Perceptions of entrepreneurship as a career option in South Africa: An exploratory study among grade 12 learners

Abstract

Job creation and poverty alleviation are two pressing challenges facing South Africa today. South Africa’s capacity to address the high unemployment and poverty levels are partly hampered by a poorly developed entrepreneurial culture. An entrepreneurial culture that enhances the supply of effective entrepreneurs at all age and population groups could contribute to economic growth and address both unemployment and poverty. This article investigates the perceptions of entrepreneurship as career option by Grade 12 learners in a specific region in South Africa, as the youth could be viewed as the logical group from which new entrepreneurs should emerge in future. The majority of the surveyed learners seem to have a positive disposition towards small business entrepreneurship as an eventual career, although considerable differences exist in terms of self-image, locality and ethnic backgrounds.