Informal Business Sector in BRICS+ Countries

Brian Ngwako Mokgatetswa Mahosi is a lecturer specializing in Entrepreneurship and currently serving as the section head for Entrepreneurship in the Department of Applied Management at the University of South Africa, South Africa. He holds a PhD in Economic Management Sciences with Business Administration from North-West University, and an MTech in Entrepreneurship from Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa. His research focus area is entrepreneurship, specifically the informal sector.Fulufhelo Godfrey Netswera is a full professor and Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Venda, and previously served as the Executive Dean Faculty of Management Sciences at Durban University of Technology (DUT), South Africa. He is tasked to develop the DUT Business School. Historically, he was the Director of the North-West University Business School, USA; Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, USA; Director of South African BRICS Think Tank at the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, India; Director of the Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership at the University of Limpopo, South Africa; and Research Management Director at University of South Africa, South Africa.Ayanda Sibiya is a senior lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, with over 15 years of experience in the educational arena.Elton Fernandes is a full professor of the Production Engineering and Transport Engineering programmes at the Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Postgraduate Studies and Engineering Research, a unit of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Sergei Smirnov is an associate professor of the Department of Business Economics, Faculty of Economics, Saint Petersburg State University, Russia. He received his PhD from the same university in 2005.Shen Yi is a professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, China. He also serves as Director of the Centre for BRICS Studies and the International Research Institute of Global Cyberspace Governance.

• List of FiguresList of TablesList of ContributorsPrefaceBrian Ngwako Mokgatetswa Mahosi, Fulufhelo Godfrey Netswera, Ayanda Sibiya, Elton Fernandes, Sergei Smirnov, and Shen YiIntroductionBrian Ngwako Mokgatetswa Mahosi, Fulufhelo Godfrey Netswera, Ayanda Sibiya, Elton Fernandes, Sergei Smirnov, and Shen YiSummary of the ChaptersPart I Conceptual, Theoretical, and Policy Foundations1 The Role and Impact of Informal Traders in the Economic Development of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South AfricaZuziwe Mpanza and Brian Ngwako Mokgatetswa Mahosi2 Contested Meanings of Informality: Rethinking Industrial Policy and Empowerment Strategies for the Informal Sector in South AfricaLufefe Benbella Sopazi3 A Review of the Current Spatial Planning Policies in Rural South Africa and the BRICS Global South for Ensuring Sustainable Economic Development: The Case of the Informal Sector at Hopewell Settlement Under Richmond Municipality, KZNTobela Twala4 The Informal Sector of the Brazilian Economy: Characterization and Causality AnalysisClemente Leonel, Clemente Artur Kendi, Clemente Ademir, and Claudio MarceloPart II Country and Regional Perspectives on Informality5 Does Informality Slow Down the Attainment of Sustainable Development? New Empirical Evidence From Sub-Saharan African CountriesEmmanuel Umoru Haruna6 Success and Failure of SMEs in China and South Africa: A Systematic ReviewEdward Malatse Rankhumise and Portia Mahwibi Tladi7 Informality in Brazil: Challenges and Opportunities Emerging From a Heterogeneous SpaceDias Rafael8 Informal Business in Russia: Present, Challenges, and PotentialSergei Smirnov, Trapeznikova Irina, Ilina Janna, and Evnevich Maria9 Is the Virtual Gig Economy a Pathway to Formalization or a Reinforcement of Informality? Exploring the Informal Sector in IndiaAnkit Suri and Yogesh Sharma10 Resilience of Disabled Entrepreneurs in Ghana’s Informal SectorChristopher Boafo, Irene Okanta, and Utz DornbergerPart III Technology, Innovation, and Informal Economy Transformation11 Navigating Regulatory Challenges Within Paratransit Operations in Africa: Balancing Safety and Socio-economic EquitySiyabulela Fobosi, Gcina Malandela, and Yonela Toshe-Mlambo12 Frugal Innovation as a Tool for Competitive Advantage in the Informal Business Sector: A Dynamic Capabilities PerspectiveAyanda Sibiya and Phumuza Langa13 The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Innovation Systems in South Africa’s Informal Business Sector Digital LandscapePikolomzi QabaIndex