Cash management practices of small, medium and micro enterprises in the Cape Metropolis, South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this research article is to investigate the cash management practices of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the Cape Metropolis, in South Africa. Data are collected from a sample of 200 SMMEs by means of a closed-ended questionnaire survey. The findings of the study revealed that most of the sampled SMMEs manage their cash effectively. However, only a minority of these entities hold cash for speculative purposes or even invest their surplus cash gainfully, thus, they fail to optimize on their scarce cash resources. Likewise, only a minority of the SMMEs employ computers for managing their cash, which is rather surprising given the proliferation of computers at a low cost in South Africa.