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Informal enterprise incubation in newly established informal settlements and its interaction with regulatory urban planning practice and retail by-laws: The case of Azania settlement in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613826039414784 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Sithole, Sithuthuke Khwezi |
| author2 | Geyer, H. S. |
| author_browse | Geyer, H. S. Sithole, Sithuthuke Khwezi |
| author_facet | Geyer, H. S. Sithole, Sithuthuke Khwezi |
| author_sort | Sithole, Sithuthuke Khwezi |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134929 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:17.808Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134929 Informal enterprise incubation in newly established informal settlements and its interaction with regulatory urban planning practice and retail by-laws: The case of Azania settlement in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch Sithole, Sithuthuke Khwezi Geyer, H. S. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies. Informal sector (Economics) -- South Africa -- Kayamandi Urban planning -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Small business -- Government policy -- South Africa Ordinances, Municipal -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Informal settlements (Squatter settlements) -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Sithole, S. K. 2025. Informal enterprise incubation in newly established informal settlements and its interaction with regulatory urban planning practice and retail by-laws: The case of Azania settlement in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/3ad26ffb-5a89-4a96-8f6f-08b6b7792f72 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study evaluated enterprise incubation in the informal economy in Azania, an informal settlement created through land invasions that occurred during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Azania is located next to the township of Kayamandi and forms part of Stellenbosch. The study evaluated the types of goods and services provided and the range of informal business practices in this settlement. It also evaluated the relationship between urban planning and the informal sector in newly established informal settlements. This research aimed to discover the organisational logic that influences the spatial distribution of informal sector activities and to provide a comparison of how zoning and land use management regulations affect the development of the informal economy in Azania. The study utilised qualitative semi-structured interviews which were conducted with a range of informal enterprises in Azania. As a case study, the research enabled an in-depth exploration of the evolution of informal enterprises in new settlements, providing a rich understanding of the complexities and contextual factors forming this economy. The research found that the informal economy of Azania was strongly related to the township economy of Kayamandi. Many enterprises migrated out of Kayamandi to Azania due to the high rents, strict zoning and bylaw regulations, lack of available space, and strong community non-competition regulations in Kayamandi. Azania provided residents with new opportunities to establish informal enterprises and was an important motivation for the land invasion, as was the lack of housing. The informal economy in Azania flourished despite the lack of infrastructure due to strong community self-reliance and the lack of municipal regulatory enforcement. The informal enterprises in Azania were very diverse, including large businesses operating out of rented houses or shipping containers, home-based enterprises, freelance contractors based in Azania, and small mobile enterprises that migrated to different locations in Stellenbosch during different periods. The enterprises operate in various types of structures and utilise a range of public and private spaces, with little differentiation between the two types of spaces. Some of the most popular enterprises were small service enterprises such as the cosmetics service industry, informal financial industry and informal health services industry, which did not require significant infrastructure or basic services and could be conducted at home. However, many enterprises such as the electronics services industry, clothing, transportation services, entertainment and micro-manufacturing industries shared facilities between Azania and Kayamandi, with most of the sales occurring in the densely populated and wealthier Kayamandi, while the backroom activities of building, repairing, and storing activities occurred in the cheaper and less densely populated Azania. Furthermore, many industries were solely based in Azania, often having migrated away from Kayamandi due to the aforementioned constraints. These included the motor industry and communication services industry. An interesting phenomenon was the temporal rental of housing for commercial services where the house was rented for commercial activities during working hours and used for residential purposes after work hours. Certain industries were relatively rare, including the accommodation industry, Spaza grocery supermarkets and daycare centres because of a lack of formal housing, fencing and basic services. Most of the informal enterprises benefit from the lack of regulatory control in Azania. Most national and local government policies are inadequate to formalise and regularise informal enterprises, creating a separation of space through zoning regulations and development projects. Instead, the informal sector utilises dense social networks to self-regulate activities. What is required is enabling services to strengthen social networks instead of the strict implementation of municipal regulations, inclusionary zoning policies that integrate affordable commercial spaces with housing and appropriate zoning that is adapted for home-based enterprises. This requires an active collaboration between the municipality and informal trade associations to identify and address the challenges the informal sector faces. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie het die inkubasie van ondernemings in die informele ekonomie in Azanië geëvalueer, 'n informele nedersetting wat geskep is deur grondinvalle wat tydens die 2020 COVID-19-inperking plaasgevind het. Azania is langs die township Kayamandi geleë en vorm deel van Stellenbosch. Die studie het die tipes goedere en dienste wat verskaf word, asook die reeks informele sakepraktyke in hierdie nedersetting, geëvalueer. Dit het ook die verhouding tussen stedelike beplanning en die informele sektor in nuutgestigte informele nedersettings geëvalueer. Hierdie navorsing het ten doel gehad om die organisatoriese logika te ontdek wat die ruimtelike verspreiding van informele sektoraktiwiteite beïnvloed en om 'n vergelyking te verskaf van hoe sonering en grondgebruiksbestuursregulasies die ontwikkeling van die informele ekonomie in Azania beïnvloed. Die studie het kwalitatiewe semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude gebruik wat met 'n reeks informele ondernemings in Azania gevoer is. As 'n gevallestudie het die navorsing 'n in-diepte verkenning van die evolusie van informele ondernemings in nuwe nedersettings moontlik gemaak, wat 'n ryk begrip verskaf het van die kompleksiteite en kontekstuele faktore wat hierdie ekonomie vorm. Die navorsing het bevind dat die informele ekonomie van Azanië sterk verband hou met die township-ekonomie van Kayamandi. Baie ondernemings het uit Kayamandi na Azania gemigreer weens die hoë huurgeld, streng sonering- en bywetregulasies, 'n gebrek aan beskikbare spasie en sterk gemeenskaps-nie-mededingingsregulasies in Kayamandi. Azania het aan inwoners nuwe geleenthede gebied om informele ondernemings te stig en was net so 'n belangrike motivering vir die grondinval as die gebrek aan behuising. Die informele ekonomie in Azanië het gefloreer ten spyte van die gebrek aan infrastruktuur as gevolg van sterk gemeenskapsselfstandigheid en die gebrek aan munisipale regulatoriese afdwinging. Die informele ondernemings in Azanië was baie uiteenlopend, insluitend groot besighede wat uit gehuurde huise of skeepsvraghouers bedryf is, tuisondernemings, vryskutkontrakteurs in Azanië en klein mobiele ondernemings wat op verskillende tydperke na verskillende plekke in Stellenbosch gemigreer het. Die ondernemings werk in verskeie tipes strukture, en gebruik 'n reeks publieke en private ruimtes, met min differensiasie tussen die twee tipes ruimtes. Van die gewildste ondernemings was klein diensondernemings soos die skoonheidsdiensbedryf, informele finansiële industrie en informele gesondheidsdienstebedryf, wat nie beduidende infrastruktuur of basiese dienste benodig het nie en tuis uitgevoer kon word. Baie ondernemings soos die elektroniese dienste industrie, klere, vervoer dienste, vermaak en mikro-vervaardiging industrieë het egter fasiliteite tussen Azania en Kayamandi gedeel, met die meeste van die verkope wat in die digbevolkte en ryker Kayamandi plaasgevind het, terwyl die agterkameraktiwiteite van bou, herstel- en bergingsaktiwiteite het in die goedkoper en minder digbevolkte Azanië plaasgevind. Verder was baie nywerhede uitsluitlik in Azanië gevestig, en het dikwels van Kayamandi weggemigreer weens die voorgenoemde beperkings. Dit het die motorbedryf en kommunikasiedienstebedryf ingesluit. 'n Interessante verskynsel was die tydelike verhuring van behuising vir kommersiële dienste waar die huis verhuur is vir kommersiële aktiwiteite gedurende werksure en vir residensiële doeleindes gebruik is tydens na-werksure. Sekere bedrywe was relatief skaars, insluitend die akkommodasiebedryf, Spaza-kruideniersware-supermarkte en dagsorgsentrums weens 'n gebrek aan formele behuising, heinings en basiese dienste. Die meeste van die informele ondernemings trek voordeel uit die gebrek aan regulatoriese beheer in Azanië. Die meeste nasionale en plaaslike regeringsbeleide is onvoldoende om informele ondernemings te formaliseer en te reguleer, wat 'n skeiding van ruimte skep deur soneringsregulasies en ontwikkelingsprojekte. In plaas daarvan gebruik die informele sektor digte sosiale netwerke om aktiwiteite self te reguleer. Wat nodig is, is om dienste in staat te stel om sosiale netwerke te versterk in plaas van die streng implementering van munisipale regulasies, inklusiewe soneringsbeleide wat bekostigbare kommersiële ruimtes integreer met behuising en toepaslike sonering wat vir tuisgebaseerde ondernemings aangepas is. Dit vereis 'n aktiewe samewerking tussen die munisipaliteit en informele handelsverenigings om die uitdagings wat die informele sektor in die gesig staar te identifiseer en aan te spreek. Masters 2026-01-29T09:31:31Z 2026-01-29T09:31:31Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134929 Stellenbosch University 94 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Informal sector (Economics) -- South Africa -- Kayamandi Urban planning -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Small business -- Government policy -- South Africa Ordinances, Municipal -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Informal settlements (Squatter settlements) -- South Africa UCTD Sithole, Sithuthuke Khwezi Informal enterprise incubation in newly established informal settlements and its interaction with regulatory urban planning practice and retail by-laws: The case of Azania settlement in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch |
| title | Informal enterprise incubation in newly established informal settlements and its interaction with regulatory urban planning practice and retail by-laws: The case of Azania settlement in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch |
| title_full | Informal enterprise incubation in newly established informal settlements and its interaction with regulatory urban planning practice and retail by-laws: The case of Azania settlement in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch |
| title_fullStr | Informal enterprise incubation in newly established informal settlements and its interaction with regulatory urban planning practice and retail by-laws: The case of Azania settlement in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch |
| title_full_unstemmed | Informal enterprise incubation in newly established informal settlements and its interaction with regulatory urban planning practice and retail by-laws: The case of Azania settlement in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch |
| title_short | Informal enterprise incubation in newly established informal settlements and its interaction with regulatory urban planning practice and retail by-laws: The case of Azania settlement in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch |
| title_sort | informal enterprise incubation in newly established informal settlements and its interaction with regulatory urban planning practice and retail by laws the case of azania settlement in kayamandi stellenbosch |
| topic | Informal sector (Economics) -- South Africa -- Kayamandi Urban planning -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Small business -- Government policy -- South Africa Ordinances, Municipal -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Informal settlements (Squatter settlements) -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134929 |
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