Share of people who report having intentions to start business in South Africa

South Africa: Share of people who report having intentions to start business was 11.72 in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
11.72
Change on year
up 16.5%
World rank
45th
of 66 countries
All-time high
16.7
in 2010
All-time low
3.64
in 2002
Years of data
15
2002–2017

Share of people who report having intentions to start business in South Africa, 2002–2017

510152002200920172002: 3.62003: 10.42004: 13.22005: 8.72006: 6.82008: 13.42009: 10.92010: 16.72011: 14.32012: 11.92013: 12.82014: 10.12015: 10.92016: 10.12017: 11.7

Source: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2018) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of people who report having intentions to start business in South Africa is 11.72, measured in 2017.

That represents a change of up 16.5% on the previous year and up 71.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of people who report having intentions to start business in South Africa peaked at 16.7 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 3.64, in 2002.

South Africa ranks 45th of 66 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of people who report having intentions to start business in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Share of people who report having intentions to start business in South Africa, 2002 to 2017.
Year Value Change
2002 3.64
2003 10.41 +186.0%
2004 13.25 +27.3%
2005 8.71 -34.3%
2006 6.85 -21.4%
2008 13.39 +95.5%
2009 10.88 -18.7%
2010 16.7 +53.5%
2011 14.27 -14.6%
2012 11.95 -16.3%
2013 12.76 +6.8%
2014 10.05 -21.2%
2015 10.93 +8.8%
2016 10.06 -8.0%
2017 11.72 +16.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 9.59 3.64 13.39 7
2010s 12.3 10.05 16.7 8

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 42 Mexico 13.2 compare
  2. 43 Australia 13.19 compare
  3. 44 Ireland 11.92 compare
  4. 46 Luxembourg 10.98 compare
  5. 47 Belgium 10.85 compare
  6. 48 Switzerland 10.47 compare

See the full ranking of 66 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of people who report having intentions to start business in South Africa?
Share of people who report having intentions to start business in South Africa was 11.72 in 2017, according to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2018) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of people who report having intentions to start business recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 16.7 in 2010.
What is the lowest share of people who report having intentions to start business recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 3.64 in 2002.
How does South Africa rank for share of people who report having intentions to start business?
South Africa ranks 45th out of 66 countries with data for 2017.
Is share of people who report having intentions to start business rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 71.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2018) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of people who report having intentions to start business. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of people who report having intentions to start business in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2018) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-people-who-report-having-intentions-to-start-business/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of people who report having intentions to start business
Source
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2018) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
66 places, 706 data points, 2002–2017
Last refreshed

Percentage of 18-64 population who intend to start a business within three years (individuals already involved in any stage of entrepreneurial activity excluded) plotted against GDP per capita, adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.