Impact of township economic revitalisation programme on entrepreneurship development and innovation in Gauteng, South Africa

The Township Innovation Hub was established by the Gauteng Department of Economic Development to promote economic development and competitiveness in Gauteng by fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. However, upon adopting the Gauteng Township Economic Revitalization Strategy in 2014, the services offered by TIH were expected to be disbursed in different townships to support small businesses involved with innovation; hence, the eKasiLabs were established. As a result, eKasiLabs have been promoting entrepreneurship in different townships through various programs. This study, therefore, assesses the socio-economic impact of the eKasiLabs programs in Gauteng. To achieve this objective, a mixture of qualitative (key informant interviews) and quantitative (propensity score matching (PSM) and textual analysis) approaches were adopted. The analysis shows that the eKasiLabs programme has significantly improved entrepreneurial development and innovation among the beneficiaries in the township despite notable challenges. The impacts of the improved growth could thus be observed in business growth, innovation, productivity improvement, and job creation.