ANTECEDENTS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS AMONGST HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

South Africa is confronted with the problem of youth unemployment. Despite this challenge, young people have few options to stay relevant in the economy. While many young people consider starting a business, they face obstacles such as a lack of information, capital, networking, and mentorship. This makes it very difficult for young people, particularly university graduates, to pursue entrepreneurship as an alternative career. This study examined the antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions amongst higher education students in South Africa. A quantitative and descriptive research design was adopted using a positivist research philosophy. A self-administered online questionnaire was used to gather data. A total of 400 students were chosen as respondents using simple random sampling. The findings of this study show that entrepreneurial intention has a positive and significant relationship with subjective norms (β=0.619, t-value=8.197, p=0.050), perceived behavior control (β=0.171, t-value=1.969, p=0.050), personal attitude (β=0.137, t-value=1.967, p=0.050). In contrast, there was a negative and insignificant relationship between entrepreneurial intention and self-efficacy (β=-0.015, t-value=0.209, p=0.835). This research has contributed to the literature on entrepreneurship in higher education and the developing world. This study is also expected to aid scholars, practitioners, and policymakers in understanding the dynamics of entrepreneurial intentions amongst students in higher education institutions.