Holistic framework in South African universities for enhancing graduate employability and entrepreneurship: A systematic review

Abstract

Orientation: This systematic review investigates global strategies to enhance graduate employability and entrepreneurship, with a focus on developing a holistic support framework for South African universities of technology.
Research purpose: The review addresses four research questions: the nature of support mechanisms, analytical methods employed, university strategies and contextual settings for employability and entrepreneurship initiatives.
Motivation for the study: The study addresses high unemployment rates and limited entrepreneurial participation among graduates in African contexts, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to enhance employability and entrepreneurship in technology universities.
Research design: The study adopts a systematic review design guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, analysing 53 empirical studies from 2019 to 2025, sourced from Scopus, EBSCOhost and ScienceDirect databases through thematic analysis using NVivo software.
Approach and method: A qualitative approach is employed, using PRISMA-guided systematic review and thematic analysis in NVivo to synthesise data from 53 peer-reviewed studies.
Main findings: The findings reveal disparities in institutional capacity and resource availability, particularly in African contexts, in which graduates face high unemployment and limited entrepreneurial participation.
Practical/managerial implications: A proposed holistic support framework integrates curricular and extracurricular initiatives, interdepartmental collaboration and stakeholder engagement to address these gaps.
Contribution/value-add: The study presents a framework that offers practical implementation strategies and addresses resource constraints and stakeholder resistance, providing a scalable and contextually responsive blueprint for enhancing graduate outcomes.