AU MSME gathering explores finance accessibility

AU MSME gathering explores finance accessibility

Namibia is currently hosting the third Annual African Union Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (AU MSME) Forum, running from Monday, 9 September 2024, to Friday, 13 September 2024, in Windhoek. This marks the first time the Forum is being held in Namibia and Southern Africa, with the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) spearheading the event, alongside private sector sponsors. Entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries, along […]

September 12, 2024 22

Africa

‘Kinship tax’ puts the brakes on business – Kenyan study measures the impact of helping family

By Munir Squires, University of British Columbia Imagine working hard to build your business, only to find that your success brings about a wave of requests for help that you can’t turn down. This is a reality for many in African communities, where sharing income is a deeply rooted tradition. In fact, 93% of Kenyans I surveyed in a study of entrepreneurs believed that […]

July 12, 2024 14

Africa

Young African innovators are leading the charge on food security

By Esther Musembi, bird story agency From innovative energy solutions to effective financing options for farmers and advanced farming practices, young African inventors and entrepreneurs are finding novel ways to take on the continent's food security challenges, it emerged during a recent award ceremony in Nairobi. The award, a project of The Pamoja Founders, a regional leadership development initiative of the International Research and […]

June 21, 2024 23

Business / Economics

As equity deals continue to decline and volumes dry up worldwide, African startups are increasingly relying on venture debt to stay afloat.

By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency In 2022, when funding from venture capitalists began to dry up in Africa, Treepz, a shared mobility startup, was faced with a difficult decision... throw in the towel or grow the business without new investors. As part of their decision to keep going, they changed their core business model. “Towards the end of 2022, we knew the funding draught would happen in Africa. We […]

January 24, 2024 3

Africa

BlueInvest Africa 2024: Calling African Entrepreneurs

BlueInvest Africa is calling for African entrepreneurs eager to venture into the blue economy. Thirty outstanding projects will be handpicked for presentation to a panel of investors at the second edition of BlueInvest Africa, scheduled to take place in Kenya on 3 and 4 July 2024. The deadline for applications is 26 January 2024. BlueInvest Africa 2024 marks the second edition of this important business event, initiated by the […]

January 9, 2024 22