More South Africans are working for themselves, with one in six now self-employed, compared with one in seven in 2002, economist Mike Schussler has revealed.

More South Africans are working for themselves, with one in six now self-employed, compared with one in seven in 2002, economist Mike Schussler has revealed.

"That's a huge increase. Partly it's survival, partly it's entrep- reneurship," Schussler said.

"I think more and more people realise they are not going to get rich working for someone else," he said last week at the presentation of his report on unemployment which had been commissioned by the United Association of South Africa trade union.

Of the estimated 2,1million businesses in South Africa, only 600000 were in the formal sector.

"The biggest challenge," Schussler said, "is how to bring people from the informal into the formal sector, so they can be on a more even footing and get access to finance."

But, he said the number of black male employees had grown from 35percent to 40percent between 2002 and 2006. - Sapa