Community development through social entrepreneurship

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.