Vol. 1 No. 1 (2016)
An Empirical Analysis of Key Business Challenges in Eswatini: A Gendered Perspective from 2010 to 2025
Abstract
This original research article presents an empirical analysis of key business challenges in Eswatini from 2010 to 2025, interrogating them through a critical gendered lens. It addresses a significant gap in context-specific, gender-disaggregated data on the obstacles entrepreneurs face within the kingdom’s unique socio-economic landscape. Employing a sequential mixed-methods design, the study first analysed quantitative survey data from 350 micro, small, and medium enterprise owners. This was complemented by 25 in-depth qualitative interviews conducted between 2022 and 2024 to elucidate the survey findings. The results reveal a pronounced gendered divergence in both the perception and experience of core business constraints. While access to finance was a universal concern, women entrepreneurs disproportionately identified restrictive collateral requirements, discriminatory lending practices, and limited networking capital as systemic barriers. Furthermore, women emphasised socio-cultural expectations and unequal domestic responsibilities as significant, yet often unacknowledged, impediments to business growth; these challenges were less frequently cited by their male counterparts. The study contends that mainstream business support frameworks in Eswatini, and by extension in similar African contexts, remain gender-blind, thereby perpetuating inequality. The research underscores the imperative for policymakers and development agencies to design and implement gender-responsive interventions that address these deeply embedded structural and cultural constraints to foster inclusive economic development.
Read the Full Article
The HTML galley is loaded below for inline reading and better discovery.
How to Cite
Keywords
Research Snapshot
Desktop reading viewReferences
- Acheampong, A.O., Dzator, J., Abunyewah, M., Erdiaw‐Kwasie, M.O., & Opoku, E.E.O. (2023). Sub-Saharan Africa’s Tragedy: Resource Curse, Democracy and Income Inequality. Social Indicators Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-023-03137-2
- Adeleye, B.N. (2023). Income Inequality, Human Capital and Institutional Quality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Social Indicators Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-023-03244-0
- Agarwal, N. (2024). Innovation Strategies for Sustainable Development in Business Considering Current Scenario for Africa. Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56007-1_6
- Ait Soussane, J., Mansouri, D., & Mansouri, Z. (2024). Does Religion Matter When Investing in Africa? An Empirical Analysis of Moroccan FDI Location Choice in 27 African Countries During the Period 2007-2021. Journal of African Business. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228916.2024.2344137
- Arhin, K., Oteng-Abayie, E.F., & Novignon, J. (2023). Assessing the efficiency of health systems in achieving the universal health coverage goal: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa. Health Economics Review. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13561-023-00433-y
- Atkinson, C.L., & Atkinson, A.M. (2023). Impacts of Climate Change on Rural Communities: Vulnerability and Adaptation in the Global South. Encyclopedia. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia3020052
- Bischof, Z.S., Pitcher, K., Carisimo, E., Meng, A., Nunes, R.B., Padmanabhan, R., Roberts, M.E., Snoeren, A.C., & Dainotti, A. (2023). Destination Unreachable: Characterizing Internet Outages and Shutdowns. Conference on Applications, Technologies, Architectures, and Protocols for Computer Communication. https://doi.org/10.1145/3603269.3604883
- Chinoda, T., & Kapingura, F.M. (2023). Digital financial inclusion and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: the role of institutions and governance. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.1108/ajems-09-2022-0372
- Chinoda, T., & Kapingura, F.M. (2023). The Impact of Digital Financial Inclusion and Bank Competition on Bank Stability in Sub-Saharan Africa. Economies. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies11010015
- Correa, J.S., Daidone, S., Davis, B., & Sitko, N.J. (2023). Social Protection and Rural Transformation in Africa. Annual Review of Resource Economics. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-101422-100158
- Ecim, D., Maroun, W., & Duboisee de Ricquebourg, A. (2023). An analysis of key audit matter disclosures in South African audit reports from 2017 to 2020. South African Journal of Business Management. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v54i1.3669
- Egli, F., Agutu, C., Steffen, B., & Schmidt, T.S. (2023). The cost of electrifying all households in 40 Sub-Saharan African countries by 2030. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40612-3
- Gallien, M., Occhiali, G., & Boogaard, V.V.D. (2023). Catch Them If You Can: the Politics and Practice of a Taxpayer Registration Exercise. https://doi.org/10.19088/ictd.2023.012
- Johri, A., Asif, M., Tarkar, P., Khan, W., Rahisha,, & Wasiq, M. (2024). Digital financial inclusion in micro enterprises: understanding the determinants and impact on ease of doing business from World Bank survey. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02856-2
- Klein, S. (2025). The Victoria Forum – a Collective Commitment to addressing key societal issues. Reconnecting Business Schools with Business. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003533269-22
- Knight, J. (2024). Understanding Knowledge Diplomacy in Africa 1. Key Issues in African Diplomacy. https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781529222579.003.0013
- Kopnina, H., Padfield, R., & Mylan, J. (2023). Sustainable Business. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003266150
- Kopnina, H., Padfield, R., & Mylan, J. (2023). Creating sustainable business practice. Sustainable Business. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003266150-13
- Kopnina, H., Padfield, R., & Mylan, J. (2023). Business ethics. Sustainable Business. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003266150-3
- Kopnina, H. (2023). New strategic thinking. Sustainable Business. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003266150-14
- Koubi, F. (2024). Morocco’s Cultural Diplomacy with Africa. Key Issues in African Diplomacy. https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781529222579.003.0012
- Lashitew, A.A., Branzei, O., & Tulder, R.V. (2023). Community Inclusion under Systemic Inequality: How For‐Profit Businesses Pursue Social Purpose. Journal of Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12907
- Masters, L. (2024). A Diplomatic Conduit: The Role of Science Diplomacy in Africa. Key Issues in African Diplomacy. https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781529222579.003.0009
- Mudenda, S., Chabalenge, B., Daka, V., Mfune, R.L., Salachi, K.I., Mohamed, S., Mufwambi, W., Kasanga, M., & Matafwali, S.K. (2023). Global Strategies to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance: A One Health Perspective. Pharmacology & Pharmacy. https://doi.org/10.4236/pp.2023.148020
- Ogah, M. (2023). Waste Management Issues for Today’s African Businesses (Circular Economy). Sustainable and Responsible Business in Africa. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35972-9_11
- Pondie, T.M., Engwali, F.D., Nkoa, B.E.O., & Domguia, E.N. (2023). Does energy poverty increases starvation? Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25997-4
- Prince Makhoba, B. (2024). Empirical Analysis of Foreign Direct Investment and Export Performance in South Africa. African Journal of Business and Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.31920/1750-4562/2024/v19n1a9
- Wirajing, M.A.K., & Nchofoung, T.N. (2023). The role of education in modulating the effect of ICT on governance in Africa. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11631-w