Entrepreneurs are the core and essence of any economy. Without entrepreneurs, there would be no business; without business, there would be no government, as there would be nobody to pay taxes to finance it. What distinguishes entrepreneurs from the masses, and even from innovative individuals, is that they act on opportunities and create something new, thereby driving economic evolution. Entrepreneurship – a South African perspective is a guide to becoming a successful entrepreneur. It describes and illustrates new business creation within a South African context: the start-up process, the growth stages and the challenges in the maturity phase of the business.

In this fifth edition, all the chapters have been revised substantially and special attention has been given to South African and other case studies relevant to the context of Africa. More emphasis is placed on the post-modern trends of the business world, such as the prominent role of technology and the social impact of businesses.

Contents include the following:

• The nature and development of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneur
• Creativity, innovation and the window of opportunity
• Developing the business plan
• Start-up and resources for entrepreneurs
• Fair trade, competition and consumer protection
• Legislation and regulations affecting entrepreneurs
• Financing, growth and buyout of a business
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution, technology and e-commerce opportunities
• Family businesses, franchising and corporate entrepreneurship in South Africa

Entrepreneurship is aimed at students at all higher education institutions in South Africa, as well as entrepreneurs, managers, management consultants and trainees, developers and presenters of in-house business courses.

Cecile Nieuwenhuizen is a professor and holds the chair position in the South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI): Entrepreneurship Education in the College of Business and Economics at the University of Johannesburg. She has previously held the position of Head of the Department of Business Management at both Unisa and the University of Johannesburg. With her family, she is involved in various successful businesses.

Thea Tselepis is an associate professor in the Department of Business Management at the University of Johannesburg and is also affiliated with the South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) in Entrepreneurship Education. She is a specialist in Entrepreneurship in interdisciplinary fields and an NRF-rated researcher.