Female Entrepreneurship: How Congolese Refugee Women Drive Economic Growth in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The entrepreneurship of refugee women plays a crucial role in promoting economic development and alleviating poverty in both countries of origin and host countries. In South Africa, despite their significant contributions to socioeconomic advancement, these women face numerous challenges, including restricted access to appropriate identity documentation, financial resources, and essential services required to engage in the labor market. This study aims to explore the impact of the entrepreneurial skills of Congolese refugee women on economic development within the KwaZulu-Natal Province. Employing the PRISMA approach, a thorough search strategy was utilized to identify relevant studies published in English that examine the entrepreneurial skills of Congolese refugee women in KwaZulu-Natal. This was achieved through databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, focusing on peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2024, utilizing keywords such as “Congolese refugee women” and "refugee women entrepreneurship," combined using Boolean Operators (AND, OR) for quality assessment, data extraction, and synthesis. The findings indicate that entrepreneurial activities empower refugee women, thereby alleviating poverty and contributing to economic development in their host countries. The economic contributions of Congolese female entrepreneurs in South Africa could be significant, particularly with the implementation of gender-responsive policies and the provision of valid identification documents. Such initiatives would not only enhance their well-being but also support the overall economic growth of the province. It is imperative to develop and implement government policies that are sensitive to gender and aimed at offering the necessary support to refugee women for the economic development of their host country. Policymakers must establish a framework that promotes equitable access to economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs and migrants in South Africa.