Social entrepreneurs’ learning experience in South African incubators

ABSTRACT Africa’s strong entrepreneurial spirit and desire for social change has led to growth in social entrepreneurship and incubation throughout the continent. However, there is a limited understanding of how entrepreneurial learning occurs during incubation. This study explored social entrepreneurs’ learning experience in South African incubators. A phenomenological methodology provided a deeper understanding of their lived experience. The findings show that during incubation, social entrepreneurs learn business and entrepreneurship concepts from champions and use this knowledge to transform themselves and their businesses. However, the unique needs of social entrepreneurs are not being met; they are not taught social enterprise specific concepts, not connected to those in the public or social sectors, and are pushed to prioritize profit motives over their social mission. The findings help incubators create a more supportive learning environment for social entrepreneurs through focused content, expanded network embeddedness, and recognition of the importance of social values.