Chapter 6: What's in It for Them? The Use of Social Media by Influencer Social Entrepreneurs

There are mixed reactions to the perceived goal of social entrepreneurial acts mediated on social media. More specifically, there is a growing trend of social media influencers and people who grow their influence through self-presenting their charitable activities on social media. While social media charity, indeed, brings momentary relief to the poor, there is a debate on whether these acts are for clout and financial benefit or for social good. Apart from conflicting views about the motive of social media charity presentations, it is no doubt an innovative form of communication. It is a platform which brings together the online community to have a closer view of the struggles that the downtrodden encounter every day of their lives. This virtual ethnographic qualitative study explored influencer social entrepreneurial acts on Facebook, focusing on BI Pakhathi (SA) and Shema TV (Zimbabwe). A content analysis of the Facebook social entrepreneurial posts revealed that social entrepreneurs use social media to promote the socio-economic emancipation of the downtrodden.