Africa is the most entrepreneurial continent with 65% of employment generated through SMEs and 33% Of GDP on average coming from SMEs. And while there are untapped markets with high growth potential, SMEs face a number of barriers which include low start-up skills, lack of dedicated SME funding programs, red tape, complex procurement processes, extended payment of SME invoices, lack of transparent taxation, unclear and unfair investment criteria and lack of investment in stable infrastructure. Hence, the need for an evidence based innovative collaborative approach to help millions of Africa’s entrepreneurs scale up profitably and sustainably, as well as be competitive in international markets.

• Firstly, by securing commitments from governments to implement policy reforms aimed at stimulating and accelerating business growth.
• Secondly, by building a community of investors, whether private investors, foundations, multilateral institutions or corporate intrapreneurs to enable better coordination and pooling of resources that could facilitate larger subsequent rounds of funding.
• Thirdly, by creating and sustaining a community of start-up businesses themselves, promoting collaboration and sharing best practices.