A bibliometric analysis of the development of business incubation literature in South Africa

Abstract

The study analyzes the development of business incubation literature in South Africa. The VOSviewer software was used to perform the bibliometric analysis of 44 articles on business incubation in South Africa conducted between 1996 and 2023 that were obtained from the Scopus database. The study has also revealed literature on business incubation started to appear in 1996 in South Africa. The study’s keyword co-occurrence analysis also revealed that the following words had the most occurrences and were clustered into the following: entrepreneurship and business incubation, business incubators and effectiveness, entrepreneurial education and informal Business, SMEs and start-up, business and sustainability, and business development and competitiveness. The study sorts the articles based on the following indicators: number of documents published in a year, eminent authors and keyword co-occurrence, which identified six categories of the most prominent research themes being covered by articles reviewed. The study only used articles that were written in English language only. Therefore, future research should consider articles written in other languages and expand the study to other regions, continents, and even global scale.

Keywords: {'name': 'Business incubation, business incubators, entrepreneurship, SMEs. '}

Authors & affiliations

Knowledge Shumba
Affiliation not supplied

Patrick Ebewo
Affiliation not supplied

Deposited references

Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.

DOI: 10.5923/j.scit.20120206.06

DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199596515.003.0010

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.10.054

Al-Mubaraki, H. M., & Busler, M. (2013). Business incubation as an economic development strategy: A literature review. International Journal of Management, 30(1), 362-373.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.11.025

DOI: 10.1016/j.joi.2010.09.001

Buys, A. J., & Mbewana, P. N. (2007). Key success factors for business incubation in South Africa: the Godisa case study: news & views. South African Journal of Science, 103(9), 356-358. https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/EJC96726

DOI: 10.18046/j.estger.2012.1486

DOI: 10.4102/sajesbm.v14i1.522

Choto, P., Tengeh, R. K., & Iwu, C. G. (2014). Daring to survive or to grow? The growth aspirations and challenges of survivalist entrepreneurs in South Africa. Environmental economics, (5, Iss. 4), 93-101.

Chandler, L. M. (2013). Business Incubation in the Eastern Cape: A Case Study (Doctoral dissertation, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University). Retrieved from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/145052363.pdf

DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2006.04.004

DOI: 10.1007/s11846-022-00525-9

DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-9711-1.ch012

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), 2012 Annual Report 2009/10 Retrieved from https://www.thedti.gov.za

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p264

Eresia-Eke, C., Iwu, C. G., Jaiyeola, A. O., & Musikavanhu, T. B. (2019). A scrutiny of the essence of business incubators in the distribution sector. Journal of Distribution Science. https://doi:10.15722/jds.17.06.201906.5

INFODEV, (2010). Global good practice in incubation policy development and implementation. South Africa Incubation. Country case study. Washington. Retrieved from https://www.infodev.org/infodev-files/resource/InfodevDocuments_834.pdf

Jang, Y. (2009). Evaluating technology business incubator as a tool of government intervention: Public vs private. University of Florida.

Khuzwayo, S. S. (2015). Evaluating the role of business incubators in South Africa (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/server/api/core/

Kmetz, J. L. (2000). Business incubators for central and eastern Europe. University of Delaware. Retrieved from https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/sites.udel.edu/dist/4/821/files/20

DOI: 10.3390/su12051822

Lose, T. (2019). A framework for the effective creation of business incubators in South Africa (Doctoral dissertation, Vaal University of Technology). Retrieved from http://digiresearch.vut.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/4eb2d96e-7dfb-487c-b82e-41e1fcbd5f

Lose, T. (2021). Business incubators in South Africa: A resource-based view perspective. Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal, 27, 1-11. Retrieved from https://www.abacademies.org/articles/Business-incubators-in-south-africa-a-resource-based-view-perspective-1528-2686-27-S1-443.pdf

Lose, T., & Kapondoro, L. (2020). Competencies For Business Incubators In A Disruptive Context: The Case Of South African Business Incubators. Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal, 26(4), 1-7. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thobekani-Lose/publication/346034790

DOI: 10.21511/ppm.19(4).2021.04

DOI: 10.3390/su71014344

DOI: 10.21511/imfi.13(2-2).2016.12

DOI: 10.21511/ppm.14(3-3).2016.13

Lose, T., Yakobi, K., & Kwahene, F. (2020). A grounded theory analysis for remodelling business incubation in the context of the covid-19 pandemic. Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal, 26, 1-11.

Magudulela, N. (2023). SA unemployment rate decreases slightly in third quarter. Retrieved from SABC NEWS. 14 November 2023. Retrieved from https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/sa-unemployment-rate-decreases-slightly-in-third-quarter/

DOI: 10.2478/bog-2014-0050

DOI: 10.1007/s12132-014-9242-4

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.04.006

DOI: 10.1080/14479338.2019.1684204

DOI: 10.1080/20421338.2022.2069215

Mitra, S. (2013). The problems with incubators, and how to solve them. Harvard Business Review, 26. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2013/08/the-problems-with-incubators-a

DOI: 10.21511/ppm.19(2).2021.16

Muriithi, S. M., Ndegwa, C., & Juma, J. (2018). Business incubators: the missing link to small business survival. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Samuel-Muriithi-3/publication/330777083_Business_Incubators-_The_Missing_Link_to_Small_Bus

DOI: 10.1080/03768350802212022

DOI: 10.30588/jmp.v13i1.1520

Ntlamelle, T. (2015). The efficacy of SMME incubation as a strategy for enterprise development in South Africa (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/4aeea043-c32a-4a1a-8e9d

DOI: 10.29145/jmr/82/08

Rogerson, C. M. (2017). Business incubation for tourism SMME development: International and South African experience. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 6(2), 1-12. Retrieved from https://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_8_vol_6__2__2017.

DOI: 10.1080/14479338.2023.2187395

DOI: 10.18843/ijcms/v9i3/02

DOI: 10.28945/4944

DOI: 10.34190/ecmlg.19.1.1718

Schutte, F. (2019). Small business incubator coaching in South Africa: Exploring the landscape. Retrieved from https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/72965/Schutte_Small_2019

DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2008.02.003

DOI: 10.1016/j.indmarman.2017.12.002

Stefanovi?, M., Devedži?, G., & Eric, M. (2008). Incubators in developing countries: development perspectives. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Quality Conference, Kragujevac, Serbia (pp. 12-15).

Strydom, M. (2021). Innovation in the Absence of Financial Capital: A Lesson From Informal Clothing Manufacturing Micro Entrepreneurs. In European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (pp. 1003-R29). Academic Conferences International Limited. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mariette-Strydom/publication/358769055

DOI: 10.1108/IJSHE-05-2020-0152

DOI: 10.1080/15228916.2022.2038495

Tembe, F. (2018). Business incubators and SMMEs performance in South Africa (Doctoral dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management). Retrieved from https://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/b7980201-b113-4efc-b89a-e1bab2b633a4/content

DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-11-2022-0289

Timm, S. (2011). How South Africa can boost support to small businesses: Lessons from Brazil and India. Trade and Industrial policy strategies (TIPS). Retrieved from https://www.tips.org.za/files/india_brazil_2011_edit_s_timm.pdf

DOI: 10.4102/sajesbm.v11i1.271

DOI: 10.31920/2634-3649/2021/v11n1a1

DOI: 10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1091