Youth entrepreneurship is critical for economic development in Africa, yet entrepreneurial intentions among young people are often stifled by perceived deficiencies in the support ecosystem. Lesotho presents a salient context for examining this dynamic, given its high youth unemployment and nascent entrepreneurial landscape. This study investigates the relationship between perceived entrepreneurial ecosystem efficacy and the formation of entrepreneurial intentions among Basotho youth. It aims to quantify this relationship and qualitatively explore the specific ecosystem elements that most significantly enable or constrain intent. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was employed. Phase one involved a structured survey of youth (n=412) to measure entrepreneurial intentions and perceptions of ecosystem support across finance, training, mentorship, and policy. Phase two comprised 24 in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of survey respondents to contextualise the quantitative findings. Quantitatively, a strong positive correlation (r=0.67) was found between perceived ecosystem efficacy and entrepreneurial intention. Qualitatively, a dominant theme was the critical 'bridging' role of trusted local mentors in navigating perceived systemic barriers, particularly access to seed capital, which was cited as a primary constraint by 78% of survey respondents. The findings confirm that the perceived quality of the entrepreneurial ecosystem is a potent predictor of entrepreneurial intent. However, the ecosystem is not viewed monolithically; interpersonal, relational components can mitigate perceived shortcomings in more formal institutional structures. Policymakers and support organisations should prioritise developing accessible, local mentorship networks alongside financial mechanisms. Programme evaluations should incorporate measures of perceived ecosystem efficacy to better tailor interventions. entrepreneurial intention, perceived ecosystem efficacy, youth entrepreneurship, mixed methods, Lesotho This study provides novel empirical evidence from Lesotho on the mechanism through which perceived ecosystem support translates into entrepreneurial intent, highlighting the critical intermediary role of localised social capital.