bank and a government funding agency. The study indicated that the reasons why immigrant youth start their informal micro-businesses varied. For the unemployed it was a solution to unemployment, some of those who were working did so because they wanted to earn more, while others desired a flexible work environment. In addition, the study showed that there are many challenges faced by immigrant youth during the establishment and growth phases of their businesses.","abstract_html":"In the era of rampant youth unemployment, governments are rethinking strategies to respond to this global crisis. At the centre of these strategies is the promotion of youth-owned informal micro-businesses. While literature acknowledges the challenges faced by youth in running their informal micro-businesses, there is much less in the way of information that explores immigrant informal businesses. This is a qualitative study aimed at exploring the circumstances and experiences of youth immigrants when establishing and running a successful informal microbusiness. This study was conducted amongst youth owners of informal micro-businesses and four service providers in Cape Town. Twenty in-depth interviews were done with these participants. The four service providers represented a non-governmental organisation (NGO), a government department, a commercial bank and a government funding agency. The study indicated that the reasons why immigrant youth start their informal micro-businesses varied. For the unemployed it was a solution to unemployment, some of those who were working did so because they wanted to earn more, while others desired a flexible work environment. In addition, the study showed that there are many challenges faced by immigrant youth during the establishment and growth phases of their businesses.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kondowe, Calisto"],"institution":"Department of Social Development","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Booyens, Margaret"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013","date_published":"2013","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:42Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11163","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Booyens, Margaret"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Kondowe, Calisto"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2015-01-03T18:11:03Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-01-03T18:11:03Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2013"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Social Development"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MSocSci"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11163"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Includes bibliographical references."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In the era of rampant youth unemployment, governments are rethinking strategies to respond to this global crisis. At the centre of these strategies is the promotion of youth-owned informal micro-businesses. While literature acknowledges the challenges faced by youth in running their informal micro-businesses, there is much less in the way of information that explores immigrant informal businesses. This is a qualitative study aimed at exploring the circumstances and experiences of youth immigrants when establishing and running a successful informal microbusiness. This study was conducted amongst youth owners of informal micro-businesses and four service providers in Cape Town. Twenty in-depth interviews were done with these participants. The four service providers represented a non-governmental organisation (NGO), a government department, a commercial bank and a government funding agency. The study indicated that the reasons why immigrant youth start their informal micro-businesses varied. For the unemployed it was a solution to unemployment, some of those who were working did so because they wanted to earn more, while others desired a flexible work environment. In addition, the study showed that there are many challenges faced by immigrant youth during the establishment and growth phases of their businesses."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Exploring the circumstances and experiences of youth immigrants when establishing and running a successful informal micro-business"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Booyens, Margaret"],"dc:creator":["Kondowe, Calisto"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2015-01-03T18:11:03Z"],"dc:date.available":["2015-01-03T18:11:03Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2013"],"dc:description":["Includes bibliographical references."],"dc:description.abstract":["In the era of rampant youth unemployment, governments are rethinking strategies to respond to this global crisis. At the centre of these strategies is the promotion of youth-owned informal micro-businesses. While literature acknowledges the challenges faced by youth in running their informal micro-businesses, there is much less in the way of information that explores immigrant informal businesses. This is a qualitative study aimed at exploring the circumstances and experiences of youth immigrants when establishing and running a successful informal microbusiness. This study was conducted amongst youth owners of informal micro-businesses and four service providers in Cape Town. Twenty in-depth interviews were done with these participants. The four service providers represented a non-governmental organisation (NGO), a government department, a commercial bank and a government funding agency. The study indicated that the reasons why immigrant youth start their informal micro-businesses varied. For the unemployed it was a solution to unemployment, some of those who were working did so because they wanted to earn more, while others desired a flexible work environment. In addition, the study showed that there are many challenges faced by immigrant youth during the establishment and growth phases of their businesses."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11163"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Social Development"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["Exploring the circumstances and experiences of youth immigrants when establishing and running a successful informal micro-business"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MSocSci"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:42Z"}