Exploring the Entrepreneurial Micro-Ecosystem: Agribusiness Among Youth in Rural South Africa

Abstract

In recent times, entrepreneurial ecosystems have increasingly being researched and seen as a vehicle for empowerment and poverty alle-viation by policy-makers, particularly in developing economies. Scholars have primarily studied this concept in developed markets, with a focus on urban regions in those markets. However, in the South African context, there is an increasing realization that entrepreneurship among youth in small towns and villages is key in unlocking economic development and self-sustainability in those areas. Thus, research in these regions is necessary for deeper understanding and scholarly engagement into the entrepreneurial ecosystems emerging among youths. In addressing insufficient attention to small town and village entrepreneurship ecosystems, a conceptual comparative-case study of three agribusinesses in rural Eastern Cape province of South Africa was conducted. Thus, the research examines how and to what extent entrepreneurial activities among youth in rural areas manifested in promising agribusinesses within a short space of time, after being affected by Covid-19 lockdowns. The findings depicted that (a) agribusiness is key in rural areas and among youth, (b) rural communities engage in community-based agricultural projects to encourage self-sustainability and entrepreneurship, and (c) there is a need for a more focused support by policy-makers in these areas for them to flourish and open more markets.