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The Regulatory Environment and SMMEs. Evidence from South African Firm Level Data

Author

Listed:
  • Neil Rankin

    (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa)

Abstract

The paper specifically examines: labour regulations and their relationship with employment and investment; trade regulations; permits and licences for businesses; visa regulations; the predictability of regulatory application; and the costs of regulation. It also investigates the ways firms respond to regulations. There is evidence that these regulations constrain firm growth, particularly among smaller firms. Labour regulations are not the only type of regulations that have a disproportional effect on smaller firms. Government regulation comes in many forms, such as tax regulation, labour regulation and regulations concerning the import and export of goods. This paper uses data gathered from a number of South African firm-level surveys to investigate how government regulations impact on firms. In many cases firms are asked about the perceived impact of regulations. This places regulation in context.

Suggested Citation

  • Neil Rankin, 2006. "The Regulatory Environment and SMMEs. Evidence from South African Firm Level Data," Working Papers 06113, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    • Handle: RePEc:ctw:wpaper:06113
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7347
    File Function: First version, 2006
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Johannes Fedderke & Chandana Kularatne & Martine Mariotti, 2007. "Mark-up Pricing in South African Industry," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 16(1), pages 28-69, January.
    2. Rankin, Neil A., 2001. "The export behaviour of South African manufacturing firms," MPRA Paper 16904, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    Cited by:

    1. Haroon Bhorat & Halton Cheadle, 2009. "Labour Reform in South Africa: Measuring Regulation and a Synthesis of Policy Suggestions," Working Papers 09139, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    2. Andrew Kerr & Martin Wittenberg & Jairo Arrow, 2014. "Job Creation and Destruction in South Africa," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 82(1), pages 1-18, March.
    3. Haroon Bhorat & Ravi Kanbur, 2005. "Poverty and Well-being in Post-Apartheid South Africa: An Overview of Data, Outcomes and Policy," Working Papers 05101, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    4. Christopher Loewald & Nic Spearman Andreas Wrgtter, 2023. "Less sacrifice from collective to competitive price coordination in the South African economy," Working Papers 11049, South African Reserve Bank.
    5. Shane Godfrey & Jan Theron & Margareet Visser, 2007. "The State of Collective Bargaining in South Africa: An Empirical and Conceptual Study of Collective Bargaining," Working Papers 07130, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    6. Marianne Matthee & Waldo Krugell, 2011. "Barriers to Internationalisation: Firm-Level Evidence from South Africa," Working Papers 2011/09, Maastricht School of Management.
    7. Neil Rankin & Gareth Roberts & Volker Schöer, 2014. "The Success of Learnerships?: Lessons from South Africa's Training and Education Programme," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-068, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Tengeh, Robertson Khan & Ballard, Harry & Slabbert, Andre, 2011. "A framework for acquiring the resources vital for the start-up of a business in South Africa:an African Immigrant’s Perspective," MPRA Paper 34211, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. repec:ldr:wpaper:92 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Marianne Bertrand & Bruno Crépon, 2021. "Teaching Labor Laws: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial in South Africa," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 125-149, October.
    11. Janine Kruger & Rootman Chantal & Shelley Saunders, 2015. "Macro-economic factors influence on South African SMME business performance," Proceedings of International Academic Conferences 2805126, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    12. Rankin, Neil & Roberts, Gareth & Schöer, Volker, 2014. "The success of learnerships? Lessons from South Africa's training and education programme," WIDER Working Paper Series 068, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    South Africa: Labour Regulations; employment and investment;

    JEL classification:

    • A1 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics

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