Participants indicated that there was an intention to start new ventures. For example, participants stated:“I believe they do in more than usual levels … you’ve got at any given time, a group of people that are looking for entrepreneurial opportunities” (P5, Incubator Manager)“South Africans have realised that seeking formal employment is like finding needle in a haystack” (P7, Private Sector: Banking)

Participants further indicated that there was a low risk tolerance. One participant stated: “The risk appetite is just not there” (P4, Business Owner)

Several participants indicated that there was a significant dependency on the government and two participants qualified their statements as follows: “Where you find that SMMEs would want, you know, the politics of the day…” (P5, Incubator Manager)“Now, the expectation to be given work … they are not really entrepreneurial” (P9, Business Owner)

Confirmation: confirmation in data sets for seeking business opportunities and that a fear of failure exists

Discordance: differences in the risk appetite and intention of individuals in Nelson Mandela Bay. Institutional theory and TBP structured the analysis and supported the supplementary insights to explain the divergence