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Parental Perspectives on Gamified Experiences and Entrepreneurial Skill Development in Children: A Qualitative Study from South Africa’s Eastern Cape

A Qualitative Study from South Africa’s Eastern Cape

Eugine Tafadzwa Maziriri | Bio
University of the Western Cape
Tinashe Chuchu | Bio
University of the Witwatersrand
Miston Mapuranga | Bio
Walter Sisulu University
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Copyright (c) 2025 Eugine Tafadzwa Maziriri, Tinashe Chuchu, Miston Mapuranga

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Parental Perspectives on Gamified Experiences and Entrepreneurial Skill Development in Children: A Qualitative Study from South Africa’s Eastern Cape. (2025). Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 44(2), 88-105. https://doi.org/10.36615/gksqpd78
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  • Submited: June 16, 2025
  • Published: July 31, 2025

Abstract

Gamified communication is increasingly recognised as a powerful modality in education, fostering interactive learning and behavioural transformation. This study explored how game-based communication strategies contribute to entrepreneurial skill development in childhood, with a focus on South Africa’s Eastern Cape. While gamification is well researched in Global North contexts, little is known about how it functions in early entrepreneurial development within African childhood settings. Drawing on an interpretivist paradigm, the study investigated how parents experience and make sense of gamified tools that promote entrepreneurial mindsets in their children. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 parents, and data were analysed using the Gioia methodology and narrative analysis. The findings revealed that gamified platforms act as dynamic communication environments through which children engage in simulated entrepreneurial scenarios. Themes such as strategic risk taking, creative problem solving and financial decision making emerged as communicative competencies fostered through these interactions. Through foregrounding gamification as both a pedagogical and communicative practice, this study contributes to African-centred communication scholarship. It highlights the potential of gamified media in localised development contexts, particularly in addressing youth unemployment and social inequality. The research underscores the importance of adapting global digital communication frameworks to African childhood learning environments, opening up new avenues for policy, pedagogy and participatory communication.

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How to Cite
Parental Perspectives on Gamified Experiences and Entrepreneurial Skill Development in Children: A Qualitative Study from South Africa’s Eastern Cape. (2025). Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 44(2), 88-105. https://doi.org/10.36615/gksqpd78

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