Author(s): M.J. Malebana
In this paper the role of entrepreneurial support and business information seminars in shaping the formation of entrepreneurial intention in South Africa is examined using the theory of planned behaviour as an evaluation framework. The study was conducted based on a cross-sectional quantitative survey design and involved a convenient sample of 496 final year commerce students from two rural provinces in South Africa, namely Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire, and analysed using both descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression. Findings indicate that knowledge of entrepreneurial support was significantly positively related to entrepreneurial intention, attitude towards becoming an entrepreneur and perceived behavioural control. Attendance of business information seminars had a significant positive relationship with entrepreneurial intention and perceived behavioural control. Results suggest that the theory of planned behaviour is a valuable framework for evaluating the effects of interventions such as entrepreneurial support and attendance of business information seminars on entrepreneurial intention in a South African context. This study is the first in South Africa to investigate the relationship between attendance of business information seminars and entrepreneurial intention.