Abstract
This paper explores how selected social entrepreneurship ventures in South Africa demonstrate antifragility, which is the ability of an organisation to grow and change in the face of tension, uncertainty, and volatility. These businesses work in situations that are becoming more complicated and characterised by enduring difficulties including inequality, socioeconomic instability, and unstable infrastructure.
This research adopts a qualitative methodology, using semi-structured interviews with selected social entrepreneurs from diverse sectors. Data from these interviews is analysed thematically and triangulated with insights from the literature review, which explores the revolution of entrepreneurship, antifragility, systems thinking and organisational agility, as key constructs. The aim is to understand how these ventures respond to uncertainty and whether they adopt practices that align with or demonstrate antifragile characteristics. The lived experiences of the participants are used to examine how adaptive strategies, mindset shifts, and localised innovations contribute to long-term value creation and sustainability.
The findings suggest that among the social entrepreneurs interviewed, several demonstrated traits associated with antifragility such as collaborative problem-solving, strategic decision-making, and ongoing learning, these behaviours are often emergent rather than formally structured. Enablers such as peer learning platforms, contextual knowledge, and inclusive leadership contribute to their ability to thrive amidst adversity. However, ongoing resource limitations, institutional inadequacies, and environmental unpredictability pose serious threats to the long-term sustainability of social entrepreneurship endeavors.
The value of this study lies in its contribution to the theoretical development of antifragility within social entrepreneurship, with specific reference to the South African context. Although the results are context-specific, they could provide information applicable to comparable settings in the larger developing worlds. It offers context-specific insights into how some social ventures in South
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Africa have demonstrated a shift beyond resilience by leveraging uncertainty as a strategic resource. The research also underscores the need for further empirical inquiry to develop contextually relevant frameworks and practical toolkits that support the integration of antifragility into social enterprise strategy, operations, and culture, particularly within resource-constrained environments that share similar characteristics to the South African context.