Starting and managing your own business requires hard work and an attitude to do. As a rule, entrepreneurs are the types of people who can identify and solve problems in an innovative manner, are ready to take risks and learn errors.
But many entrepreneurs also have a set of skills that anyone can learn and use in work and life. Examples include adaptability, problem solving, collaboration, communication, creative thinking, innovation and resilience.
The Department of Basic Education of South Africa considers these skills as an important part of the school program, especially since about 60% of South Africans aged 16 to 24 I have no work. The Entrepreneurship Plan in the Schools of the Department is implemented by the organization E3 (online) To help all learners develop these skills. A workshop in the department indicated that at the end of 2025, 13,215 (or 53%) of South African schools had set up parts of this plan.
Find out more:
Why children should learn to start a business at school
Can we do more?
As a educational researchers, we made a study To see how education in entrepreneurship could be extended to the technological program of South Africa at the secondary level. The subject of technology is an ideal vehicle to integrate the teaching of entrepreneurship because it is based on problems and combines practical knowledge and skills.
Previous studies explored how technological education can promote entrepreneurship. But they largely ignored the prospects of teachers who put the program into practice. It was the objective of our new study.
We asked for the opinions of 30 senior phase technology teachers (7th year). Almost all said they thought it was possible to include entrepreneurship in the technological program. They mainly showed a positive attitude towards the idea and considered it a value for learners. They suggested practical ways to combine subjects.
Teachers play a central role in the transformation of curriculum ideas into practical learning experiences for learners. Taking their opinions on board could make a difference in the success of the plan in the preparation of learners for life and employment in South Africa.
Teachers views
Teachers who were part of our study had at least three years of experience in teaching matter, and 19 of them had more than 10 years of experience.
The majority of these teachers thought it was possible to integrate entrepreneurship into the current technological program without too much difficulty.
It has been suggested that the inclusion of entrepreneurship could increase the interest of learners in technological education. It aligns with our belief That when learners perceive the subject as relevant for their lives – for example, by showing them how to generate income – their motivation and their commitment to the subject increase.
Nicky Lloyd / Getty Images
Most teachers also said that it would be good to present entrepreneurship training before the 9th year (when learners are about 15 years old). Many learners (up to 40%) Leave school at that time. They saw that it allowed school leavers to create their own work opportunities.
A teacher noted:
Learners must develop skills and state of mind to create their own employment opportunities, and if entrepreneurship skills are developed, they can be autonomous.
There were also concerns, however.
Teachers stressed that the technological program was already full of content. The addition of new materials related to entrepreneurship would not be practical. Instead, they suggested identifying the content of existing technological programs that could be linked to entrepreneurship. For example, the products that learners conceive and already carry out within the framework of the program could be linked to entrepreneurial thought by exploring their potential as marketable goods.
Teachers proposed to connect entrepreneurship training in specific subjects, such as cell phone towers, life jaws (emergency rescue equipment) and electromaignes. Learners could design innovative problem -solving products with real applications.
They said additional subjects in the study program could be adapted to develop the skills in learners' entrepreneurship. For example, subjects such as “emergency shelters for disaster victims” are less normative and allow learners to be creative and original – essential qualities for entrepreneurship.
Teachers also suggested new content for future curriculum updates. Learners could create functional products that combine technical skills with entrepreneurial ideas and are relevant to real life. The examples included palm, toys, steam engine cars, carpentry products and household tools. Some teachers proposed to merge the development of products with services such as cooking, cooking and management of mobile tuckshops. All could be linked to existing technological content.
Understand the value of entrepreneurship
The suggestions of the study participants show that they tend to think of entrepreneurship as being mainly to earn a living. It is certainly important in South Africa, but we believe That to unlock the full potential of teaching entrepreneurship within technology, teachers must be trained to understand and assess the full value of entrepreneurship.
Knowledge and skills associated with entrepreneurship can also create social value when applied to solve problems in communities, not necessarily for lucrative purposes. Teachers who appreciate it will be able to explain it better to their learners. This could open more opportunities for learners to apply what they learn in technological education to solve real problems.
In conclusion, we argue that the integration of education into entrepreneurship in the technological program has great potential to combat the youth unemployment crisis in South Africa. To do this with success, the content of existing programs should be linked to entrepreneurial thinking, and teachers should receive the training necessary to guide learners to apply these ideas to their daily life and their future careers.
The student of Maître Faren McCarthy-Tettledas carried out the study on which this article is based, supervised by Professor Deon Van Tonder.
Finn founded Learnopoly to provide unbiased, in-depth online course reviews, helping learners make informed choices. With a decade in financial services, he developed strategic partnerships and business development expertise. After a frustrating experience with a biased course review, Finn was inspired to create a trusted learning resource.