The South African Entrepreneur, Coronavirus and Post Covid-19 Era

Abstract

The purpose of this publication is to explore the South African entrepreneurial environment before coronavirus, interventions put in place by the government to mitigate its effects and to forecast the entrepreneurial environment post coronavirus era. Covid-19, as it was later to be known, caught the world least prepared and the first measure each country took was self-isolation to minimise the spread. The move negatively impacted on economic activities. South Africa reacted in the same way and came up with a R500 billion package to mitigate economic effects of the pandemic. The medium and long-term effects of such a decision are yet to be felt.  The study posits that the world will never be the same again post coronavirus. Qualitative research methodology was used and data were collected from World Health Organisation and news bulletins, South African Acts of Parliament, policy initiative and parliamentary debates. Data was collected from entrepreneurs on the basis of unstructured, and structured interviews. The researcher works with entrepreneurs and observation played a part in data gathering. Thus the researcher was able to draw direct evidence of the eye by interacting with various entrepreneurs. Such was premised on the fact that at times, it is best to observe what actually happens on the ground. The researcher had the privilege to observe natural settings. The study notes that despite conducive policy initiatives, the South African entrepreneurial environment is littered with entrepreneurial failure, perennial baby and nascent entrepreneurs. The study makes recommendations on what might be the best way forward