The financial challenges affecting the implementation of women enterprise-led projects in South Africa

This study examines the financial challenges facing women-led entrepreneurial projects in South Africa, with a focus on initiatives linked to the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD). Using a qualitative case study approach, data were gathered from women entrepreneurs in Durban and Gauteng through semistructured interviews. Participants identified systemic barriers to finance, including collateral-based exclusion, institutional inefficiencies, and gender biases within lending systems. Geographic disparities further marginalised rural entrepreneurs, worsening information gaps and access to support. The findings highlight five key challenges: financial exclusion, mismatched training, inadequate institutional backing, limited networking, and socio-cultural constraints. Despite these difficulties, womenled enterprises showed transformative potential through job creation, empowerment, and community upliftment. Informal peer networks and intergenerational support mechanisms emerged as adaptive responses to institutional shortcomings. The study recommends that the DSBD adopt gender-responsive financing models, decentralised training programmes, and formalised peer mentorship platforms. It also calls for policy reforms to streamline funding procedures and enhance rural outreach. Addressing these systemic constraints can enable South Africa and other G20 nations to unlock the socio-economic potential of women entrepreneurs, promoting inclusive growth and sustainable development.