It is difficult to find comprehensive comparisons of business failure rates across the world. South Africa is thought to have one of the highest small business failure rates internationally, at 71% within the first year (statistic attributed to the Trade Minister in 2013). By comparison, it is around 20% of businesses fail in their first year in the United States, and around 50% within five years. This is similar to other OECD economies. But South Africa also stands out for how few businesses are started in the first place.
