Women students' aspirations in starting their businesses in Botswana

Evidence suggests that female entrepreneurs constitute a significant and growing proportion of owners and managers of small enterprises. Despite this, in Africa, traditionally some assistance programmes have not considered female entrepreneurs. However, recently, women entrepreneurship has drawn much interest from policy makers. This empirical research investigates women students' aspirations in venture creation in Botswana, contributing to this body of knowledge. Data was obtained from a survey of seventy six University of Botswana women students and a focus group discussion with ten of these women. The findings suggest that a majority of the women students (88 per cent) aspire to start their businesses when they graduate. Their aspirations were motivated by a combination of 'push' and 'pull' or triggering factors. The influence of role models on the entrepreneurial desire of the women students was evident. Additionally, the women cited independence, earning their own money and self-empowerment as their aspirations to start businesses. Their socio-cultural status was identified as an impediment to their business start-up aspirations. Recommendations for policy makers to devise programmes that would motivate women students to start their businesses are outlined.