The benefits of good corporate governance to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa: A view on top 20 and bottom 20 JSE listed companies

Good corporate governance has been attributed to many large organizations' success. From the boardroom to the triple bottom line, it has been hailed as one powerful tool that brought about sustainability of these organizations in this competitive era. While this is beneficial to large organizations, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can glean on such experiences to add their value to their companies which, in the long run could bring about new markets and improved business practices which can be ground breaking in their daily business dealings. Thus, if with the introduction of the King Report on good governance, competitive advantage is improved, SMEs are in a good position to sustain their businesses in turbulent economic conditions. This article is aimed at exploring the benefits with which good corporate governance can yield to top and bottom JSE listed SMEs in South Africa. A desktop method was used to analyze the financial statements of these SMEs companies with the view to gain understanding on their corporate governance activities and how well they benefit them. The findings show that good corporate governance is beneficial to SMEs.