Entrepreneurial traits of undergraduate students at selected South African tertiary institutions

Developments in the global and national economies as well as the labour market, have made it necessary that more attention be paid to entrepreneurship and the updating of curricula presented by tertiary institutions. For this purpose reliable and valid information is required. The primary objectives of this article are to report on the levels of students’ entrepreneurial traits, to establish whether these traits are interrelated, and to determine the extent of the impact that demographic variables have on these entrepreneurial traits. A convenience sampling method (n = 1,215) was used. The best developed entrepreneurial traits observed included: “Competing against self‐imposed standards”, “Self‐confidence” and “Dealing with Failure”. Statistically significant relationships were also identified between the entrepreneurial traits of students and the tertiary institution attended, and students’ gender, race and age.