Academy of Strategic Management Journal Volume 20, Special Issue 6, 2021 1 Strategic Management & Decision Process 1939-6104-20-S6-197 AN AGENTIC VIEW OF THE DETERMINANTS OF SUCCESSFUL AGRIBUSINESSES AT A RURAL COMMUNITY IN THE EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE OF SOUTH AFRICA Samson Nambei Asoba, Walter Sisulu University Nteboheng Patricia Mefi, Walter Sisulu University ABSTRACT The study was based on the need to inform the fundamentals of successful agribusinesses in rural communities. This was found to be important following observations that emerging economies have a greater part of the population relying on agrarian activities. In respect of the above premises, this start investigated the determinants of success agribusinesses at a rural community following the agentic view of phenomena. The methodology adopted was based on a followed the constructive paradigm based on the thematic analysis of responses provided to an open ended questionnaire. The open ended questionnaire required participants to provide a narration of how they have succeeded in running their agribusiness enterprises of the years. The study found that require strong entrepreneurial traits and skills, good management skills as well as value their contribution to community welfare so that they are able to manage conflict relations that may be part of agribusiness operations. The study also found evidence in support of literature perspectives for the strong need for technological adoption and digitalisation of their enterprises. Following this study, it is recommended that agribusiness entrepreneurs should enhance an intrinsic value for society’s welfare so that they can be able to deal with conflict situations in line with the agentic view. Keywords: Agribusiness, Entrepreneurship, Competitiveness, Agro-Enterprises INTRODUCTION With a high rate of unemployment and a relatively low rate of entrepreneurship in South Africa particularly in rural communities, agribusinesses remains a key alternative to sustainable economic inclusion. In African countries like Africa, the question of land and agricultural economic exploitation is a critical political issue related to food sovereighty (Altieri, 2009). In the same way, Rambe & Khaola (2021) posit that emerging economies such as South Africa rely on agrarian activities to foster development and alleviation of poverty especially in rural communities. Against such a background there is significant need to explore the requirements for successful agribusiness especially with respect to rural communities. The need to strengthen agribusinesses is also critical in enhancing the Millennium Development Goals for Sustainable Development as enunciated within the United Nations framework (Hinson, Lensink & Mueller, 2019). This study explores the determinants for success agribusiness in a selected rural community following the lens of the agency theory. Agency theories offers an important perspective for this analysis as it recognizes the nature of agribusinesses in terms of a network of relationships involving various players who could be acting within agent relationships.