Entrepreneurial intention of the youth in Gauteng and the theory of planned behavior

Abstract: Unemployment is a crisis that the South-African youth cannot avoid. This requires the youth to consider alternative career options such as entrepreneurship. The theory of planned behaviour is a model used to determine entrepreneurial intention of an individual which then ultimately predict an individual’s behavior to engage in entrepreneurial activities in the future. The study aims at determining if a significant relationship exists between the theory of planned behaviour and the entrepreneurial intention of the youth in Gauteng. The sample consisted of youth in Gauteng, aged between 18-34 years, currently working full-time, part-time, self-employed, unemployed or enrolled as a student. The data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, which was analysed using a regression analysis. The findings indicated that the respondents do have the intention to start a business, however the act of becoming an entrepreneur was not evident. Alternative tools need to be developed to promote entrepreneurship as a career option