Over the last decade, there has been rising criticism that sport for development (SFD) programs are laden with neoliberal ideologies and fail to critically address their local context, particularly regarding colonial legacies. Sport scholars posit that social entrepreneurship (SE) in sport (SES) can potentially combat the neoliberal discourse inherent in SFD curricula, funding models, and program delivery. What remains neglected in the literature is the scrutiny of the neoliberal ideologies in SE itself. The first part of this chapter is a theoretical review of scholarly work to identify the neoliberal precepts of entrepreneurship and SE, including SES. The second part of this chapter explores the social, regulatory, and economic environment of SES in Botswana. Results from semi-structured interviews, policy documents, and academic literature show that the government and sport organisations provide limited support for SES. Most of the SES programs offered are franchised or replicated from Western programs with little customisation for Botswana's context. Our findings allow us to explore the degree to which neoliberal ideologies are perpetuated or rejected in SES practices in Botswana. This research also reveals various forms of non-traditional SES practices for inclusion in definitions and epistemological knowledge on SES. It also highlights how issues with recognition as a social enterprise render enterprises ineligible for institutional and financial support. Lastly, self-identification as a social enterprise emerges as a significant component in awarding agency to locals and allowing them to assert their knowledge and practices as valid social enterprising. This knowledge can be used to develop and customise SES programs and curricula for the Global South.
Authors: Denise Kamyuka, Louis Moustakas
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032667805-4
Publish Year: 2024
