Informal Business Sector in BRICS+ Countries

Brian Ngwako Mokgatetswa Mahosi is a lecturer who specializes 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 Ph.D. in Business Administration from North-West University, USA and an MTech in Entrepreneurship from Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa. His research focus area is entrepreneurship, specifically the informal sector.Fulufhelo (Fulu) Netswera is a Full Professor and 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 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 Programs 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 Ph.D. 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 Center for BRICS Studies and International Research Institute of Global Cyberspace Governance.

• List of figuresList of TablesList of ContributorsPrefaceBrian Ngwako Mokgatetswa Mahosi, Fulufhelo Netswera, Ayanda Sibiya, Elton Fernandes, Sergei Smirnov, Shen YiIntroductionBrian Ngwako Mokgatetswa Mahosi, Fulufhelo Netswera, Ayanda Sibiya, Elton Fernandes, Sergei Smirnov, Shen YiSummary of the ChaptersPart I – Conceptual, Theoretical and Policy FoundationsThe Role and Impact of Informal Traders in the Economic Development of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South AfricaMpanza Mpanza and Mahosi Brian Ngwako Mokgatetswa2. 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, 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 reviewRankhumise Edward Malatse and Tladi Portia Mahwibi7. Informality in Brazil: Challenges and opportunities emerging from a heterogenous spaceDias Rafael8. Informal business in Russia: present, challenges, and potentialSmirnov Sergei9. Is the Virtual Gig Economy a Pathway to Formalization or a Reinforcement of Informality? Exploring the Informal Sector in IndiaSuri Ankit and Sharma Yogesh10. Resilience of Disabled Entrepreneurs in Ghana's Informal SectorBoafo Christopher, Irene Okanta, Utz DornbergerPart III – Technology, Innovation and Informal Economy Transformation11. Navigating Regulatory Challenges within Paratransit Operations in Africa: Balancing Safety and Socio-economic EquityFobosi Siyabulela, Malandela Gcina and Toshe-Mlambo Yonela12. Frugal innovation as a tool for competitive advantage in the informal business sector: A dynamic capabilities perspectiveSibiya Ayanda and Langa Phumuza13. The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Innovation Systems in South Africa’s Informal Business Sector Digital LandscapeQaba Pikolomzi