Barriers and Enablers to Competitive Intelligence Adoption in South African SMEs: A Contextual Analysis of Challenges and Opportunities

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are important for growth, jobs, and new ideas in South Africa's fast-changing economy. But they still can't use and integrate Competitive Intelligence (CI), which is a strategic tool for making businesses more sustainable and responsive to the market. The objective of this study is to look at how many SMEs in South Africa are using CI right now and to find the main things that make it easier or harder to use. The research specifically examines the impact of structural difficulties, including financial limitations, insufficient management and technical competence, inadequate infrastructure, and regulatory complications, on the strategic utilization of CI for the sustainability of SMEs. A quantitative study design was utilized, employing a self-administered web-based questionnaire sent to 400 SMEs in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, yielding 179 valid replies. To make sure the data was reliable and to find relevant patterns, we used descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and Cronbach's alpha. The results show that there are big gaps in CI awareness, resource allocation, and strategy integration. They also show that there are ways to make things better through focused interventions, capacity building, and supporting legislative frameworks. This study enhances comprehension of CI dynamics in resource-limited SMEs contexts and offers practical guidance for policymakers, development agencies, and SMEs stakeholders. The research aids the strategic progression of SMEs in accordance with South Africa’s National Development Plan and its objectives for inclusive economic transformation by tackling the obstacles and utilizing the facilitators of CI adoption.