Transforming entrepreneurship education; Elona Ndlovu’s perspective
During Day 2 of the 3rd Higher Education Conference by Universities South Africa, Ms Elona Ndlovu, a Chartered Coach and Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), spoke about experiential learning and practical business education to inspire young entrepreneurs. Drawing from her extensive years as a business coach, Ndlovu underlined the need for urgency in rethinking traditional models of entrepreneurship education to match the real-world challenges and opportunities that students will face.
In her talk addressing Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, Ms Ndlovu appealed to institutions to make their entrepreneurship teaching more practical and applied. She said the programmes should instill in students, the confidence to tackle the complex and competitive business world. “We need to be bold as entrepreneurship educators, and ask ourselves what we produce at the end of our entrepreneurship programmes”.
Ndlovu (left) zoomed in on overreliance of traditional entrepreneurship education on theoretical learning. She narrated her early experiences with postgraduate students who had solid theoretical knowledge but needed more time to prepare for the real world of starting and running a business. “A lot of students were theoretical entrepreneur graduates who, when they graduated, were asking, ‘Where can we find jobs?’ This experience created a strong disconnect between theoretical learning and real-world application.” She began advocating for a shift in the focus of entrepreneurship programmes, pushing for more applied, hands-on learning to prepare students for the challenges of running a business.
TUT reaping results from a shift in approach
Her institution, TUT, which is leading in entrepreneurship education, responded by redesigning its curriculum to integrate practical learning throughout its programme. Now students spend two-and-a-half years in the classroom learning business fundamentals, followed by a full year in practical coaching to develop and test their business ideas. Already, this shift has yielded promising results with student start-ups increasing, and graduates leaving campus prepared with the practical knowledge they need to thrive as entrepreneurs.
Ndlovu also spoke about instilling confidence in students, an attribute necessary for entrepreneurial success. She explained how, as a coach, she infuses coaching into her lectures to help students recognise their strengths and cast out self-doubt. “The student’s self-confidence is an important pillar, particularly for those from disadvantaged environments who also feel disadvantaged when pursuing entrepreneurial ambitions.”
Ndlovu begins the academic year by dedicating several weeks to personal development, where she encourages students to reflect on their goals, strengths, and identify areas for improvement. She said this is crucial in building the resilience and grit necessary for entrepreneurial success. “If I forged ahead to teach design thinking without having first laid the groundwork, I don’t think the foundation in my class would be as strong,” she said.
Her approach emphasises personal and professional growth and empowers students to believe in their own ability to effect change through entrepreneurship. “We ask them to think closer to home,” Ndlovu said. “What problems exist in their community, and what solutions can they come up with?”
Ndlovu underlined the need to connect students with real-life challenges right from the inception stage of their academic journey. Entrepreneurship education, she argued, should be open to the challenges the student will face after graduation. “We cannot be teaching students for three years only to have them memorise definitions or theories,” she added. Students should be exposed to practical challenges similar to those faced in business.
Responsive entrepreneurship
For example, she encourages students to work on business projects rooted in their personal experiences and local contexts, which saw students developing businesses to tackle unemployment, food insecurity, and access to clean water in their communities — “incredible solutions to problems in their communities,” she said.
In addition to classroom learning, Ndlovu’s institution partners with local entrepreneurs and businesses to enable them to engage in actual business projects through internships or collaborative partnerships. This exposes them to the businesses’ harsh realities, allowing them to apply their theoretical knowledge to useful practice. “Our mandate is not limited to students,” Ndlovu explained. “We support community-based entrepreneurs, organisations, and our students altogether.”
For her, one of the ultimate goals of entrepreneurship education is to create a sustainable ecosystem that benefits both students and the broader community. This means that entrepreneurship education cannot stop in the classroom but has to be supported continuously, even as entrepreneurs go through trials of opening and building businesses. “We must provide a safety net, even as they implement their businesses.”
Ndlovu believes that entrepreneurship is one long learning curve; even for seasoned entrepreneurs, continued mentorship and guidance do a great deal of good. “We know there are scammers in the market. We know there are challenges,” she said, stressing that entrepreneurs need support systems more than ever.
Beyond individual support for entrepreneurs, Ndlovu closed off by emphasising that entrepreneurs need to be plugged into an ecosystem built on partnerships between educational institutions, the government, and the private sector.
Mduduzi Mbiza is a contract writer for Universities South Africa.
