Kgomotlokoa Linda Thaba-Nkadimene
Extreme poverty still prevails among many rural black South Africans due to low levels and a lack of skills, particularly technological skills required in the labor market. The situation is caused by structural and socioeconomic legacies inherited from decades of colonial and apartheid rule, wherein blacks were marginalized. The Critical Theory is used to unveil rural peopleâs plight; and the principles of social transformation; human capacitation and emancipation, self-reflection; and social justice are used in this study to examine the lived experiences of rural people, and why they cannot fully participate in the countryâs economy. This study responded to two primary research questions were driving this study, namely, what can be used to change the extreme poverty that rural black people are faced with? How can full economic participation of rural black people be promoted? Ten participants were purposively sampled from rural Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality to participate in one-to-one unstructured interviews. Data emerged with four themes that summed-up the research findings, namely, education as economic development and social transformation tool; using technology to advance knowledge and skills of the rural black people; encouraging rural entrepreneurship; and full economic participation by rural people. Findings: The study emerged with the conceptual framework on rural economic development, that is focused on education, technology, and entrepreneurship as long-term sustainable strategies in promoting the economic participation of rural people. This study concludes that the scourge of poverty among black rural South Africans requires long-term strategies that blend technology to entrepreneurial education.Extreme poverty still prevails among many rural black South Africans due to low levels and a lack of skills, particularly technological skills required in the labor market. The situation is caused by structural and socioeconomic legacies inherited from decades of colonial and apartheid rule, wherein blacks were marginalized. The Critical Theory is used to unveil rural peopleâs plight; and the principles of social transformation; human capacitation and emancipation, self-reflection; and social justice are used in this study to examine the lived experiences of rural people, and why they cannot fully participate in the countryâs economy. This study responded to two primary research questions were driving this study, namely, what can be used to change the extreme poverty that rural black people are faced with? How can full economic participation of rural black people be promoted? Ten participants were purposively sampled from rural Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality to participate in one-to-one unstructured interviews. Data emerged with four themes that summed-up the research findings, namely, education as economic development and social transformation tool; using technology to advance knowledge and skills of the rural black people; encouraging rural entrepreneurship; and full economic participation by rural people. Findings: The study emerged with the conceptual framework on rural economic development, that is focused on education, technology, and entrepreneurship as long-term sustainable strategies in promoting the economic participation of rural people. This study concludes that the scourge of poverty among black rural South Africans requires long-term strategies that blend technology to entrepreneurial education.