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Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa's Gauteng Province face high failure rates despite their economic importance, thus creating an urgent need to investigate business sustainability. This research examined the implementation challenges of ICT SMEs and the enhancement of competitiveness through shared value creation. A qualitative, interpretivist design was employed, with semi-structured interviews conducted with 12 purposively selected ICT SME owners and senior managers in Gauteng Province. The thematic analysis revealed three principal themes. One key finding was that implementation barriers operate at three interconnected levels: the business environment, industry level, and institutional level. At the Business-Environment level, issues include load shedding, regulatory complexity, and funding gaps. The competitive level interrogates incumbent dominance and high buyer power, while the institutional level reviews skills, competencies, time and cost constraints. Another important finding was that SMEs overcome these barriers through value-chain innovations such as energy efficiency, inclusive hiring, and intellectual property development; through strategic positioning, including focused differentiation and organizational agility; and through cluster engagement, such as vendor partnerships and peer networks. Integrating their selected strategies yields productivity gains, cost reductions, and incidental shared value. The study proposes a Resilience-Through-Shared-Value Framework that provides entrepreneurs with a four-phase process for turning barriers into advantages. It also provides policymakers with guidance on tiered compliance and on infrastructure support and development, and development agencies with a diagnostic framework for multi-barrier mentorship programs.

This paper examines the expanded function of business models in promoting organisational sustainability, emphasising their significant influence on strategic management and enduring environmental and economic viability. This study employs a comprehensive literature analysis to analyse data-driven business models and their congruence with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasising the significance of technology, innovation, and sustainability in contemporary business practices. The results demonstrate that sustainable business models promote economic growth, responsible consumption, and industry innovation while also making substantial contributions to environmental stewardship. The study specifically examines the Sustainable Development Goals of Decent Work and Economic Growth (Goal 8), Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (Goal 9), Responsible Consumption and Production (Goal 12), and Partnerships for the Goals (Goal 17). The study indicates that incorporating sustainability into business model innovation is essential for strategic success in the contemporary corporate environment. Sustainable business models are essential for organisations seeking to excel in environmental and social governance while ensuring economic success. This strategic integration revolutionises conventional business methods, guaranteeing that organisations not only endure but flourish by adjusting to global challenges and shifts in the economic environment.

Sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship have emerged as pivotal drivers of positive change in today's dynamic world, where environmental, social, and economic challenges intersect. This paper explores the nexus between sustainable innovation, entrepreneurship, and societal impact, examining the evolution, principles, and case studies that exemplify the transformative potential of sustainable ventures. Through an analysis of leading exemplars across industries, including Tesla, Patagonia, and Unilever, key lessons learned and best practices are identified, highlighting the importance of stakeholder collaboration, transparency, and long-term commitment to sustainability. Moreover, the paper assesses the impact of sustainable innovation on society, emphasizing economic growth, environmental conservation, and social equity as critical outcomes. Looking ahead, emerging trends in sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship present opportunities for future ventures, yet challenges such as regulatory complexity and resource scarcity must be addressed. Recommendations for encouraging a culture of sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship globally include promoting collaboration, incentivizing sustainable practices, and investing in education and research. By embracing sustainability as a guiding principle, businesses can drive positive change, foster innovation, and contribute to a more resilient, equitable, and environmentally sustainable future.

Innovation is the only way of solution to achieve sustainable growth, social welfare and employment in a country. This study principally focuses on the relationship between growth and innovation in the light of information derived from a general literature review about definition, sources and risks of innovation, and measurement of innovation performance. Then, the contributions of innovative capability on economic growth and employment as well as innovation systems on a country basis have been discussed, and accordingly, actions to be taken, including a shift in paradigm, for a growth-innovation-national innovation system and its sustainability have been addressed. In addition, current innovation performance indicators of Turkey have been discussed in the light of a scope which is outlined in the initial sections of the study, and the change in such performance indicators between 1998 and 2009 has been examined. After analysis of the above mentioned criteria and comparisons against practices in developed countries and communities, suggestions have been made about the activities to be carried out in order to make Turkey’s current innovation system “sustainable”, to support and improve innovation. In the study, a research application has been conducted using the content analysis method on the “President’s Message” letters of 158 state and foundation universities that are located in Turkey and that have a website, and the importance accorded to innovation by the universities has been determined.