Conceptualising African immigrant entrepreneurship in South Africa: Accessing financial capital

Objective: The objective of the article is to comprehend the effectiveness of African immigrant entrepreneurs in acquiring the financial capital required to venture into entrepreneurship in the host country. Research Design & Methods: The study’s objectives were met using a qualitative research methodology based on an interpretive research paradigm. In a face-to-face interaction, personal interviews collected data from a purposive sample of 12 African immigrant entrepreneurs (owners/managers). The Gioia method systematically coded related interview extracts into first-order concepts, then grouped them into second-order themes and aggregate dimensions. Findings: The results revealed that African immigrant entrepreneurs acquire the financial capital to start up their businesses from their personal savings. Moreover, the study found that family members play an important role in providing financial capital to assist African immigrant entrepreneurs in their venture creation. Contrastingly, the findings show that host country commercial banks, other microfinance institutions and persons other than family members offered no recourse to African immigrant entrepreneurs to turn to for financial assistance. Implications & Recommendations: The research on African immigrant entrepreneurs’ financial capital acquisition strategies yields important implications for entrepreneurial economic growth, offering transferable lessons for other entrepreneurs. Based on the empirical findings, we offered recommendations for the host country’s monetary policies to include African immigrant entrepreneurial endeavours for effective business creation. Contribution & Value Added: The study promotes understanding of African immigrant entrepreneurship by conceptualising access to financial capital in South Africa. Its emphasises financial challenges, alternative financial mechanisms, entrepreneurial support programmes, the role of social networks, offering insights for policy makers, and financial institutions.