A very interesting survey recently conducted by smesurvey.co.za:

Mobile communications and banking services are emerging as two of the most important factors behind the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises in South Africa.

According to the interim findings of SME Survey 2006, the fourth annual study of SME competitiveness, released following the study of 6,000 decision-makers reaching its halfway mark, government support programmes continue to rank rock bottom among a wide range of factors.

The study breaks competitiveness for SMEs down into four elements identified through academic research, namely ability to increase profits, to increase turnover, to reduce costs and to win and retain clients.

According to Arthur Goldstuck, principal researcher for the survey, the rankings change dramatically for each of these factors, but in every case, only between 2% and 5% of respondents regard either government small business financial support programmes or business advice from government agencies as having a high or very high impact. Between 86% and 92% believe these initiatives have had a low or very low impact on their competitiveness.

“By contrast, 47% of respondents polled to date believe that mobile communications have had a high or very high impact on their ability to win and retain clients; 36% see online banking as having a high or very high impact on this factor, while 34% see a relationship with their bank having this kind of impact,â€