What is a social entrepreneur?

There is no definitive definition but I like the one that says social entrepreneurship is an enterprise solution to a social challenge. There is not a lot of difference between an entrepreneur and a social entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are looking at maximising profits, while social entrepreneurs are looking at this from a social perspective. Nurse Florence Nightingale was a social entrepreneur. So is Taddy Blecher from CIDA City Campus, who has proved it is possible to provide high-quality tertiary education at relatively low costs.

What is the difference between a charity and a social entrepreneur?

The main difference is that there is a stronger element of sustainability in social entrepreneurship initiatives. Charities are always reliant on donors and are always going to need money to buy the food packages they give out.

Why is Glen Steyn a good example of a social entrepreneur?

There was a massive need in his community that wasn’t being met. Glen has built a sustainable organisation around meeting that need. He has gone from looking at conflict resolution to addressing the systemic issues ofthe conflict. There is a very strong focus on education and skills building. He has good expansion plans, which is key. Social entrepreneurs have to have a strong vision of where they want to go. Glen is starting to open up offices overseas as a way of sharing what he is doing in South Africa but also as a way of developing diverse funding streams.

By Julian Hewitt