Determinants of youth entrepreneurial success in agribusiness sector : the case of Vhembe district municipality of South Africa

Abstract

Youth agribusinesses’ entrepreneurial failures have led to unattractiveness, disinvestment, and low prioritization of youth agri-business in South Africa. This study aimed to uncover factors that may reduce youth agribusiness entrepreneurial failures. A concurrent mixed-method research design was used carried out the study objectives. The simple random sampling design was used to select 235 youth entrepreneurs in agriculture. The study revealed that perseverance (β = 0.121, p < 0.01), personal motivation (β = 0.100, p < 0.01), creativity (β = 0.099, p < 0.01, and positive attitude (β = 0.093, p < 0.01) were found to be key determinants that can enhance youth entrepreneurial success in Vhembe District Municipality. It concluded that capacity building around technical skills might be required to ensure that these entrepreneurs are efficient and effective in carrying out their entrepreneurial duties. The study recommended that youth need adequate resources and may need adequate exposure to commercial farming operations.