A framework to facilitate social entrepreneurship as a tool for sustainable tourism economies in Bergville, Okhahlamba Municipality

Abstract

This study investigated the role of social entrepreneurship as a tool in fostering sustainable tourism economies in Bergville – Okhahlamba Municipality. Social entrepreneurship (SE) was founded in the 1970s as a social movement to tackle the matters of social unsustainability and injustice rather than profit maximization. SE is viewed as a reactionary innovative reform, and a revolutionary movement aimed at big structural transformations by substituting one or many large social organizations with people leveraging combined expertise and resources to oppose or overturn what they think is socially unviable, unjust and damaging. SE has been applied to tourism in a number of countries globally. While the primary purpose of tourism businesses is to maximize their financial gains, ever shifting global goals, customer demands and stakeholder pressures force tourism businesses commit to meeting social responsibilities as well. Tourism Social Entrepreneurship (TSE) has been hailed for contributing to the preservation of traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous communities; enhancement of environmental sustainability; job creation, poverty reduction, and the overall improvement of the quality of life of especially rural communities. In South Africa, tourism development does not seem to have worked in addressing poverty reduction, because poverty reduction has not been placed at the heart of the tourism agenda and propoor tourism. The study adopted a pragmatic paradigm mixing both quantitative and qualitative methods to data collection, analysis and interpretation. The sample was composed of 35 tourism operators found in the area of study, as well as a government representative responsible for tourism in the area. Data were collected using a questionnaire composed of both quantitative and qualitative questions, as well an interview conducted with the government representative. The study found that there was a modest adoption of TSE in the area, and a good understanding of the business model and its potential benefits. The study also discovered that there were numerous challenges that TSEs were facing that could be addressed through better coordination of the actor-networks, government support, and determination of operators to continuously improve themselves and the operations of their businesses.