The home as informal business location: Home-based business (HBB) dynamics in the medium-sized city of George

Abstract

English: Home-based businesses (HBBs) are often considered the most ‘formal’ of the informal business sector types, where a formal structure such as a house or shack provides some form of security for these businesses. Notwithstanding this structural ‘security’, HBBs are merely a reflection of broader urban economic and spatial processes taking place in South African cities, resulting in a dual-natured business space. The role, impact and contribution of home-based businesses to urban economies, urban growth and spatial relations with the formal economy have not received much attention from policymakers in South Africa. The study investigates the complexity of HBB dynamics in the mediumsized city of George, and focuses on three aspects: first, a conceptual link between house and business is provided; second is an overview of the spatial transformation of business space in the city between 1995 and 2005, and third is an analysis of a survey conducted among 98 HBBs in George, in which aspects related to the business start-up, location, history, problems experienced and policy context are examined. The article concludes with several policy and planning recommendations.

Afrikaans: Huisgebaseerdebesighede (HGBe) word dikwels beskou as die mees formele van die informele ekonomie se subsektore waar ‘n formele struktuur soos ‘n huis of plakkersskuiling ‘n vorm van sekuriteit verskaf. Nieteenstaande hierdie strukturele ‘sekuriteit’ is HGBe bloot ‘n refleksie van die breër stedelike ekonomiese en ruimtelike prosesse wat in Suid-Afrikaanse stede plaasvind wat resulteer in ‘n tweeledige besigheidsruimte. Die rol, impak en bydra van TGBe tot stedelike ekonomie, stedelike groei en ruimtelike verhoudings met die formele ekonomie het tot op hede nie veel aandag van die beleidmakers in Suid-Afrika ontvang nie. Die studie ondersoek die kompleksiteit van die HGBe dinamika in die medium-grootte stad van George en fokus op drie aspekte: eerste is ‘n konseptuele skakel tussen huis en besigheid; tweede is ‘n oorsig van die ruimtelike transformasie van besigheidsruimte in die stad tussen 1995 en 2005; derde is ‘n analise van ‘n vraelysopname wat onder 98 HGBe gedoen is wat aspekte rondom die redes vir die begin van ‘n besigheid insluit: tuis, ligging, probleme ervaar en beleidskonteks, onder andere. Die artikel sluit af met enkele beleid- en beplanningsvoorstelle.

SeSotho: Dikgwebo e etsetswang malapeng hangata di nkuwa e le yona mefuta ya dikgwebo tse molaong ho tse seng molaong, moo sebaka se molaong se jwalo ka ntlo kapa mokhukhu e fanang ka tshireletso ya mofuta o itseng ho dikgwebo tsena. Le ha ho le jwalo, tshireletso ena ya malapeng, ba dikgwebo tsa malapeng ke setshwantsho feela sa mesebetsi ya moruo le sebaka e etsahalang metsemoholo ya Afrika Borwa, eo e qetellang e le sebaka sa kgwedo sal tlhaho. Mosebetsi, le matla le phehiso ya dikgwebo tsa etsetswang malapeng ho dibaka tsa moaruo tsa metsemoholo, kgolo ya metsemeholo le dikamano tse batsi le ba moruo o moholo ha di eso fumane tjhadimo e kgolo ho tswa ho baradi ba maano ho la Afrika Borwa. Thuto ena e batlisisa bothata ba diphetoho tsa kgwebo ya malapeng motsemoholo o monyenyane wa George, lel ho tsepamisa maikutlo dintlheng tse tharo tsena: tabeng ya pele, ho fanwe ka o tshwanang pakeng tsa ntlo (lepala) le sebaka sa kgwebo; tabeng ya bobedi ke kakaretso e batsi ya phetoho e kgolo ya sebaka sa kgwebo motsemoholo dipakeng tsa selemo sa 1995 le 2005, mme tabeng ya boraro ke manollo ya patlisiso e entsweng hara Dikgwebo tsa Malapeng ho la George, moo dintlha tse amanang le tshimoloho ya kgwebo, sebaka, nalane, mathata a fumanwang le leano di hlahlobilwe. Ditaba tsena di qetella ka dikgothaletso tse mmalwa tsa leano le moralo.