This quantitative, cross-sectional study examines the impact of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on entrepreneurial intentions and investigates the moderating roles of motivation and social support in this relationship. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 380 university students and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that entrepreneurial self-efficacy has a significant positive effect on entrepreneurial intentions, highlighting the importance of strengthening young people’s confidence in their entrepreneurial capabilities. Motivation was also found to significantly moderate the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions, suggesting that higher levels of motivation strengthen the effect of self-efficacy on students’ intentions to engage in entrepreneurial activities. However, social support did not significantly moderate this relationship. These findings provide empirical evidence regarding the psychological and contextual factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions among university students and underscore the importance of interventions designed to enhance entrepreneurial self-efficacy and motivation. This study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by examining the combined effects of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, motivation and social support on entrepreneurial intentions within an understudied developing-economy context. By distinguishing between the moderating effects of motivation and social support, the study provides a more nuanced understanding of the conditions under which entrepreneurial self-efficacy translates into entrepreneurial intentions. The findings also offer practical implications for universities, policymakers and entrepreneurship-support institutions seeking to strengthen the entrepreneurial potential of university students and promote graduate entrepreneurship and economic development.