Purpose
This report provides data about the businesses owned in full, or in part, by Pacific people aged 20 to 65. It is the first report to analyse Pacific-owned businesses in New Zealand and provides a good baseline to measure against as we recover from the effects of COVID-19. The report also includes success stories of Pacific women in business as well as perspectives on Pacific people in business in Aotearoa New Zealand by the Pacific Business Trust.
Methodology
The report continues the exploration of business activity for Pacific men and women in New Zealand using data from the IDI (Integrated Data Infrastructure) and Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) managed by Stats NZ. It links tax information about working proprietors to Census ethnicity data and other administrative sources to provide detailed and confidentialised information about those active in the Pacific economy.
This research expands on previous studies by examining the total population of Pacific business owners nationally. It disaggregates its results by gender of proprietor, and by New Zealand region.
Key Results
This report has provided an overview of Pacific entrepreneurship in New Zealand through working proprietors. While the rate of Pacific business owners is low, it provides a good foundation in promoting entrepreneurship amongst Pacific peoples.
This report has provided an overview of Pacific entrepreneurship in New Zealand through working proprietors. While the rate of Pacific business owners is low, it provides a good foundation in promoting entrepreneurship amongst Pacific peoples. Fijians, with a higher rate of business ownership, may have something to teach the Pacific business community about setting up and running an enterprise. The higher rate of business ownership in the Northland region may also provide insights on Pacific peoples’ access to resources in setting up a business, which could be explored further. And while the current profile of Pacific working proprietors shows that business owners tend to be older, and New Zealand born, younger people may play an important role in the future of Pacific business, given better educational opportunities, and their understanding of both new technology and the future needs of business. This could mean the focus of Pacific business may shift away from construction-based enterprises to more technology based industries.