The Future of Entrepreneurship in Africa: Cross-Sectoral Perspectives Post COVID-19

Thsi book focuses on entrepreneurial development and the  development of small businesses in Africa. The central idea of this book  is that entrepreneurial development and small business development are  connected. Entrepreneurship is lauded as an engine of growth (economic  development and job creation), with small businesses often contributing  to new job creation. Also, entrepreneurship and small business  development are the heart of many countries’ economies. The decision to  focus on entrepreneurial development and small business development is  that first, there is a consensus that most entrepreneurial activities  are aimed at creating small new ventures. Second, countries that give  special attention to entrepreneurship stand a chance of  industrialization. Third, Africa has been reported as having a rich  entrepreneurial landscape as the continent’s wealthiest individuals  generated their wealth as trailblazing entrepreneurs. Fourth,  small-scale entrepreneurs and businesses form the backbone of economic  activities across the continent. A motivation to focus on  entrepreneurial and small business development is the generally accepted  view that start-ups in Africa are growing calling for understanding  into how to enhance productivity, efficiencies, and application of new  technologies.

The book aims to enhance the understanding of  stakeholders (business owners, governments, practitioners) to overturn  challenges such as inadequate start-up capital, competition, lack of  employees with the right skills, and low use of technology. The ability  to develop entrepreneurship in Africa, and the role of small-medium  enterprises cannot be underestimated. The promotion of entrepreneurship  in Africa is crucial as it creates jobs, provides decent livelihoods,  and contributes to GDP. Most entrepreneurial initiatives in developing  economies entail identifying opportunities and new venture creation. It  is worth recognizing that most new ventures created take the form of  small businesses and the entrepreneurial processes involve  entrepreneurs’ knowledge and skills, identifying opportunities,  involvement in setting up a business and managing the business.

The  various aspects of this book focus on many entrepreneurial activities  that are undertaken on the African continent. This book is focused on  African countries since there is a reason to be optimistic about the  prospects for growth and entrepreneurship. To achieve entrepreneurial  success in African countries, the African Development Bank (2021)  proposes that there must be a link between macro and firm-level  characteristics that will serve as the mix of entrepreneurship in  societies.

This book, therefore, considers some macro-level  factors such as education, training, and skills development,  technological developments, government programs, and entrepreneurial  challenges and opportunities. At the firm-level, this book focuses on  entrepreneurial initiatives such as branding and marketing.