An Integrative Review of Entrepreneurship Education as an Approach in Fostering and Developing Entrepreneurial Mindset among Undergraduate Students: Lessons from South Africa.

Abstract

Abstract: South Africa's persistent high youth unemployment, reaching 46.1% for ages 15–34 in Q2 2025 and 58.5% forages 15–24 in Q3 2025 (Statistics South Africa), presents profound economic and social challenges, exacerbating inequalityand hindering growth. This integrative literature review examines entrepreneurship education as a pedagogical strategy tocultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among undergraduate students, offering a pathway to self-employment and opportunitycreation amid limited formal job prospects. The purpose is to synthesize evidence on how entrepreneurship educationfosters key entrepreneurial competencies such as visionary thinking, risk-taking, opportunity recognition, tolerance forambiguity, networking, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving and influences entrepreneurial intentions, drawing onthe Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Employing the PRISMA framework, the review screened over 3,600 records fromdatabases like Google Scholar, Scopus, and ResearchGate, ultimately including 84 studies (primarily post-2020 peer-reviewed articles) focused on South African higher education contexts, including universities and TVET colleges. Findingsreveal that entrepreneurship education significantly enhances entrepreneurial mindset development through experientialand student-centered pedagogies (e.g., simulations, real-world projects, incubators), yielding moderate to strong effects(Cohen's d = 0.5–0.8) and improvements of 35–47% in mindset indicators. It boosts entrepreneurial intentions via TPBcomponents (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control), explaining 40–60% variance, with graduates 50% more likelyto start ventures and reductions in unemployment perceptions by up to 25%. Experiential methods outperform theoreticalapproaches, with notable gains among females and in discipline-specific programs. In conclusion, entrepreneurshipeducation emerges as a vital intervention for mindset transformation and youth unemployment alleviation in South Africa.Hybrid, experiential curricula integrated across disciplines, supported by policy, ecosystem partnerships, and TPB-informed strategies, can promote self-sufficiency and inclusive growth. Overcoming barriers like limited funding andinstitutional constraints requires urgent reforms to scale impact and empower youth as economic agents.