Browsing by Author "Donga, Gift"

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    Challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic on women entrepreneurs operating in the informal food sector: A post COVID- 19 analyses
    (Center for Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, 2024-03-12) Donga, Gift; Chimucheka, Tendai
    The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic for women entrepreneurs operating in the informal food sector. An exploratory qualitative approach is used to guide the collection and analysis of data which were collected from a sample of twenty women entrepreneurs. Verbatim transcriptions of digital recordings were analyzed thematically. The findings of the study indicate that women experienced the worst economic effects of the pandemic and faced a range of challenges, such as decreased customer base and demand, loss of income, lack of government and private support, safety and security fears, disrupted supply chains, and requirement for trading permits. Whereas the opportunities encompassed usage of digital technologies, alternative markets and new product offerings, and establishment of Informal women business networks. From the study findings, it is hence vital that policies acknowledge the importance of women and informal food vendors in the nation's informal food system.
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    COVID-19 pandemic digitisation lessons for rural women-owned micro and small enterprises
    (Bussecon International Academy, 2024-07-25) Donga, Gift; Chimucheka, Tendai
    The world economy and ecology have undoubtedly been impacted by the coronavirus disease (COVID19) epidemic. Female-owned micro and small enterprises (MSEs), particularly those operating in marginalised rural economies, are major victims of the COVID-19 outbreak, mostly due to their restricted usage of digital technologies. Digitalisation thus opens up new opportunities for rural women-owned MSEs and can help them remain competitive. The study explored COVID-19 pandemic digitisation lessons for rural women-owned micro-and small-enterprises. Even though the literature on Women Entrepreneurship is well covered, to the best of our knowledge, the intersection between rural women entrepreneurship and digitisation remains largely unexplored, particularly in African economies. A qualitative approach using personal insights to provide COVID-19 pandemic digitisation lessons for women owned MSEs was used to guide the collection and analysis of the data. The data was collected from a purposive sample of seven women entrepreneurs operating MSEs in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province and analysed through thematic analysis. The results highlight the critical importance of incorporating digital technology into business operations, stressing the need to prioritise data security, adopting a mobile-first approach, recognising the significance of an online presence, and innovatively developing digital or digitally enhanced offerings. The study's insights provide data-informed insights, as we continue to advocate for inclusive and effective responses to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. For rural womenowned MSEs in South Africa, it is clear that digital platforms have been helpful, and while digitalisation alone is insufficient, this research can inform the recovery strategies and policies needed after the pandemic.