<![CDATA[Objective: This study aimed to examine how managerial and innovation skills influence entrepreneurship performance in the funeral parlour and construction industries. Research Design & Methods: The study adopted a quantitative method, using a survey and was conducted in small and medium enterprises that fall under the construction and funeral parlour industries located in two provinces: Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Stratified sampling method was used to eliminate sample bias. While sample size for the study was 364, the data were collected from 300 respondents and analysed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences. The response rate was 82%, and the non-response rate was 18%. The reliability and validity of the measuring instrument were assessed through Cronbach’s alpha and factor analysis, respectively.  Findings: The correlation and regression analysis results showed a significant relationship between managerial skills and entrepreneurship performance. Furthermore, while the correlation results established a positive relationship between innovation skills and entrepreneurship performance, the regression analysis results indicated a negative relationship between innovation skills and entrepreneurship performance. Implications & Recommendations: The findings are useful for entrepreneurs in expanding and growing their businesses by identifying the required skills needed to develop and apply to ensure a successful business. The study expands the knowledge and understanding of how managerial and innovation skills influence entrepreneurship performance. Contribution & Value Added: This paper expands the frontier of knowledge in entrepreneurial skills and competencies, as well as indicators of entrepreneurship performance (i.e. profitability, sales volume and market share).]]>
