An empirical analysis of a private company’s corporate social investment in SMME development in South Africa

摘要: South Africa has a very high unemployment rate, low economic growth and dismal Total (early-stage) Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) preformance. Both government private businesses are attempting to address this problem. A company, the African Breweries (SAB), as part of their corporate social investment, runs SAB KickStart Programme establish grow entrepreneurial small among young Africans. The programme applies four interventions: General Enterprising Tendency test; twoweek live-in business management training; funding mentoring; national competition for prize money. Taking into consideration cost operating programme, its eff ectiveness required investigation. population study comprised all participants Programme, from 2001 2006. From an analysis variance (ANOVA) applied turnover percentage profi t fi gures respondents, it was deduced that mentoring, after training, add value programme. contributes enterprise sustainability ,as 80 per cent respondents were still initial businesses, while further six percent have started another – hence, ‘failure’ rate only 14 cent. In conclusion, can be said adds value, advances entrepreneurship, replicated by other large institutions in Africa.