Despite concerted efforts by various educational stakeholders in South Africa to direct the basic education system toward a more entrepreneurship-focused approach, persistent structural and conceptual barriers continue to hinder its meaningful progress. This study examines these obstacles and constraints, with particular emphasis on the entrepreneurial competencies and knowledge of school leaders, acknowledging their crucial role in promoting innovation and sustainability in educational institutions. Employing a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology, the research critically examines peer-reviewed literature published between 2015 and 2025 pertaining to entrepreneurial leadership in the South African schooling context. The review process, conducted through the Web of Science database in accordance with rigorous scholarly criteria (Mouchrek, 2020), initially yielded 94 relevant publications. Following a structured inclusion and exclusion screening/filtering procedure, a final sample of 42 studies was retained for in-depth analysis. The findings are presented through both quantitative and qualitative lenses. Quantitatively, the reviewed literature reveals uneven representation and limited empirical engagement with entrepreneurial leadership in education. Qualitatively, thematic analysis uncovers significant misconceptions surrounding the concept of entrepreneurship in educational leadership—misconceptions that undermine reform efforts and hinder the adoption of innovative, sustainable practices in schools. This study underscores the need to reconceptualize entrepreneurial leadership within the educational milieu, advocating for enhanced professional development and multi-stakeholder collaboration to cultivate entrepreneurial acumen among school leaders. By articulating a clearer theoretical foundation and identifying actionable strategies, the research contributes to the broader discourse on educational transformation and positions entrepreneurial thinking as a catalyst for institutional renewal and systemic innovation.

Keywords: Educational leadership, sustainability in education, innovation in schools, entrepreneurial capacity, South African education system.