Entrepreneurship may have much to offer SA, but it requires a health warning
As someone who is a strong proponent of entrepreneurship as a tool for economic development, arguing that glamorising entrepreneurship is a problem may, on the face of it, seem a little hypocritical. But I believe SA has developed a culture around entrepreneurship that is, in a sense, "false advertising". The warning label is missing. It is widely accepted that 96% of new businesses fail within a 10-year period the world over. That is staggering statistic and not one that can be easily glossed over. How many kids would enlist in the army if you told them only four out of 100 would come back alive? I believe prospective entrepreneurs should know what the real risks are when starting a business. If, as the government, you view entrepreneurship as the "medicine" to treat high unemployment, slow economic growth and a lack of wealth creation, surely it should come with a warning label like any other "medicine"? Such a warning might read: "Starting your own business will likely lead to lo...
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