Every year, thousands of young South Africans finish school and step into an economy that cannot offer enough jobs for everyone. Waiting for the right job to appear is not a plan. Learning how to spot problems, test ideas and create value is. That is why I believe entrepreneurship education belongs in the lives of young people long before they leave school.
Entrepreneurship is a mindset before it is a business
When people hear “entrepreneurship” they often picture a company, an office and investors. For a teenager, it starts much smaller. It is noticing that classmates struggle to find study notes and creating a simple sharing group. It is selling a few items at the weekend market and learning what customers actually want. These small experiences teach initiative, resilience and problem solving, which are valuable whether a young person later starts a business or joins an organisation.
Why now, and why with AI
Today’s young people can do things that once needed a team. With free AI tools and a phone, a learner can research a market, draft a simple business plan, design a logo and write a social media post in an afternoon. The barrier to starting has never been lower. What they need is guidance on using these tools responsibly and creatively, and the confidence to try.
What good youth entrepreneurship education looks like
- Practical, not theoretical. Learners work on real problems from their own communities.
- Safe to fail. Testing an idea that does not work is treated as learning, not failure.
- Inclusive. Rural and township learners get the same access to tools, mentors and examples.
- Connected to the future. Digital skills and AI are part of the toolkit from day one.
The role of parents, schools and communities
Young people do not build an entrepreneurial mindset alone. Parents can encourage curiosity and small experiments. Schools can make room for project-based learning. Local businesses can open their doors for a morning and share how they started. Each of these is a small investment that tells a young person: your ideas matter, and you can act on them.
Through the Genius Youth Academy, I run age-appropriate AI and entrepreneurship programmes for learners aged 13 to 18. If you would like to bring one to your school or community, let’s talk.