The lived experiences of youth leading social enterprises in Zimbabwe as they seek to scale their business within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Abstract

Social enterprises that are run by the youth have become vital in tackling social and economic issues in Zimbabwe. However, these enterprises even with increasing prevalence are confronted with major challenges of scaling their operations in a sustainable manner. This paper presents the lived experiences of young social entrepreneurs regarding their challenges, opportunities, and strategies in the context of scaling in Zimbabwean entrepreneurial ecosystem. Based on a qualitative phenomenological design, the in-depth interviews were carried out with fifteen youth based social enterprises that are located in cities and peri-urban regions. The results indicate that scaling is an emotionally challenging and unpredictable process that is predetermined by financial limitations, legitimacy issues, and irregular support of the ecosystems. However, young entrepreneurs show resilience, creativity, and adaptive behavior to overcome these problems, by using informal networks and hybrid business models. The research will help in the existing literature on social entrepreneurship by showcasing on-the-job lessons, shaping policy making, and giving an empirical advice to aid youth-led businesses in emerging markets.