Enterprising Africa

Enterprising Africa explores the future opportunities, challenges, growth areas and key themes that will shape entrepreneurship in the African continent over the next decade. Entrepreneurship can be the key to unlock resilient growth, but only if it is driven by both socially productive and growth-oriented new businesses. The book considers entrepreneurship as an enabler for socio-economic growth and development in Africa, especially in the context of youth unemployment and increasing youth population for which the traditional, and indeed emerging, industrial sectors will not be able to produce sufficient jobs to meet demand. Organised around three thematic parts, Part I covers the notion of inclusive growth and the role that entrepreneurs can play supporting this. Part II considers the dynamic between entrepreneurs and the environment since social, economic and environmental concerns need to build upon each other rather than vie for recognition. Finally, Part III offers chapters exploring policy contexts and the wider institutional ecosystems that need to be developed and enhanced to ensure a strong and vibrant environment for the future entrepreneurs of Africa to thrive. Edited and authored by leading experts in the field, this fascinating text will be of interest to academics as well as students of International, Transformational and Social Entrepreneurship, and International and African Business.

This book brings together new household and enterprise data from 41 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to inform policy makers and practitioners on ways to expand women entrepreneurs’ economic opportunities. Sub-Saharan Africa boasts the highest share of women entrepreneurs, but they are disproportionately concentrated among the self-employed rather than employers. Relative to men, women are pursuing lower opportunity activities, with their enterprises more likely to be smaller, informal, and in low value-added lines of business. The challenge in expanding opportunities is not helping more women become entrepreneurs but enabling them to shift to higher return activities. A central question addressed in the book is what explains the gender sorting in the types of enterprises that women and men run? The analysis shows that many Sub-Saharan countries present a challenging environment for women. Four key areas of the agenda for expanding women’s economic opportunities in Africa are analyzed: strengthening women’s property rights and their ability to control assets; improving women’s access to finance; building human capital in business skills and networks; and strengthening women’s voices in business environment reform. These areas are important both because they have wide gender gaps and because they help explain gender differences in entrepreneurial activities. It is particularly striking that while gender gaps in education tend to close with higher incomes, gaps in women’s property rights and in women’s participation in reform processes do not. As simply raising a country’s income is unlikely to be sufficient to give women equal ability to control assets or have greater voice, more proactive steps will be needed. Practical guidelines to move the agenda forward are discussed for each of these key areas.

Delivering Entrepreneurship Education in Africa brings together a collection of academic studies that offer an in-depth analysis of the current state of entrepreneurship education in Africa. The chapter authors engage discussions on how to make entrepreneurship education an attractive field of study for African students.

Presenting a topical analysis of the challenges and achievements of enterprise, Enterprise and Economic Development in Africa examines contributions to economic development on the continent, as well as exploring implications for policy dimensions.

Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Africa presents a timely and compelling account of African entrepreneurship, shedding light on the critical part it plays in the continentÕs economic growth and development. It explores the various challenges, opportunities, and success stories that define the African entrepreneurial landscape and highlights the ingenuity and determination of the continentÕs entrepreneurial minds.

South Africa has undergone a financial revolution since 1950 when the financial structure was colonial. By 1990 the situation had changed and new institutions emerged. This book looks at some of these institutions including the first Afrikaner banks, merchant banks and discount houses.

With the world increasingly anxious about the sustainability of life as we know it on Earth, it’s a great time to consider how to unlock sustainable development. Patrick Ssempeera shares a collection of ideas focused on Africa, which is less industrialized than much of the world but quickly catching up. He tackles a variety of topics in eight chapters that encompass attitude, spirituality, shaping people into nurturing adults, government policy, promoting renewability, and fostering healthy and intimate integrations. Get answers to questions such as: • What can Africa learn from rampant levels of pollution in China and elsewhere? • How is love of culture connected to sustainable development? • What can Africans do to work toward a self-driven future? • How can spiritual leaders promote a sustainable agenda? The author also explores how politics, education, optimism, industrialization, and globalization are connected to sustainable development. Steeped in history, filled with insights, and laced with diagrams, this book is an essential resource for anyone interested in sustainable development—particularly in Africa.