Prof Melodi Botha delivered her inaugural address as professor in entrepreneurship in the Faculty of Economic and Management Science’s (EMS) Department of Business Management on Monday, 30 October 2023.
During her inaugural lecture, Prof Botha highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship for job creation, driving economic growth, and innovation, in the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
“Yet entrepreneurial activity lags in emerging economies like South Africa. A potential reason is the lack of essential entrepreneurial competencies, which encompass the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours vital for business start-up and development. Understanding and imparting these competencies is paramount for educators and entrepreneurs,” she said.
She pointed to recent research, which indicates that using a single pedagogical approach for diverse demographics is not effective for entrepreneurship education. “Many entrepreneurship education programmes adopt a generic approach. The generalisation continues into how entrepreneurial competencies are taught, with some promoting a one-size-fits-all approach, neglecting individual learning styles and characteristics,” she added.
Prof Botha’s research reveals that the path forward is clear: South African entrepreneurs must be equipped with the South African Entrepreneurial Competency Framework.
In her address, she explained how three South African entrepreneurial competency tools were developed and validated among three different samples, namely school children, university students, and entrepreneurs. She also shared the use of decision trees to profile entrepreneurs based on specific entrepreneurial competencies and the teaching methods best suited for varied ages, genders, and educational experiences.
In introducing Prof Botha, Prof Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu, Dean of the Faculty of EMS, reminded the audience of the pivotal role of entrepreneurship. Not just as a means of job creation, driving economic growth, or fuelling innovation, but as a transformative force that has the potential to reshape societies, particularly in emerging economies such as South Africa.
Prof Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu, Dean of the Faculty of EMS; Prof Melodi Botha, professor in entrpreneurship and Prof Flavia Senkubuge, Acting Vice-Principal: Student Life
“It is, however, no secret that entrepreneurial momentum often finds itself stunted in these regions. One significant reason, as demonstrated by the long and rigorous academic work of Prof Botha, her colleagues and students, is a gap in entrepreneurial competencies, which to me is an essential cocktail of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours that are foundational for the inception and growth of a business,” she added.
In closing, Prof Chitiga-Mabugu envisioned a South Africa where each entrepreneur, whether budding, emerging, or established, has access to education that speaks to their individual journey. “A South Africa where we no longer adopt a blanket approach, but celebrate and nurture the unique spark within each entrepreneur. Prof Botha, we look forward to understanding and tracking the importance and impact of your academic and policy suggestions,” she concluded.
Prof Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu, Dean of the Faculty of EMS; Prof Melodi Botha, professor in entrpreneurship and Prof Flavia Senkubuge, Acting Vice-Principal: Student Life
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