SABCNews 22 Aug 2022

SMME owners feel vulnerable to ethical misconduct by big business

SABC: A new study has found that small, medium, and micro enterprises feel vulnerable to unethical conduct and unfair treatment by big businesses. “South African SMMEs and their Ethical Ecosystem” aims to better understand the challenges and opportunities within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The study surveyed 30 000 SMMEs across various industries.

SA SMMEs and their ethical ecosystem discussion

Here is a link to the report.

E Squared commissioned this research – SA SMMEs and their ethical ecosystem discussion – with the GIBS Centre for Business Ethics at the Gordon Institute of Business Science which serves to broaden the scope of the GIBS Ethics Barometer research conducted with corporate South Africa.

The panel moderated by Dr. Kerrin Myres, discussed the insights that the research with SMMEs has brought to light.

When Allan Gray founded E Squared and the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, his vision was to build a movement that would create our own jobs; that beyond providing financial support, E Squared would help entrepreneurs develop a moral compass so that they may not just be entrepreneurs but “responsible entrepreneurs”. There are a number of interesting insights that came out of the research but this conversation between senior corporate leaders and successful entrepreneurs on research findings on the ethical behaviour and practices of SMMEs in South Africa as well as the future of the SMME sector focused on the ethical relationship between SMMEs and big business/corporates.

Panelists included: Bonang Mohale, Chair of Business Unity South Africa, Phuthi M, Mahanyele-Dabengwa, CEO of Naspers South Africa, and E Squared investees, Ajay Lalu, Co-Founder of Q-Hop/Consumption Information Real Time (CIRT) and Daniel Nima, Founder, and CEO of CapeBio.