Exploring fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME) manufacturers need for innovation to achieve growth in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

This study explores South African Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) SMME manufacturers’ need for innovation to achieve growth in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). South Africa suffers from a high rate of unemployment, with an official unemployment rate estimate of 24.7% (Statistics South Africa, 2013). This high rate of unemployment in South Africa is partly attributed to the failure rate of SMMEs, which is between seventy and eighty percent. Small enterprises encounter greater barriers than medium-sized and large enterprises in accessing finance for innovation, commercializing new ideas and expanding their businesses.

The study was exploratory and quantitative in nature. Questionnaires and interviews were used to gather data. The questionnaires were distributed personally and with the help of a research assistant to the business sites of the respondents. The respondents comprise 120 FMCG SMME manufacturers in KZN, who were selected by means of a non-probability sampling method.

The results obtained identified a number of factors influencing innovation for FMCG SMME manufacturers to achieve growth. The influencing factors include a lack of financial skill and knowledge; high cost or complex procedures to register or defend patents; a lack of information on the part of employers on how to satisfy consumers’ interest; a lack of technological know-how and human capital problems; difficulty in accessing finance for research and development; government laws and regulations; new entrant threats and protocols; and a lack of product brand name.