Small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) and the housing construction industry : a possible solution to South Africa's socio-economic problems

Abstract

South Africa as a developing country faces many socio-economic problems like high unemployment, low levels of working skills, poverty and rampant crime. In this paper it is argued that by targeting SMMEs both in general and specifically in the housing construction industry, there is meaningful scope for the creation of jobs in the South African economy. This is mainly because SMMEs are labour intensive. Using Endogenous Growth theory as a basis, it is argued that by employing greater numbers of workers the level of skills in the economy can be raised too.