Entrepreneurship Education and Student Start-Up Intentions in South Africa: Evidence from Four Eastern Cape Universities

This study examines how university stakeholders perceive entrepreneurship education as contributing to students’ start-up intentions through responsive curriculum design, experiential learning, and mentorship in universities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The study adopted an interpretivist paradigm and a qualitative multiple-case study design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 48 participants comprising university managers, academic lecturers, and students from four universities. Participants were selected through purposive and convenience sampling, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that participants perceived responsive curricula, experiential learning, and mentorship as supporting students’ intentions to start a business. Participants associated experiential activities with greater entrepreneurial confidence, problem-solving abilities, and perceived readiness to establish ventures. Mentorship further supported entrepreneurial intentions by connecting students with experienced entrepreneurs, professional networks, and practical business knowledge. However, traditional academic structures, limited awareness among non-commerce students, unequal access to entrepreneurial opportunities, and insufficient practical exposure restricted the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education. This study contributes to the entrepreneurship education literature by demonstrating how curriculum responsiveness, experiential learning, and mentorship are perceived to contribute to start-up intentions in a socioeconomically disadvantaged higher-education context. It recommends that universities embed entrepreneurship across disciplines, strengthen university–industry partnerships, establish formal mentorship systems, and ensure inclusive access to entrepreneurial support. These measures may support students’ entrepreneurial readiness, while their longer-term implications for venture creation, employment, and regional development require further investigation.