Author(s): Nontsikelelo Elephant, Bulelwa Maphela
Literature indicates that the use of mobile technology by small businesses improves how the business performs and increases its likelihood of success. This paper sought to identify the access and use of mobile technology by small businesses in South Africa and its perceived impact on their success. A positivism approach was followed with a quantitative research method albeit the study was exploratory in nature. S urveys were conducted through the use of standardised questionnaires to collect data . Resu lts revealed that small business owners in Noordwyk have access to mobile technology, with the majority owning about 3.4 devices on average, and that they make use of mobile technology extensively in the running of their businesses. The costs associated wi th the use mobile technology such as the cost of data and airtime are some of the obstacles that hinder small business owners from taking full advantage of the benefits of mobile technology. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram play an imp ortant role in the marketing and branding of small businesses. This paper recommends that f uture research should focus on same study on various samples and studies on how mobile technology impacts productivity and profitability in small businesses. In addi tion, it suggests that the South African government can look into subsidising small businesses with regards to the costs associated with the use of mobile technology , over and above the funding initiatives in place