Sustainable development goals present viable opportunities for sustainable entrepreneurship – Kerrin Myres

Published On: 14 November 2024|

South Africa, though plagued by huge social problems amid rich natural resources, also presents significant opportunities in sustainable entrepreneurship – if only we could respond to the social, environmental, and economic challenges staring us in the face — so argued Professor Kerrin Myres, Senior Lecturer and Emeritus Professor in Ethics at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) at the 3rd Higher Education Conference last October. 

Addressing delegates at this premium conference of Universities South Africa (USAf) on Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, Professor Myres (left) referenced the United Nations Sustainable Development Report 2024, which ranks South Africa 115th out of 167 countries on meeting global sustainability standards. She said by international standards, this performance picture was not so rosy. That notwithstanding, “only 8% of 18 to 24 year olds and 10% of 25 to 34 year olds are engaged in entrepreneurial activity. This figure is shockingly low,” she said, especially when viewed against our 60% unemployment rate.

Opportunities abound for sustainable entrepreneurship

She went on to say that sustainable development goals (SDGs) present plenty of opportunities for social and environmental businesses. “But our young students are just not seeing them, and we need to take some responsibility for that. 

“In the context of entrepreneurship, sustainable entrepreneurship means creating businesses that are environmentally responsible, socially equitable and economically viable.” She said she saw SDGs as vehicles for solving South Africa’s pressing problems such as energy insecurity, water scarcity and profound social economic inequality.

“These challenges really necessitate innovative solutions and I think young people are perfectly equipped to develop and implement those solutions.”

Technology as a vehicle

She saw technology as playing a pivotal role, which, especially young people could capitalise in like never before. She said even though there are entrepreneurial opportunities in every single one of the SDGs, “the obvious ones, right now, are renewable energy, water management, waste management, and agriculture. Entrepreneurs taking up these challenges have the potential not only to create jobs for themselves, but to also create social and environmental impact.”  

The GIBS way

She said the complexities of running businesses with triple bottom line goals [of economic, social and environmental value] were the subject of GIBS’ social entrepreneurship programme — a certificate programme that has been running for over 15 years and a newly launched advanced diploma on entrepreneurship. 

“We recognise that while opportunities are lost, entrepreneurs taking up the sustainability challenge face particular challenges with regard to funding, regulatory hurdles, and marketing. At GIBS we take our role very seriously, of integrating sustainability entrepreneurship into the curriculum. We are a leading member of United Nations PRIME, and, for those of you who are  not aware of PRIME, it stands for principles for responsible management education.” 

GIBS, according to her, is continuously seeking ways to integrate sustainability into the curriculum, in academic and corporate programmes. “We have an interdisciplinary approach which incorporates sustainability into all of the business disciplines that we teach, whether it be marketing leadership or human resources. In the first year of our very expensive MBA programme, students are required to work on a real-world business project that addresses one of the SDGs, and to come up with a viable business solution, so we know that is possible. 

“We’re now in the process of documenting the impact of these applied business projects so that others can learn from our experiences.”

At GIBS, Professor Myres personally chairs the Entrepreneurship in Africa Research Group. “So, those of you who are interested in researching sustainability entrepreneurship, don’t hesitate to get in touch.” She said they actively seek collaborations with other scholars who are interested in furthering research in this area.  

“We recently launched the Absa Chair in Entrepreneurship, which, for the next three years, will focus on developing skills and thought leadership about and for youth, women, and township entrepreneurship.  There’s a team of us working on this task, and once again, we are actively looking for implementation partners across the country, and the continent.” 

Lessons for other institutions

GIBS believes that by adopting these strategies, educational institutions stand to prepare students to become more innovative and responsible entrepreneurs, and to contribute to a sustainable future. “Sustainability is not just a trend — not just some kind of fad but a necessity for the future of this country and this continent.”

Professor Myres believes that by embracing sustainable practices, entrepreneurs can drive economic growth, create jobs and contribute to a healthier planet. “We just have to make our young people aware of the opportunities and give them the skills they need to take advantage of them. And that will result in a more prosperous and sustainable future for all.”

Sustainability as a focus area of USAf

At USAf, sustainability issues are integrated into the agenda of all six strategy groups, which carry distinct mandates concerning higher education funding, leadership and management, teaching and learning, research and innovation, transformation, and the world of work. The HE Conference session on entrepreneurship and sustainability was part of the agenda of USAf’s World of Work Strategy Group, for whom entrepreneurship is a key focus area among six others.  Sustainability, as a distinct environmental concern (but addressed through the lens of the United Nations’ 17 SDGs) has a home in the Higher Education Sustainability Community of Practice (HES CoP), whose chairperson is Dr Thelma Louw, Head of the Sustainability, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate of the University of South Africa. 

About Professor Myres

Professor Kerrin Myres is an accomplished entrepreneur in her own right, having founded two social enterprises and two for-profit enterprises. She  mentors countless entrepreneurs during the start-up and growth phases of their businesses.

In addition to her entrepreneurial experience, Professor Myres has worked for a variety of private, public, and non-profit enterprises across sub-Saharan Africa. She has over 35 years of experience providing research, consulting, and advisory services to businesses at all stages of development in a wide range of industries. Her doctoral thesis focussed on the unconventional start-up processes of entrepreneurs in South Africa, while her current research focuses on the behaviour of everyday entrepreneurs in the developing country context.

At GIBS, Professor Myres lectures in entrepreneurship, qualitative research methodology and supervises research at master’s and doctoral level.

‘Mateboho Green is a Manager: Corporate Communication at Universities South Africa, and Mduduzi Mbiza is a commissioned writer.