Journal of Reviews on Global Economics, 2018, 7, 195-206 195 E-ISSN: 1929-7092/18 © 2018 Lifescience Global Antecedents of Entrepreneurial Intent: A Cross-Country Comparison of Generation Y University Students Esther Marire 1 and Manilall Dhurup 2,* 1 North-West University (Vaal Campus), South Africa 2 Faculty of Management Sciences, Vaal University of Technology, Private Bag X021, Vanderbijlpark, 1900, South Africa Abstract: This paper convey the findings of a study carried out to compare the antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions of students from two universities within the Southern African continent. A cross-sectional survey, based on 400 students from two universities of two different countries (South Africa and Zimbabwe) was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. Using the theory of planned behavior, personal attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, and entrepreneurial education were used to predict entrepreneurial intentions. Personal attitude and subjective norms and entrepreneurial education seem to positively influence behavioral intentions. Behavioral control showed insignificant predictive relationship with behavioral intentions. It is recommended that entrepreneurial education should be made a core and integral component of study at universities so that universities as social institutions can create an impetus with a holistic approach including all role players with adequate resources to support students in entrepreneurial ventures. Keywords: Entrepreneurial intentions, entrepreneurship, Generation Y, South Africa, Zimbabwe, entrepreneurial education. 1. INTRODUCTION In the last two decades entrepreneurship has gained momentum, forging itself as an emerging research field, enjoying noticeable attention from researchers and policy makers in developed and developing countries alike (Urban, 2006; Moriano, Gorgievski, Laguna, Stephan & Zarafshani, 2011; Farrington, Gray & Sharp, 2011; Maina, 2011 & Duval- Couetil., Gotch & Yi, 2014). Alongside this momentum, an eclectic field of study has emerged; drawing on scholars to reflect on issues from broad-based entrepreneurship research (Taatila, 2010; Su, Zhai & Landström, 2015), start-ups (do Paço, Ferreira, Raposo, Rodrigues & Dinis, 2011), entrepreneurial education (Urban, 2006; Haase & Lautenschläger, 2011; Ekpoh & Edet, 2011; Matsheke, Dhurup & Joubert, 2015), social entrepreneurship (Viviers, Visser & Soloman, 2012) and recently corporate entrepreneurship (Fini, Grimaldi, Marzocchi & Sobrero, 2012). From an analysis of the above research, this impetus is largely due to entrepreneurship’s potential in addressing issues of economic growth, the propensity to create jobs in reducing unemployment levels within economies (Nieuwenhuizen & Swanepoel, 2015; Ozaralli & Rivenburgh, 2016). Whilst developing *Address correspondence to this author at the Vaal University of Technology, Private Bag X021, Vanderbijlpark, 1900, South Africa; Tel: +27(016) 950 6886; E-mail: manilalld@vut.ac.za, royd@vut.ac.za nations have embraced entrepreneurship to accentuate economic growth and reduce unemployment, countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe are still grappling to address the twin problems of poverty and unemployment within the Southern African region. In South Africa, unemployment was recorded as high as 24% in the first quarter of 2016 (Yekaterina, 2016:1) while last recorded percentages in 2014 was as high as 94% in Zimbabwe (Mangena, 2014:78). Against the background of high unemployment rates, higher education institutions have been involved in encouraging entrepreneurial activities as possible solutions to address these challenges. Plagued with these problems, entrepreneurship is ensued as a catalyst of economic growth and the development of an entrepreneurial spirit among students who may wish to start up their own businesses (Mahadea, Ramroop & Zewotir, 2011). The majority of entrepreneurial intention studies were undertaken with reference to non-African nations and those that were done in Africa were more attentive to existing entrepreneurs (Mahadea et al., 2011; Farrington, et al., 2011;Dabale & Masese, 2014). Moreover, with the current rates of unemployment in South Africa and Zimbabwe being high, the development of an entrepreneurial spirit among potential students who may wish to start up their own businesses could possibly assist in the reduction of unemployment rates; providing some comfort to alleviate poverty in both countries (Mahadea, et al. 2011). Louw, Van Eeden, Bosch and Venter (2003)