Enterprises In Africa Research Articles

Entrepreneurs in Africa – the agenda for Business History in Africa: Complexity and continuity

Abstract Africa has been the location of centuries of business activity. African business displays a complex development path through early indigenous kingdoms, colonial control and post–1950 independence. The historiography on these developments is unbalanced in favour of the role performed by enterprises embedded in capitalist metropolitan economies. Complex and dynamic African entrepreneurial activity persisted but adapted to global market changes. Business historians have not systematically explored African agencies in business, the management systems and the organisational evolution of enterprise in Africa. As market liberalisation provided new business opportunities, African businesses emerged to complement and compete with foreign-owned enterprises. As market liberalisation stimulated globalisation, multi-national companies returned to African markets, fostering competition and collaboration. Changes in the political economy of many African states gave rise to more dynamic regulatory contexts and public-private partnerships in different sectors of developing African economies. These trends appear in the Business History of Africa from the perspective of African business, owned by Africans from diverse ethnic origins as proof of the complex trends and processes in African enterprise development. This contribution seeks to refine the focus on business and entrepreneurs in Africa as agents in the continent’s business landscape. The manuscript acknowledges the diversity among African entrepreneurs and the dynamically changing state-business nexus through history. Can one identify a distinct «African» nature of enterprise? This manuscript addresses aspects of conceptual clarity on what constitutes African business in an attempt to map the agenda for Business History in Africa.

Entrepreneurial Coaching: Contributing to The Performance and Curbing the Obstacles to Innovation of Small and Medium Enterprises in Africa

Introduction: Innovation is a catalyst for business development, particularly for small businesses. However, the majority of African SMEs fail to adopt an innovation strategy. Aim: The aim of this work is to analyze the obstacles to innovation in an African context, with an analysis of the importance of the entrepreneurial support variable. Method: The method used in this work is a quantitative analysis by questionnaire. Our sample consists of 120 African small and medium-sized enterprises. Data analysis will be carried out using multiple linear regressions. Contributions: The contribution of this article is the analysis of the entrepreneurial support variable for innovation adoption. Results: The results of our paper, using multiple linear regressions, show the importance of the potential customer variable for investment in innovation. Entrepreneurial support, and specifically network integration, provides financial capacity, access to markets and administrative facilities, variables that are positively correlated with the adoption of an innovation strategy.

Business Intelligence and Decision-Making in Micro Small and Medium Enterprises in Africa

A strong business intelligence strategy can deliver accurate data and reporting capabilities faster to business operators; help them make better quicker business decisions. Holding this statement constant, the researchers investigated business intelligence and decision making in MSMEs in Africa. The study is qualitatively done with six participants who responded to an unstructured questionnaire employed to gather the needed relevant data. The collected data were meticulously transcribed and analyzed. After completion, the numerous data entry forms underwent internal validation to guarantee that the replies were accurately categorized before being harmonized and divided into two main categories- competitive advantage and operational efficiency. The Study found that business intelligence is pivotal for timely decision-making in firms especially in the MSMEs sector of the Nigeria economy as it is a strategy used by owner-managers in the organization to achieve operational efficiency and competitive advantage in a tense business environment like Nigeria. It is evident, therefore, that Africa especially Nigeria is not doing badly in the MSMEs sector of the economy and to sustain this stride, governments at all levels must factor in MSMEs and technology into their policy formulation and implications. It is only when that is done that Africa in general and Nigeria, in particular, can boost of not only registering its name in the global economic map but will have a viable economic base that will continue to attract foreign direct investment.

Reviewing the impact of cloud computing on small and medium enterprises in Africa

The advent of cloud computing has significantly transformed the business landscape globally, offering a plethora of opportunities for organizations to enhance their operational efficiency and competitiveness. This paper aims to review and analyze the impact of cloud computing specifically on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the African context. As cloud computing continues to gain traction worldwide, its implications for SMEs in Africa, which constitute a significant portion of the region's economic fabric, become increasingly crucial. The study will adopt a comprehensive approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to assess the various dimensions of cloud computing adoption among SMEs in Africa. It will delve into the challenges faced by SMEs in embracing cloud technology, including issues related to infrastructure, data security, and skill gaps. Additionally, the paper will explore the potential benefits derived from the adoption of cloud solutions, such as cost savings, scalability, and improved accessibility to advanced technologies. Furthermore, the research will investigate the role of government policies, industry collaborations, and infrastructure development in shaping the cloud computing landscape for SMEs in Africa. By examining case studies and success stories, the paper will highlight best practices and identify potential strategies for overcoming barriers to adoption. The findings of this review aim to contribute valuable insights for policymakers, business leaders, and technology providers to formulate effective strategies that promote the widespread adoption of cloud computing among SMEs in Africa. Ultimately, the research seeks to enhance our understanding of the dynamics surrounding cloud technology in the African SME sector and provide recommendations for fostering a conducive environment for its sustainable and inclusive growth.

Readiness, resilience and the ripple effect: women-owned enterprise in Kenya and the promise of global inclusion

Transnational corporations are recasting themselves as midwives of women’s empowerment rather than vehicles of exploitation, pledging their supply chains as platforms of inclusive capitalism rather than conduits of adverse incorporation. In this contribution we interrogate that corporate promise of inclusion empirically, examining both the corporate apparatus of gender empowerment and the experiences of women entrepreneurs they claim to empower. Through a case study of a small women-owned enterprise in Nairobi, on its journey to inclusion in one of the world’s largest corporate supply chains, we chronicle the efforts of women entrepreneurs to be made ‘ready’ for the rewards of inclusion in the global marketplace. While TNCs invoke the shibboleth of inclusive markets – seeking to capture the moral currency it nets them – we reveal how the conversion to global supplier leaves small enterprises in Africa leveraged and dependent rather than secure and autonomous. In the end, we argue, the inclusive market becomes a vehicle of failed hopes and corporate control.

Small and Medium Enterprises in Africa: What Kind of Management for Adequate Growth?

Small and Medium Enterprises in Africa: What Kind of Management for Adequate Growth?

Entrepreneurial Competency Assessment Among Faith-based Social Enterprises in Africa

Entrepreneurial Competency Assessment Among Faith-based Social Enterprises in Africa

Determinants of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Sustainable Development in Africa

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) accelerate economic growth by creating new products and services; they stimulate new employment, which ultimately results in the acceleration of sustainable economic development in Africa. So, public policy that encourages and supports entrepreneurship and MSMEs’ sustainable development should be considered important for the economic growth of Africa. The purpose of this study was to examine factors contributing to the sustainable development of MSMEs in Africa. In order to achieve this objective, the researchers have used a correlational research design and quantitative research approach in which six hypotheses have been tested. Both primary data were collected from 340 MSMEs operating in Africa through survey questionnaires. Both descriptive and inferential statistics have been used to analyze the data. According to the regression analysis, this study revealed that access to finance, infrastructure, and institutional cooperation, access to business information, government support, and information technology utilization led to Micro, small and medium enterprises’ sustainable development in Africa. Based on the findings of the study, a recommendation was forwarded to the concerned bodies who are responsible for improving the sustainability of Micro, small, and medium enterprises in Africa while working on those variables contributing to the MSMEs’ sustainable development.

Creativity, Innovation, Management, and Performance of Educational Enterprise in Africa, The Role of Network Ties. A Case Study of Ghana

Creativity, Innovation, Management, and Performance of Educational Enterprise in Africa, The Role of Network Ties. A Case Study of Ghana

Learning to innovate in urban informal enterprises of Ghana: Role of apprenticeship and formal interaction

Informal enterprises learn how to produce goods and services through cumulative and diverse ways. However, there is limited empirical evidence on how learning processes influence the innovation of informal enterprises in Africa. This paper examines the effects of two learning processes (apprenticeship and ‘formal interactions’) on the product innovativeness of informal enterprises in Ghana. Employing unique survey data on 513 enterprises and the Type II Tobit model, our analyses revealed that apprenticeship, on the one hand, enhances the technological capability of enterprises leading to product innovativeness, while competitive formal interactions, on the other hand, provide important market feedback that enhances the innovativeness of enterprises. In addition, financially constrained informal enterprises that compete with formal enterprises in product markets performed poorly with their new products, compared with their counterparts who were not financially constrained. The paper concludes by discussing the policy implications of these findings.

Internationalizing China Standards Through Corporate Social Responsibility: An Exploratory Study of Chinese State-Owned Enterprises in Africa

ABSTRACT The paper unpacks the multi-level efforts to establish, promote and implement China standards in overseas contexts through an examination of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Africa. Drawing upon document analysis of government policies, institutional guidelines and corporate reports from four case companies, as well as field research in Ethiopia, it identifies ways that Chinese corporate actors interpret, incorporate and initiate CSR standards through strategic planning and during overseas business activities. Analysis of both first-hand and secondary data shows the development of Chinese CSR standards is a co-production of international, national and local standards, which involves diverse actors and institutions and is driven by multiple considerations to fulfill commercial, political, social and diplomatic objectives for overseas companies and Chinese government.

Green Day: An Interview with NHGRI Director Eric Green

Green Day: An Interview with NHGRI Director Eric Green

Corridors as empty signifiers: the entanglement of Mozambique’s colonial past and present in its development corridors

ABSTRACT This article examines the infrastructural histories and legacies of three transnational corridors centred on the Mozambican cities of Maputo, Beira and Nacala. Underpinned by physical infrastructures, corridors were central to the extractive European colonial enterprise in Africa. Corridors facilitated the flows of resources, goods and knowledge between metropoles, African urban centres, and their hinterlands. Nowadays, corridors insert African cities and regions into global circuits of capital that perpetuate past extractive practices and policies. They are also powerful imaginary spaces for advancing political projects and developing specific configurations of government. Accordingly, the idea of a corridor may remain useful over time even as claims for their economic necessity ebb and flow. In this article, we examine the continuities between three contemporary Mozambican corridors and older colonial transitways that connected the three cities to British colonial interests in southern Africa. Then, drawing on Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse analysis, we suggest that corridors can serve as ‘empty signifiers,’ becoming linked to diverse understandings, standing for fluid yet enduring ambitions of connectivity, competitiveness, and regional integration. After scrutizing recent investments in the corridors, we reflect on their role in constructing a ‘new’ Mozambican economic order that is nevertheless deeply entangled in the country’s past.

The Impact of African Firms’ Utilization of Financial and Technology Resource on Innovation: A Simple Mediation

This study aimed at analyzing the influence of the use of technology on the use of financial services and innovation of SMEs in Africa. The study further analyzes the mediating role of the use of financial services on firm use of technology-innovation relationships among SMEs in Africa. The study utilizes data retrieved from the enterprise survey portal. The analysis employs multiple regression to test the models using SPSS, and the Sobel test further examines mediation. The results reveal a significant positive association of firm use of technology on the use of financial services and innovation. Also, there is a positive association between the use of financial services and SME innovations in Africa. The study found partial mediation of the use of financial services on the use of technology-innovation relationships. The results have implications on African SMEs need to amplify the sensitization and emphasis on fostering the use of technology in innovating new products and processes. While promoting innovation, the use of technology can enhance financial inclusion resulting in wider and deeper financing options for enterprises in Africa, which are deeply hampered by financial and technological vulnerability.

The Digital Improvement in Human Resource Management of Africa: Evidence from BGI

Contemporarily, the digital improvements as well as transitions have been proposed in various aspects and fields. Among various fields that are undergoing the digital transition, the digital improvement in human resource management is a hot topic, especially in some poor area (e.g., Africa). In this study, the fundamental problems in the human resource management fields of some global enterprises in Africa have been mentioned and discussed. To be specific, this study attempted to take the company BGI as an example to illustrate that the problems could be solved by digital improvement. With this in mind, some practical actions implemented by BGI have been demonstrated and analyzed. According to the analysis, some beneficial references from BGI could be used by other companies in human resource management, which want to develop their Africa business following the same routine. Overall, these results offer a guideline for further exploration of digital improvement for human resource management.

Strengthening Gender Equality in Small Business and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS): Comparative Analysis of Kenya and Nigeria

There is an increasing understanding that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can protect the planet, reduce inequality and tackle poverty. However, many small business owners and entrepreneurs in Africa still see it as a misery. This study aims to determine whether the SDG's goal number five (5) is being used to motivate gender equality among small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa, particularly in Kenya and Nigeria. The study focuses on female entrepreneurs. The target population comprised 110 randomly selected businesses operating in Embakasi East constituency in the Embakasi ward in Nairobi County, Kenya, and Ikeja Local Government in Lagos Mainland of Lagos state Nigeria. The sample size was determined by relying on a prior study on women in business in Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research method, administering open-ended interviews to the respondents, and the response rate was 90.91%. Descriptive statistical analysis was adopted, and the examination of the data demonstrated that a significant number of women working in SMEs are unaware of the SDGs in the two countries despite the United Nations (UN) supporting gender equality. The research concludes that there is still a considerable difference between men and women in SMEs in Africa and the awareness of SDG goals is limited. It is recommended that the management of small businesses, regulators, and policymakers should increase the knowledge of the global goals for more awareness and sustainability adoption in African countries. This can also support sustainable business growth and close the inequality gap in small African businesses

Strengthening gender equality in small business and achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs): Comparative analysis of Kenya and Nigeria

Many small business owners and entrepreneurs in Africa still see sustainable development goals as a misery. The study investigates whether sustainable development goal number five (5) is being used to motivate gender equality among small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa, particularly in Kenya and Nigeria. The study focuses on female entrepreneurs and female-owned businesses. Design/methodology/approach. A qualitative approach involving semi-structured in-depth interviews was considered with a target population of 110 participants selected from businesses operating in Embakasi East constituency in the Embakasi ward in Nairobi County, Kenya, and in Ikeja Local Government in the Lagos Mainland of Lagos state Nigeria. The primary interview data was gathered from businesses in the manufacturing, services, information technology, transport, trading, and communications sectors. Findings. From the population of 110 participants, the response rate was 90.91%. Results demonstrated that a significant number of women working in SMEs are unaware of the sustainable development goal number five (5) in the two countries despite the United Nations (UN) supporting gender equality globally. The research concludes that there is still a considerable difference between men and women in small and medium-sized SMEs in Africa, and the awareness of sustainable development goals is limited. Research limitations/implications. The restriction of the dataset from a small sample size of women-owned businesses operating in Embakasi East constituency in the Embakasi ward in Nairobi County, Kenya, and in Ikeja Local Government in the Lagos State Nigeria. The research criteria used to choose study participants were unique to the current research; future researchers may consider changing the research criteria and sample size to broaden the study's focus. Practical implications. The study advances empirical research on sustainable development goal number five (5) by offering evidence of its impact on women-owned businesses. Further, the study throws light on the need to the fact that gender equality is necessary and why women should receive funding and mentoring to help them succeed as business owners. Originality/value. The study provides a comparative study with evidence from two countries, Kenya and Nigeria, on sustainable development goal number five (5) and throws light on the relevance of gender equality on business performance as funding and mentoring will assist women-owned businesses. For Africa to flourish and grow economically, gender equality is crucial.

Eff ective management of public enterprises in Africa for the successful implementation of development goals

While some literary sources express the opinion that it is practically impossible to cultivate a good corporate governance culture at state-owned enterprises (SOEs), others believe that new strategies for implementing corporate governance systems in combination with political will can bring SOEs to a more effective level of management. The article presents an analysis of controversial views on the possibility of creating effective management mechanisms in state-owned enterprises, examines the eff ective costs of management failures in state-owned enterprises in Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Ethiopia. The author draws conclusions and recommendations that the determining factor for the success of state-owned enterprises in African countries is the reaction of the central government to the problems of state-owned enterprises. Structural reforms, good governance, clear goals and effi ciency require a strong stance from Governments. As a long-term remedial measure, knowing which enterprises and when to unload through privatization is one of the options for solving management problems in African state-owned enterprises. As for strategic state-owned enterprises, the document recommends that governments consider the possibility of placing them on public stock exchanges.

Engaging in African Epistemology as a Form of Epistemic Decolonization

Epistemic decolonization has taken centre stage in academia and everyday life. Epistemic decolonization is a call to dismantle the Western way of thinking and its self-arrogated hegemonic authority. It is also a call to re-centre the knowledge enterprise in Africa from a western-centric orientation to an African-centric one to accommodate African epistemic formations. In this paper, I intend to contribute to the discussions of epistemic decolonization by showing that engaging in African epistemology is a form of epistemic decolonization. My argument is that we are recalibrating the knowledge enterprise when we go outside of the western episteme to engage with knowledge in other traditions, such as African epistemology.

Editorial Commentary: A Perspective on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Africa

The African Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (AJIE) was created in January 2022 to showcase African innovation and entrepreneurship. This is the maiden volume and issue of the journal following its establishment, and I am elated to serve as its editor-in-chief with firm belief that the journal will feed into Africa’s development. AJIE is unique as it focuses on publishing knowledge related to innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa and by extension captures how small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa organize business. This volume contains a mix of knowledge captured as academic papers and practitioner viewpoints. Before I touch on the material in this volume, I shall first provide a perspective on innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa.