Abstract:
All sectors in South Africa, including the social welfare sector, are
challenged to join efforts in finding new solutions to reduce the consistently
high levels of poverty and unemployment which impact on citizens’ economic
and social freedom. Within the context of a developmental approach social
entrepreneurship provides social work with an avenue to engage
communities in their own development. This requires a refocus of social
workers on their role in poverty reduction and social development, and hence
in direct and indirect economic activities. This refocusing will be
demonstrated by discussing how social work students had to shift their
mindset and change their attitude with regard to their role in poverty
reduction and social development before they could fully embrace and
engage in social entrepreneurship projects that benefitted the community. In
conclusion, it will be indicated how this learning experience challenges
social workers to utilise social entrepreneurship.
