The Future of Education

Entrepreneurship education has increasingly been recognised as a vital driver for economic development, youth employment, and innovation within emerging economies. Despite this growing recognition, significant gaps remain in the coherence and contextualisation of entrepreneurship curriculum frameworks in South African higher education institutions. This paper presents a systematic literature review that examines both the theoretical and practical aspects of curriculum design frameworks used in entrepreneurship education across South Africa and the broader Sub-Saharan African higher education landscape. Drawing on peer-reviewed literature published between 2010 and 2024, the review critically analyses prevalent curricular models, pedagogical foundations, and the institutional enablers or constraints that influence the delivery of entrepreneurship education. The findings indicate a dominance of competency-based and experiential learning frameworks, while simultaneously highlighting the ongoing tension between globally imported curriculum models and the socio-economic realities inherent to the local context. A recurring concern identified throughout the literature is the inadequate integration of indigenous knowledge systems, informal economy dynamics, and graduate employability considerations into formal curriculum structures. The paper posits that effective entrepreneurship curriculum development in South Africa necessitates a contextually responsive framework that harmonises international best practices with local socio-economic and cultural factors. This review contributes a synthesised conceptual framework intended to guide curriculum developers, policymakers, and academic practitioners in designing entrepreneurship programs that are pedagogically robust, contextually pertinent, and aligned with desired outcomes. The implications for curriculum reform, institutional capacity, and future empirical research are also discussed.