11 results for "Helper ZHOU"

Do Firms’ Growth Rates Follow a Random Walk? Evidence from Incubated Small and Medium Enterprises in South Africa

Helper Zhou; Robert Zondo

African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies, Vol. 5 No. 1 · 2023 · English · DOAJ

Debate on the validity of the Law of Proportionate Effect (LPE) on firm growth is ongoing decades after it was postulated by Gibrat in 1931. The theoretical model which asserts that firm growth follows a random walk has been largely tested in developed economies using data from non-incubated firms…

Also available at: DOAJ, DOAJ, DOAJ

The Role of Size and Age on Firm Growth: Evidence from Manufacturing SMMEs in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

Helper Zhou; Victor Gumbo

African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies, Vol. 3 No. 1 · 2021 · English · DOAJ

Previous studies in both developed and developing economies have reported that firm growth declines with firm age and size. However, review of literature showed that there are limited studies to empirically assess the validity of this fact on firm growth in developing countries. As such, the…

Supervised Machine Learning for Predicting SMME Sales: An Evaluation of Three Algorithms

Helper Zhou; Victor Gumbo

The African Journal of Information and Communication, Iss 27, Pp 1-21 (2021) · 2021 · English · DOAJ

The emergence of machine learning algorithms presents the opportunity for a variety of stakeholders to perform advanced predictive analytics and to make informed decisions. However, to date there have been few studies in developing countries that evaluate the performance of such algorithms—with the…

Also available at: DOAJ

Detecting Subtle Shifts: Comparing SME Performance Drivers Pre and During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Soza Sydney Simango; Helper Zhou

African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies, Vol. 7 No. 1 · 2025 · English · DOAJ

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), especially those in the South African tourism sector, were significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Many experienced a decline in performance due to decreased consumer demand resulting from travel restrictions. Understanding these enterprises’…

The role of data analytics in driving resilient SME performance in South Africa.

Sharon MANDIZHA; Fulufhelo Godfrey NETSWERA; Helper ZHOU

Academic Finance, Vol. 16 No. 2 · 2025 · French · DOAJ

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for businesses worldwide, especially for Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The pandemic has created new risks and uncertainties that SMEs must navigate to remain operational and competitive. To address these challenges…

Complexity-Aware Vector-Valued Machine Learning of State-Level Bond Returns: Evidence on South African Trade Spillovers Under SALT and OBBBA

Gordon Dash; Nina Kajiji; Domenic Vonella et al.

Econometrics, Vol. 14 No. 1 · 2025 · English · DOAJ Scopus

This study examines the impact of international trade shocks from South Africa and recent U.S. federal tax reforms on state-level municipal bond returns within the United States. Employing a unique transaction-level dataset comprising more than 50 million municipal bond trades from 2020 to 2024…

Renewable energy investments in South Africa: Potentials and challenges for a sustainable transition -

Ifeanyi Michael Smarte Anekwe; Stephen Okiemute Akpasi; Mphathesithe Mzwandile Mkhize et al.

Science Progress, Vol. 107 · 2024 · English · DOAJ Scopus

The Republic of South Africa is one of the leading investors in renewable energy in Africa, despite the widespread perception that the country is trapped in the carbon age due to its high dependence on fossil fuels. Renewable energy, rooted in sustainable development, requires the creation of an…