Drivers of choosing entrepreneurship path of final year students: a case study of a university in the Western Cape, South Africa

This study aimed to address the need to strengthen entrepreneurship by identifying the drivers of entrepreneurship as a choice of self-employment. The study was conducted among final year students at a University in the Western Cape. These students were suitable for this analysis, as they were preparing for entry into the job market upon completing their university studies, making their choice of job a worthy subject for exploration. The study employed a qualitative research design, collecting data through focus group discussions. A focus group discussion was conducted with eight final-year students of entrepreneurship at a University in the Western Cape. The data provided indicated that cognitive and environmental factors influenced their choice. The cognitive factor involved inherent drives and inborn psychological orientations to engage in entrepreneurship, while the environmental drivers related to the nature of the environment, where factors such as unemployment, poverty, and social expectations drove the need to engage in entrepreneurship. The study recommends that universities strengthen their entrepreneurial role to promote entrepreneurial behaviour among students of entrepreneurship.