The experts, Dr Natanya Meyer and Dr Luzaan Hamilton – who are both members of the School of Business Management – are of the opinion that to enable women to take a proactive stance in their own development, it is necessary to build their capacity to actively participate in formal business markets.
A recent research study conducted by the experts saw them exploring the differences, in various entrepreneurial factors, between home-grown fempreneurs having some form of entrepreneurial training, and those without.
Entrepreneurial training under the looking glass
“Entrepreneurship has been considered an imperative component of economic development,” says Dr Meyer and Dr Hamilton. “This is specifically true for developing countries such as South Africa, where economies face high levels of unemployment and poverty. Several countries have emphasised the importance of female entrepreneurship development and evidence shows that entrepreneurs who undergo training proves higher commitment to stay in and grow the business.”
Female entrepreneurs, in particular, are recognised as a new engine for economic growth and prosperity. The experts further found that there are certain differences between women who had entrepreneurial training, and those who did not, especially with regard to external motivation and business growth factors.
The outcome of the study implies that entrepreneurial training could indeed affect fempreneurs’ perception of these mentioned factors.
The way forward
According to The Consortium of Entrepreneurship Education, entrepreneurship education can assist in the preparation of individuals, especially women and the youth, and interestingly it was found that entrepreneurial training had a stronger effect on women than on men.
Dr Meyer and Dr Hamilton agree that it is imperative for government to introduce and promote special training programmes for female entrepreneurs and facilitate funding opportunities for these businesses to ensure sustained growth.
Dr Natanya Meyer.
Dr Luzaan Hamilton.
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