Investigating the Effectiveness of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Programmes in Supporting MSMEs in South Africa: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) is intended to advance participation, enterprise development, supplier development, skills development and transformation in South Africa. Its contribution to the growth, performance and sustainability of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), however, remains contested. The supplied literature includes evidence of perceived benefits, developmental opportunities, resource constraints, compliance burdens and weak institutional implementation. Methods: The researcher-selected databases and information sources were Google Scholar and ERIC. The eligibility protocol restricted publication years to 2016–2026. The exact calendar date of search execution was not recorded in the verified identification provenance; this is distinct from the publication-year eligibility range. The review searched Google Scholar and ERIC using a predefined Boolean strategy covering MSMEs, B-BBEE mechanisms and enterprise outcomes, with publication eligibility restricted to 2016–2026. Results: B-BBEE appears most enabling when enterprise and supplier development is embedded in productive value chains, knowledge transfer, skills development and inter-organisational collaboration. Benefits are constrained by limited finance, collateral, infrastructure, market access, technical knowledge, planning and management capability. Legislative change, compliance complexity, weak communication, fragmented institutional support, corruption and fronting risks can displace substantive transformation. Perceptions of benefit coexist with weakly demonstrated direct effects on MSME growth and sustainability. Evidence is heterogeneous and direct longitudinal outcome evidence is limited. Discussion/Conclusion: B-BBEE should be understood as conditionally effective rather than uniformly successful or unsuccessful. Its developmental contribution depends on contextual inclusion, measurable outcomes, coordinated implementation, enterprise capability building and accountability. Stronger longitudinal and MSME-specific evaluations are required to establish causal effects on revenue, employment, productivity, survival and sustainability.