In the ecotones: Ecological Entrepreneurship

In Cape Town, South Africa, entrepreneurship makes up a vivid tapestry that reflects the city's unique context, which comprises a developing economy, high unemployment rates, and a relatively young democracy (31 years). The resulting entrepreneurial landscape spans a broad spectrum: from a waiter borrowing his uncle’s truck to start a home moving service, to a fintech startup seeking global seed funding. This diversity means that entrepreneurship can look very different depending on one’s background and motivations.

One finds a wide range of entrepreneurs—some driven by necessity due to the high unemployment rate in the city, and others motivated by passion and creativity. There are those who venture into entrepreneurship out of survival (need), those who embark on new projects for personal fulfilment (want), and others who look to entrepreneurship to address societal divisions. With 10.3% of South Africa’s population involved in entrepreneurial activities and 33.5% knowing someone who has started a business in the last two years (Bowmaker-Falconer, Meyer, and Samsami, 2023), the city’s entrepreneurial scene is both diverse and dynamic.

A visual depiction of the inequality that exists within South Africa. https://unequalscenes.com/south-africa

This spectrum of entrepreneurship in Cape Town feels like a microcosm of global trends, offering insights into different ‘modes’ of entrepreneurship. It also prompts reflection on how organizations can learn from this multifaceted context to cultivate healthy and regenerative workplace cultures that empower employees and have a net positive effect on the broader ecosystem within which any organisation finds itself embedded.

My work and research are focused on developing and encouraging entrepreneurship that heals societal divisions and contributes to better livelihoods for both humans and the more-than-human. Thus, the question I often find myself asking is: “What defines entrepreneurship that heals society versus entrepreneurship that creates further fracturing?” This question is compelling, as entrepreneurship is often idolized and aspired to as a signal of ‘true success,’ especially among those in the more developed part of our formal economy in South Africa. People often come to entrepreneurship driven by the promise of higher levels of wealth or to seek self-employment due to dissatisfaction within a more traditional workplace. We could say that these individuals come to entrepreneurship from a place of ‘want’ as a chosen alternative to formal employment. While some of these pursuits may result in the healing of South African society, it is not always the case, and many entrepreneurial endeavours contribute to further entrenching existing societal divides. My research suggests that if individuals are solely driven by personal ‘want’ to enter entrepreneurship, while they may find personal satisfaction, their organisations are likely to further corrode the fabric of South African society if they do not take account of and respond to societal needs.

On the flip side, those in the informal economy who are driven to entrepreneurial pursuits out of desperation and ‘need’ often set up ‘survival entrepreneurial’ initiatives due to a lack of formal labour opportunities. Such initiatives tend to develop businesses that are more responsive to societal needs, providing solutions grounded in everyday reality. However, it is not always the case that these initiatives are beneficial; instances of gangsterism, drug dealing, or entrepreneurs being forced to pay self-appointed (and often violent) landlords for the use of public spaces can occur. Thus we can establish, that approaching entrepreneurship from a place of ‘need’ has the potential to make entrepreneurs vulnerable to abuse, dependency, and corrupt practices. We find that if we want those coming to entrepreneurship from a place of ‘need’ to contribute to a healthy society it is important and necessary that they have a clear desire as to what they ‘want’ to contribute to the community that they operate within.

From this study, we find in this context that while some come to entrepreneurship from a place of ‘want’ and others from a place of ‘need,’ neither motive alone guarantees the creation of a more holistic society (which surely is what we all want and need?). If the hope is to address societal divisions through entrepreneurial pursuits, it seems necessary that these pursuits are motivated by both individual and societal wants and needs. Moreover, it seems neccessary that entrepreneurs learn to identify with a sense of collective ‘self’ if they hope to contribute to collective (human and more-than-human) healing and develop organisations that contribute to the regeneration of life.

I have chosen to name such regenerative initiatives that respond to both individual and collective wants and needs as ‘ecological entrepreneurship.’ These organizations engage with underlying societal challenges, seeking to make meaningful changes, in contrast to those that import solutions without considering their relevance to the local context. There is a critical difference between entrepreneurship that addresses existing societal cracks and that which merely attempts to gloss over them. Effective entrepreneurship in South Africa involves working within these cracks, rather than imposing solutions that fail to resonate with or solve the deeper issues at hand.

To facilitate this understanding among entrepreneurs, I have been developing collective workshop processes that encourage participants to consider all of these factors when developing their ventures, aiming to establish holistic proposals grounded in the urgent needs of our time. We seek to conceive entrepreneurial endeavours that operate within the ecotone between individual and collective wants and needs. By focusing on a shift in worldview, the work aims to uncover how the underlying motivation behind pursuing entrepreneurship largely influences the inevitable impact our organisations will have on society and, consequently, ourselves.

Workshop run with young entrepreneurial women in a Cape Town

Encouraging entrepreneurial leaders to develop a compassionate heart that can navigate the complexities and fractures within South African society is crucial for fostering healing and cohesion. By embracing the tensions between individual and collective wants and needs, and balancing personal development with community care, entrepreneurial leaders can craft a generative movement that seeks to mend societal divisions. My work involves cultivating empathy and reimagining practices to address the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, while committing to open-hearted collaboration with both people and the more-than-human world. Ultimately, fostering such a quality of heart in entrepreneurial leaders is essential for building more loving, connected, and nurturing communities—a lesson learned in South Africa, to be shared with the world.