Technopreneurship as a Sustainable Employment Pathway for Youth in South Africa

This study analyses technopreneurship as a sustainable employment pathway for youth in South Africa using cross-sectional survey data from 533 respondents across provinces. Employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, the study examines the effects of technopreneurship engagement, entrepreneurial ecosystems, access to resources, and digital skills on youth unemployment reduction. The results indicate that all four factors have a positive and statistically significant impact on employment outcomes, with technopreneurship engagement emerging as the strongest predictor (β = 0.327, p < 0.01). The model explains 25.4% of the variation in youth unemployment reduction (R² = 0.254). These findings provide empirical evidence that technopreneurship, when supported by enabling ecosystems, adequate resources, and digital skills, can transform youth from job seekers into job creators, offering concrete policy guidance for youth employment and digital entrepreneurship strategies in South Africa.