Linking green entrepreneurship to green innovation: the mediating role of green entrepreneurial self-efficacy

Purpose In line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda, environmental sustainability has become a prominent concept in academic discourse. Due to its vast natural resources, Africa is well-positioned to become a global leader in green business. However, with a growing small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)population in Africa, empirical evidence on SME sustainability efforts remains limited. For this reason, this research examined the mediation effect of green entrepreneurial self-efficacy on the relationship between green entrepreneurship and green innovation in Zimbabwean manufacturing SMEs. Design/methodology/approach The data were analysed using SmartPLS 4 from a randomly selected sample of 370 managers. Findings The results showed that while green entrepreneurship strongly influenced green innovation, green entrepreneurial self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between the two variables. Originality/value The study contributes context-specific evidence from an African economy, addressing the limited representation of developing markets in green innovation research. In environments characterised by institutional constraints and resource scarcity, identifying self-efficacy as an enabling mechanism provides novel insight into how firms can stimulate green innovation despite structural limitations. The findings, therefore, enrich both theory and practice by integrating strategic and psychological perspectives within the African economic context.