In South Africa, women entrepreneurs do not enjoy the same opportunities as men in accessing start-up capital due to a number of discriminatory practices embedded in lending models. This study seeks to understand the gender-specific barriers to raising start-up capital, and adopts a mixed methods approach that includes semi-structured interviews with experts and a survey of women entrepreneurs. All participants were from the small business sector in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The findings revealed the gendered nature of start-up capital for women entrepreneurs in South Africa, and the difficulty women face in venturing into non-traditional industries. The findings build on previous research by focusing on the intersection between women's contribution to the economy and their production activities in the informal and domestic context. This study calls for the activities of women entrepreneurs in these sectors of the economy to be recognised within lending models, and as constituting a valuable area of economic growth.

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This study explores gendered lending and marketing practices of start-up capital to women entrepreneurs in South Africa. A multi-method research design, comprising of 6 in-depth interviews with experts, and a survey of 50 women entrepreneurs was adopted using convenience and snowball sampling techniques, respectively. The findings revealed that women entrepreneurs are experiencing gendered discriminatory practices embedded in lending practices used by financial institutions, thereby discouraging them to venture into non-traditional industries. Whilst financial providers may know their products well, many emerging women entrepreneurs in South Africa may find it difficult and costly to obtain information on the thousands of financial products available. Hence, women entrepreneurs resort to taking greater risks than necessary in order to get their businesses off the ground. Educating women on financial matters is extremely important if South Africa is to benefit fully from the untapped entrepreneurial talent that women possess. The study adds voice to the discriminatory lending practices faced by women entrepreneurs in developing countries. Future research could explore the feasibility of establishing a financial institution which caters specifically for the needs of women.

Background: Changes in the Zimbabwean political landscape led to various socio-economic transformations. One being the small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprise (SME) sector becoming a dominant player in the economy. The success of SMEs positively impacts the economy. The use of appropriate and effective marketing practices accounts for the survival and growth of SMEs. Purpose of study:The study explores the marketing practices adopted by small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in Zimbabwe. The specific objectives are to (1) examine how SME owners or managers perceive marketing in the manufacturing sector; (2) examine the role of marketing in SMEs in the manufacturing sector; (3) explore the strategic market planning of manufacturing SMEs in Zimbabwe; and (4) analyse the marketing strategies adopted by SMEs in the manufacturing sector. Design/Methodology/Approach:The study adopted a qualitative approach to gather data from fifteen conveniently sampled owners/managers of SMEs using interviews. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis.Results/Findings: Findings of the study revealed that manufacturing SMEs are familiar with some marketing concepts. These marketing concepts include marketing environment analysis, customer satisfaction, relationship marketing, customer loyalty and competitive advantage. Fundamental to the practice of marketing M MASHINGAIDZE M BOMANI E DERERA Marketing practices for Small and Medium Enterprises: An exploratory study of manufacturing firms in Zimbabwe

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