CROSS-EXAMINING ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS TRAITS ACROSS ENTREPRENEUR GROUPS IN A COMMON ECOSYSTEM

Six key characteristics provide a strategic competitive advantage to Somali entrepreneurs in South Africa, enabling them to attain superior entrepreneurial performance. This explanatory research employed empirical validation through systematic benchmarking and assessment of these traits within a carefully stratified cohort of South African entrepreneurs operating in a comparable entrepreneurial ecosystem, aiming to determine the extent to which these traits are inherent. A sample of 257 was surveyed through a one-on-one approach using a 5-point Likert-type scale questionnaire. The results from the One-Sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicate that. The results from the One-Sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicates that, while the examined entrepreneurs generally are adaptive to their business environment and customer-oriented, the notable lack of collaborative venture orientation, informal networks, and sense of community, likewise resilience traits, consistent with a neutral stance, may hinder their ability to compete with their foreign counterparts in similar entrepreneurial typologies, given equal market opportunities. The findings provide valuable insights for recalibrating entrepreneurial development strategies and enhancing the competitiveness of South African enterprises, ultimately benefiting policymakers, stakeholders, and local business owners. It outlines strategies to enhance local guidance on building localised resilience, market competitiveness, and innovation. A relative increase in these attributes will contribute to improved business survival rates and effectiveness among local enterprises by supporting South Africa’s broader developmental objectives. Success traits are considered essential for inclusion in South Africa's entrepreneurship development framework. Further empirical research is recommended to explore the receptiveness of these observed factors among local entrepreneurs.