Our Growing Impact
We work with governments, DFIs and local licensees to build the African entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Building Africa's Economic Future
AfriSMME Hub is rolling out our acclaimed model across Africa and beyond, seeking partners like DFIs, multinationals, corporates, and local licensees to join us.
Africa represents both a significant crisis and a tremendous opportunity. The continent faces major infrastructure and energy challenges, along with high youth unemployment. As corporate job opportunities are limited, entrepreneurship becomes a crucial mechanism for economic growth, solving systemic problems, and creating jobs for young people.
The majority of small businesses in Africa are informal, focusing on basic survival. Of those that are formal, 96% fail within ten years, and over 50% fail within the first two years.
Efforts at business incubation have often fallen short due to poor design and management, resulting in minimal impact. Multilateral organizations have also struggled with low success rates for their models. Many existing programs are unstructured, unmeasured, and inconsistent, highlighting the need for effective, results-driven alternatives for entrepreneur development.
Fields Where We Are Active
AfriSMME Hub’s programs are designed for three distinct socio-economic environments. We support entrepreneurs in urban areas to thrive in competitive markets, rural communities to drive economic growth and job creation, and emerging markets to seize new opportunities and achieve long-term success. Each program is tailored to address the unique challenges and opportunities of these diverse settings.
Urban
In urban settings, there is typically a high volume of economic activity, a wealth of available skills, and a sophisticated entrepreneurial support system. Consequently, AfriSMME Hub’s models for urban environments often include Prosperators, Technibators, and Schools.
Peri-Urban
In smaller towns with moderate economic activity, limited skills, and a basic entrepreneurial support system, AfriSMME Hub typically employs its Prosperator, Beacon, and School models.
