The challenges construction companies headed by black women face in sustaining businesses, in Ngaka Modiri Molema district, North West province

Abstract

The South African government has placed great emphasis on SMMEs being the group that could assist in steering the economy. It reviewed the measure of introducing women to the mainstream economy, as a marginalised group that are a majority in numbers, but a minority in the economy due to circumstances surrounding their traditional role and especially due to the constraints of the previous regime. The current government has introduced sweeping reforms through regulations aimed at preferential procurement of female-owned companies, but regardless of all government's initiatives female owned companies still struggle to compete with their male counterparts in the construction industry. The research problem questions the processes and systems put in place to alter the social, political and economic climate in South Africa that created a new cycle of opportunities and threats for the different stakeholders. It gave rise to hidden occlusions based on gender and race that need to be addressed. Frustrations such as those found in the empowerment initiatives of BEE that resulted in the decline of standards and an increase in the disadvantaged groups trapped into worse liabilities are worth mentioning. The literature review has produced important recommendations that when implemented may resolve the flaws that tend to create opportunities for unintended parties. Issues such as motivational factors, collaboration between partners, sound partnering relationships and establishing an organisational culture will assist role players to take stock, enable them to make a turn-around, view challenges in terms of concealed manifestations and ultimately effectively address said challenges.