Culture as a determinant to youth involvement in entrepreneurship, Maleni Village, Vhembe District, South Africa

Abstract

Despite the significant contributions of entrepreneurship to economic development, specifically income equality, poverty reduction, and job creation globally, South African youth involvement in entrepreneurial activities is relatively low; this is worrisome. These shortfalls justify reasons why youth unemployment in the country continues to surge, leaving concerns and the need to interrogate the determining factors deterring the active participation of this category of South Africans in such lucrative practices that promises sustainable economic development. Focusing on youth groups (14-35 years), this study assesses the influence of culture on youth’s involvement in entrepreneurship, using a mixed research method. Through a snowball sampling technique 70 participants were determined for the study. Data was collected through one-on-one interviews, using semi-structured and structured questionnaires. It was revealed that males dominate in enterprises such as service delivery, agriculture and artisans while females dominate enterprises such as street vending. This is because retail services are shaped by cultural norms and economic factors. The study specifically aims to determine the specific cultural orientations affecting youth’s entrepreneurship involvement, measure the impact of identified cultural orientations on youth entrepreneurship involvement, assess the youth’s perception of cultural influence on entrepreneurship involvement and suggest strategic interventions in relation to youth cultural orientations. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for quantitative data and Atlas ti for qualitative data. The key recommendations highlighted in this study are to promote access to resources for women and promote cultural awareness that help in shifting perceptions with relation to entrepreneurship involvement among communities that participated in the study.