Abstract

Government involvement in economic affairs of a country, either through ownership, operation or regulation of the enterprises and services is a historical and economic reality. In South Africa, public enterprises play a crucial role in socio-economic development. Thus they are viewed as vital and strategic pillars of the economy. Most public ownerships came as a result of nationalization policy. Private businesses were converted into public ownerships by governments. Some public enterprises emerged and grew under the government sector naturally because of their core-business and scope of operation. Public enterprise became dominant in transport, communication, natural resources, financial services and agriculture. This paper endeavours to explore public enterprises in South Africa.