Meet Professor Melodi Botha, a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship education and a National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated (C2) researcher at the University of Pretoria (UP). Her research focus falls within the broader management discipline of entrepreneurship.

“In my journey as an entrepreneurship researcher, my passion lies in equipping young minds with entrepreneurial competencies,” says Prof Botha, who is a full professor in entrepreneurship at the Department of Business Management in UP’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS).

She has been collaborating with the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation on several industry research projects, such as developing entrepreneurial competencies (ECs) to enhance entrepreneurial action and validating three psychometric EC screening instruments in South Africa.

The measuring of ECs is mostly carried out in developed economies, with no instrument created in South Africa. Due to a lack of validated entrepreneurial competencies measuring instruments in South Africa, Prof Botha began working with Professors Alewyn Nel and Pieter Schaap, who are both industrial psychologists in UP’s Department of Human Resource Management. The validation process began with a pilot phase and included three separate sample groups: adults, university students and high school students (Grades 10 to 12); followed by completed validation research comprising of 1 305 adults, 1 187 university students and 978 high school students in Grades 10 to 12.

“We assessed 14 ECs collectively and came up with a different second-order competency model for the three samples,” Prof Botha explains. “This finding illustrates that a one-size-fits-all approach is futile when measuring and determining ECs as a different factor-model as is evident for each sample.”

These measurement tools can be used by academics to assess diverse types of entrepreneurs in developing countries.

“It can also be used by students and entrepreneurs to test their levels of entrepreneurial competencies, which will indicate which ECs are strongly developed and which require further training and development,” she says.

Prof Botha is committed to promoting, educating and training entrepreneurs, and she is now working on a research project related to entrepreneurship in schools in cooperation with Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy South Africa and the Department of Basic Education.

“Not only will a best-practice training programme be developed for school children, but I will also develop an entrepreneurial competency framework that will be implemented in various subjects in schools in South Africa.”

Her passion lies in developing entrepreneurship skills among South Africans of all ages.

“Presently, our efforts are focused on measuring the 14 EC frameworks among Grade 6 to 9 pupils in South Africa. This ongoing work aims to establish a reliable and validated EC assessment tool tailored to the local context.”

Prof Botha says her research has shown various practical ways for assisting aspiring entrepreneurs in developing their abilities to create and run successful firms. Mentorship and networking with existing entrepreneurs are critical in helping aspiring entrepreneurs build the skills required to begin and grow successful enterprises. This will allow budding entrepreneurs to have access to mentors who will provide insight, guidance and networking opportunities, considerably improving their learning curve and decision-making processes.

“Such mentorship not only imparts industry-specific knowledge, but it also instils invaluable entrepreneurial competencies that are critical for entrepreneurial success, such as resilience, adaptability and strategic thinking,” she says.

Enhancing access to quality entrepreneurial education and training programmes is critical for providing individuals with the necessary information and skills for success. Poor infrastructure is another concern in South Africa – like unreliable internet access – which could hamper the growth of businesses.

“Addressing these challenges and seizing opportunities require a collaborative effort involving government, private sector stakeholders, civil society organisations and educational institutions,” Prof Botha says. “By leveraging the country’s strengths and addressing systemic barriers, South Africa can foster a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem that drives sustainable economic development and empowers communities across the country.”