Research:2026-06-02/Journal article/entrepreneurial-leadership-and-cannabis-entrepreneurship-in-south-africa-insights-from-the-cannabis-master-pla

Research record2 June 2026Journal article

Entrepreneurial Leadership and Cannabis Entrepreneurship in South Africa: Insights From the Cannabis Master Plan and SMME Performance Literature

Mutshidza Kingsley Muenda, Mulalo Rejoyce Maumela, Livhuwani Gladys Nkondo

International Journal of Applied Research in Business and Management · 2026

Abstract

This study synthesises two complementary investigations Cannabis Master Plan (NCM) implementation challenges and SMME leadership performance in Limpopo's Vhembe District to analyse how entrepreneurial leadership drives cannabis SMME success under South Africa's NCM, promoting inclusive growth amid regulatory barriers. Grounded in constructivism, this qualitative synthesis integrates semi-structured interviews with 16 cannabis entrepreneurs (snowball sampled to saturation) and SMME leadership narratives from Vhembe District. Data were analysed via ATLAS.ti thematic analysis, triangulating cannabis commercialisation challenges with leadership dynamics. A "cannabis divide" marginalises rural growers via R25,000 licensing fees, R6 million+ infrastructure costs, SAHPRA ambiguity, stigma, and cultivation knowledge gaps. Transformational leadership reframes legitimacy; servant leadership enables inclusive hiring for 10,000–25,000 jobs; adaptive/participative approaches foster cooperatives, value-added innovation (hemp biofuels, textiles), and formalisation. Snowball sampling and cross-sectional design limit generalizability; findings merit longitudinal, quantitative validation across provinces to test leadership-policy synergies. SMME leaders should adopt hybrid approaches through cooperatives and training; policymakers must subsidise rural access, establish compliance hubs, and integrate leadership development into the NCM rollout to drive equitable R28 billion industry growth. First integration of cannabis policy and SMME leadership studies, revealing entrepreneurial leadership as the catalyst bridging policy disconnects and 60-80% SMME failures, with actionable insights for rural empowerment.

The paper's abstract, reproduced as published.

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Record created 8 August 2026 · maintained by landrace.wiki editors · page history

Published2 Jun 2026

TypeJournal article

VenueInternational Journal of Applied Research in Business and Management

Year2026

DOI10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.680

CountrySouth Africa

DOIPDF

2026-06-02 2026-08-08 Entrepreneurial Leadership and Cannabis Entrepreneurship in South Africa: Insights From the Cannabis Master Plan and SMME Performance Literature Journal article Policy and law Mutshidza Kingsley Muenda, Mulalo Rejoyce Maumela, Livhuwani Gladys Nkondo International Journal of Applied Research in Business and Management 2026 10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.680 https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.680 https://www.wr-publishing.org/index.php/ijarbm/article/download/680/615 Combines interviews with 16 Cannabis entrepreneurs and small-enterprise performance data from the Vhembe District of Limpopo to examine who can take part in South Africa's National Cannabis Master Plan. The authors describe what they call a cannabis divide, in which licensing fees of R25,000 and infrastructure costs above R6 million place formal participation beyond rural growers. It documents the exclusion of established cultivators from a legal framework and complements the other South African policy records in this corpus. This study synthesises two complementary investigations Cannabis Master Plan (NCM) implementation challenges and SMME leadership performance in Limpopo's Vhembe District to analyse how entrepreneurial leadership drives cannabis SMME success under South Africa's NCM, promoting inclusive growth amid regulatory barriers. Grounded in constructivism, this qualitative synthesis integrates semi-structured interviews with 16 cannabis entrepreneurs (snowball sampled to saturation) and SMME leadership narratives from Vhembe District. Data were analysed via ATLAS.ti thematic analysis, triangulating cannabis commercialisation challenges with leadership dynamics. A "cannabis divide" marginalises rural growers via R25,000 licensing fees, R6 million+ infrastructure costs, SAHPRA ambiguity, stigma, and cultivation knowledge gaps. Transformational leadership reframes legitimacy; servant leadership enables inclusive hiring for 10,000–25,000 jobs; adaptive/participative approaches foster cooperatives, value-added innovation (hemp biofuels, textiles), and formalisation. Snowball sampling and cross-sectional design limit generalizability; findings merit longitudinal, quantitative validation across provinces to test leadership-policy synergies. SMME leaders should adopt hybrid approaches through cooperatives and training; policymakers must subsidise rural access, establish compliance hubs, and integrate leadership development into the NCM rollout to drive equitable R28 billion industry growth. First integration of cannabis policy and SMME leadership studies, revealing entrepreneurial leadership as the catalyst bridging policy disconnects and 60-80% SMME failures, with actionable insights for rural empowerment. South Africa