Photographer: Ruvan Boshoff
South African entrepreneurs need to navigate the uncertainty of the current economic climate while working hard to operate profitable businesses.
The task is getting more demanding, and in a post-pandemic environment, the latest data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (Gem) Report, 2023/2024, shows that the quality of South Africa’s overall entrepreneurial environment declined in 2023.
Despite this, the data shows that resilience and the country's total early-stage entrepreneurial activity (TEA) are notable figures. The TEA rate in South Africa fluctuated significantly, from 17.5% in 2021 to 8.5% in 2022 and then up to 11.1% in 2023.
Higher education significantly affects the country's economic development, extending beyond annual graduation numbers. In terms of social responsibility, higher education institutions should create enabling and empowering spaces where theory can be applied while students are completing their qualifications, not only after graduation.
The EMS Small Business Clinic opens to the public in July 2024
In 2020, the faculty of Economic Management Sciences’ (EMS) Small Business Clinic launched as part of The ZoneLearning@UWC programme.
This is an experiential learning and incubation space for University of the Western Cape (UWC) students. The clinic represents the faculty’s response to the problem of high youth unemployment and problems facing struggling businesses in the small and micro-enterprise sectors.
The clinic has two main objectives through partnerships with corporate firms and government agencies. First, the goal is to stimulate student interest in entrepreneurship through their interactions with business owners and exposure to mentors from industry and government agencies.
Secondly, to provide a supportive environment through which owners of small and micro enterprises can establish productive networks that contribute to developing implementable business ideas, sustainability and growth of their businesses.
As the Coordinator of the Small Business Clinic, I believe our programme offers students valuable opportunities for experiential learning. By engaging with business owners and providing support and mentoring, the clinic contributes to the scholarship of engagement and positively impacts society.
The Small Business Clinic is one of the many experiential learning initiatives currently underway at UWC. One of our projects in this regard is the SAIPA (South African Business Advisory Technician—Entrepreneurship Integrated Programme).
We embarked on this programme in collaboration with SAIPA and the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, and it aims to foster entrepreneurial excellence among our students.
This innovative programme equips students with the essential knowledge and skills to thrive as entrepreneurs in today’s competitive business landscape. Through a blend of academic learning and practical experience, participants will engage in real-life business tasks and challenges, gaining valuable insights into the complexities of the business world.
Lisle Svenson is the Coordinator of the Small Business Clinic at UWC
South African entrepreneurs need to navigate the uncertainty of the current economic climate while working hard to operate profitable businesses.
The task is getting more demanding, and in a post-pandemic environment, the latest data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (Gem) Report, 2023/2024, shows that the quality of South Africa’s overall entrepreneurial environment declined in 2023.
Despite this, the data shows that resilience and the country's total early-stage entrepreneurial activity (TEA) are notable figures. The TEA rate in South Africa fluctuated significantly, from 17.5% in 2021 to 8.5% in 2022 and then up to 11.1% in 2023.
Higher education significantly affects the country's economic development, extending beyond annual graduation numbers. In terms of social responsibility, higher education institutions should create enabling and empowering spaces where theory can be applied while students are completing their qualifications, not only after graduation.
The EMS Small Business Clinic opens to the public in July 2024 In 2020, the faculty of Economic Management Sciences’ (EMS) Small Business Clinic launched as part of The ZoneLearning@UWC programme.
This is an experiential learning and incubation space for University of the Western Cape (UWC) students. The clinic represents the faculty’s response to the problem of high youth unemployment and problems facing struggling businesses in the small and micro-enterprise sectors.
The clinic has two main objectives through partnerships with corporate firms and government agencies. First, the goal is to stimulate student interest in entrepreneurship through their interactions with business owners and exposure to mentors from industry and government agencies.
Secondly, to provide a supportive environment through which owners of small and micro enterprises can establish productive networks that contribute to developing implementable business ideas, sustainability and growth of their businesses.
As the Coordinator of the Small Business Clinic, I believe our programme offers students valuable opportunities for experiential learning. By engaging with business owners and providing support and mentoring, the clinic contributes to the scholarship of engagement and positively impacts society.
The Small Business Clinic is one of the many experiential learning initiatives currently underway at UWC. One of our projects in this regard is the SAIPA (South African Business Advisory Technician—Entrepreneurship Integrated Programme).
We embarked on this programme in collaboration with SAIPA and the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, and it aims to foster entrepreneurial excellence among our students.
This innovative programme equips students with the essential knowledge and skills to thrive as entrepreneurs in today’s competitive business landscape. Through a blend of academic learning and practical experience, participants will engage in real-life business tasks and challenges, gaining valuable insights into the complexities of the business world.
Lisle Svenson is the Coordinator of the Small Business Clinic at UWC
