The Journal of Accounting and Management, Vol 8, No 1 (2018)

Abstract

The aim of the research was to establish which marketing challenges SMEs are facing and whether these challenges contribute to the high business failure rate in South Africa.  The conducted research has established that lack of marketing skills knowledge of the following marketing factors:  analysing competition; establishing product demand; poor location of the small business; ineffective marketing of products and lack of market knowledge are causing business failure in South Africa.  The conclusion is that a positive correlation exists between lack of marketing skills and business failure in South Africa.  

This research undertook quantitative research design as the purpose of this study was to establish marketing skills challenges facing South African SMEs. A sample of 1 000 small business owners was randomly selected from a list supplied by the Department of Trade and Industry.

The South African challenge is to improve the marketing skills of SME owners as small businesses are considered to be the panacea for South Africa’s unemployment problems.  SMEs contribute significantly to job creation, social stability and economic welfare and it is therefore important that their marketing skills be developed with training their marketing skills.