Exploring the Role of Higher Education in Fostering Entrepreneurship Education Among Undergraduate Students in South Africa

The focus of this study is to examine the influence of higher education on the effective delivery of entrepreneurship education in South African universities to foster small business creation after school. In South Africa, fostering entrepreneurship has become a critical endeavor to drive economic growth and innovation. There is an alarming unemployment trajectory, mainly among young people. Higher education institutions serve as incubators for future entrepreneurs, providing a conducive environment for students to acquire essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that boost their competencies toward self-employment through small businesses and, in turn, promote economic development and growth. Unfortunately, the courses offered in the universities groom students to become employees in the future rather than equipping them to become an employer of labor. This study adopts an Integrative Literature Review (ILR) approach to explore the role of higher education in fostering entrepreneurship education among undergraduate students in South Africa. The ILR methodology allows for the synthesis of existing research, theoretical frameworks, and insights related to the research topic, providing a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationships among variables without collecting new empirical data. Findings suggest that higher education institutions (HEIs) have not paid much attention to their roles in promoting entrepreneurship education among students. The curriculum still teaches students to graduate and seek employment in formal sectors rather than opt in for personal creativity and innovativeness toward business creation. Some of these roles include but not limited to curriculum development, resource allocation, professional development, community engagement, and student support and guidance. The study concludes that higher education offers limited entrepreneurial learning support to undergraduate students and urges that high education should among other learning fields prioritize entrepreneurship across disciplines. The study sheds light on the concerted efforts to equip the next generation with the skills needed to drive economic and societal transformation through their roles to increase entrepreneurial endeavors.