The Challenges/Barriers Preventing the South African Youth in Becoming Entrepreneurs: South African Overview

Abstract

Youth entrepreneurship is commonly measured as a significant determinant of poverty reduction, economic development and job creation but the participation of the youth in entrepreneurship is worrisome. Against this background, this study aims to evaluate the challenges that are preventing the youth in starting their own businesses. A qualitative research approach was adopted to enable the use of secondary data literature. The research methodology was undertaken by systematically reviewing and contextualizing the literature regarding the challenges preventing the youth from participating in entrepreneurship activities. The data was analyzed using thematic content analysis. The results showed that the lack of education, society’s attitude towards youth entrepreneurship, lack of access to finance and a poor entrepreneurship culture are the barriers that prevent youth from engaging in entrepreneurial activities. A policy implication arising from these findings is that there is a need for entrepreneurship education, better support from society and the provision in terms of the easy access to finance.