{"id":9852,"date":"2021-11-15T14:41:18","date_gmt":"2021-11-15T12:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xneelo.co.za\/insights\/?p=9852"},"modified":"2024-03-25T15:02:28","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T13:02:28","slug":"new-report-outlines-the-learning-needs-of-south-african-e-commerce-entrepreneurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xneelo.co.za\/insights\/new-report-outlines-the-learning-needs-of-south-african-e-commerce-entrepreneurs\/","title":{"rendered":"New report outlines the learning needs of South African e-commerce entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starting your own e-commerce business can be tough <\/span>\u2013<\/span> and learning the ins and outs even tougher. A new report identifies the challenges and skills gaps faced by South African e-commerce entrepreneurs, and outlines areas where the industry can offer assistance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Heavy Chef<\/span><\/a>, through its nonprofit the <\/span>Heavy Chef Foundation<\/span><\/a>, partnered with the team at <\/span>xneelo<\/span><\/a> to launch the <\/span>Heavy Chef E-commerce Entrepreneur Education report<\/span><\/a>, a research study focusing on the learning needs of e-commerce entrepreneurs. <\/span><\/p>\n

The report draws on the first-hand experiences of 298 e-commerce founders and details the demands of running an online business. The research employed a mix of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including the results of an electronic survey, which underwent comprehensive statistical analysis. <\/span><\/p>\n

The strict statistical procedures enabled researchers to outline key group norms as well as individual experiences. The result <\/span>\u2013 <\/span>valuable and reliable data from a range of South Africa\u2019s e-commerce entrepreneurs on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the state of entrepreneur education in South Africa?<\/span><\/h2>\n

According to <\/span>Heavy Chef Foundation CEO Louis Janse van Rensburg, the state of <\/span>entrepreneur education is disparate at best, yet entrepreneurs still manage to organise themselves into peer learning networks. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGenerally, entrepreneurs don\u2019t feel that entrepreneur education <\/span>\u2013<\/span> as it currently stands <\/span>\u2013<\/span> is good enough. In response to that, entrepreneurs are generally self-organising as a community <\/span>\u2013<\/span> they’re meeting with each other, organising meetups, events and learning sessions. They set up one-on-one coffee sessions to speak about their businesses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the report, 72% of entrepreneurs believe their peers have had the biggest positive impact on their business.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some of the barriers to learning?<\/span><\/h2>\n

According to the Heavy Chef Foundation, the biggest challenge for small e-commerce entrepreneurs is to come together to form these learning groups. Not only does the report offer recommendations for solving this challenge, but also shares valuable peer learnings from e-commerce founders who have faced many of the challenges up-and-coming entrepreneurs are yet to encounter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a need for us to fast-track the growth of e-commerce in Africa in a way that allows for the participation and benefit of many more individuals and companies,\u201d says Heavy Chef Foundation Chairperson Lukhanyo Neer. \u201cThe Foundation is particularly excited about this research because it details the learning needs of e-commerce entrepreneurs. The insights from this research are integral to creating solutions that level the e-commerce playing field in South Africa.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

What are the key findings of the report?<\/span><\/h2>\n