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Predicting social grant recipients' entrepreneurial willingness to be self-employed

Thesis (PhD (Entrepreneurship)--University of Pretoria, 2025.

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Other Authors: Van Vuuren, Jurie Jansen
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2025
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Van Vuuren, Jurie Jansen
author_browse Van Vuuren, Jurie Jansen
author_facet Van Vuuren, Jurie Jansen
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Thesis (PhD (Entrepreneurship)--University of Pretoria, 2025.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:39:54.964Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/101251 Predicting social grant recipients' entrepreneurial willingness to be self-employed Van Vuuren, Jurie Jansen boitumelo.masilela@gmail.com Masilela, Boitumelo UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Entrepreneurship Individual entrepreneurial orientation Entrepreneurial intention Planned behaviour Social grants Willingness to be self-employed Quantitative study City of Johannesburg Tshwane Rural Limpopo Thesis (PhD (Entrepreneurship)--University of Pretoria, 2025. Social grants in South Africa were introduced to reform a previously biased social welfare system that excluded non-white citizens. With approximately 29 million grant beneficiaries and an unemployment rate of 32.9%, the sustainability of social assistance is under scrutiny, especially given South Africa’s low entrepreneurial growth rate compared to other African countries. Studies show that unemployed or low-income individuals often supplement their livelihoods with income from social grants. This study sought to create and evaluate a predictive model using structural equation modelling (SEM) to understand the factors influencing social grant recipients' willingness to be self-employed, focusing on their need for achievement, planned behaviour and their individual entrepreneurial orientation. The research was carried out in two phases - a review of literature and an empirical investigation, with data collected from 725 social grant recipients in Johannesburg, Tshwane and rural Limpopo Province through self-administered questionnaires for the empirical phase of the study. Descriptive statistics revealed a sample made up predominantly of female recipients aged from 18 to 40, with 36% having completed matric. Major challenges identified in starting a business included access to finance, business training and marketing strategies. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified constructs such as "achievement motivation" and "apathy" as significant in measuring entrepreneurial orientation. The Theory of Planned Behaviour was validated, showing that attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control predict entrepreneurial intentions. Hypothesis testing indicated that perceived obstacles significantly influence achievement motivation, apathy and behavioural intentions. Despite government support programmes, access to finance remains a major hurdle. The findings highlight the need for tailored financial products, comprehensive business training and improved policy implementation to support social grant recipients in overcoming barriers to entrepreneurship. Enhancing an entrepreneurial willingness and mindset is crucial for motivating social grant recipients towards self-employment, and in this way contributing to economic development and poverty alleviation in South Africa. Business Management PhD (Entrepreneurship) Unrestricted Faculty of Economic And Management Sciences SDG-01: No poverty SDG-08: Decent work and economic growth SDG-10: Reduced inequalities 2025-02-27T11:36:36Z 2025-02-27T11:36:36Z 2025-04 2025-01 Thesis * A2025 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/101251 https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.28504724 en © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Entrepreneurship
Individual entrepreneurial orientation
Entrepreneurial intention
Planned behaviour
Social grants
Willingness to be self-employed
Quantitative study
City of Johannesburg
Tshwane
Rural Limpopo
Predicting social grant recipients' entrepreneurial willingness to be self-employed
title Predicting social grant recipients' entrepreneurial willingness to be self-employed
title_full Predicting social grant recipients' entrepreneurial willingness to be self-employed
title_fullStr Predicting social grant recipients' entrepreneurial willingness to be self-employed
title_full_unstemmed Predicting social grant recipients' entrepreneurial willingness to be self-employed
title_short Predicting social grant recipients' entrepreneurial willingness to be self-employed
title_sort predicting social grant recipients entrepreneurial willingness to be self employed
topic UCTD
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Entrepreneurship
Individual entrepreneurial orientation
Entrepreneurial intention
Planned behaviour
Social grants
Willingness to be self-employed
Quantitative study
City of Johannesburg
Tshwane
Rural Limpopo
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/101251
https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.28504724