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 Periodical article |
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| Title: | African Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Johannesburg's Changing Inner City |
| Author: | Rogerson, Christian M. |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Periodical: | Africa Insight |
| Volume: | 27 |
| Issue: | 4 |
| Pages: | 265-273 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | South Africa |
| Subjects: | immigrants small enterprises market vendors Urbanization and Migration Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Development and Technology Economics and Trade |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the role of new foreign migrants working in the small enterprise economy of South Africa's major city, Johannesburg. The findings are reported of a survey into the activities of a group of 70 immigrant entrepreneurs (street and pavement sellers of a range of goods) who have established small businesses in the inner city of Johannesburg. All interviews were conducted during the period November 1996 to February 1997. The sample shows that the small, medium and microenterprise economy of Johannesburg (in particular the Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville areas) has been increasingly penetrated by foreign migrants originating from a range of countries. The paper examines the factors behind their decision to leave their country, the reason why they went to Johannesburg rather than to other South African cities, the origin of their start-up capital, and their role in employment generation. A distinction is made between migrans from SADC and non-SADC countries. One of the conclusions is that the businesses operated by SADC immigrants are smaller and seemingly less capitalized than those of their non-SADC counterparts. Ref. |
