-
Three Questions for Five African Businesses: Insights from Sankalp Africa Summit’s ‘Enterprise Showcase’
The recent Sankalp Africa Summit featured an “Enterprise Showcase” where up-and-coming African businesses shared information about their work and missions. NextBillion interviewed five of these entrepreneurs and company representatives, asking each of them three questions: What are the main challenges you’re facing in running your business? What kind of support would help you overcome these challenges? And what’s one thing you wish funders understood about your business needs? Their responses reveal some of the innovative approaches and key issues that are emerging in Africa’s vibrant ecosystem of small and medium-sized enterprises.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Social Enterprise, Transportation, WASH
-
Press Release: The Lab Selects Eight New Climate Finance Solutions Expected to Unlock USD $600 Million for Emerging Markets
The selected initiatives will undergo seven months of incubation and stress testing, receiving technical support and guidance from experts within the Lab’s extensive network of public and private investors. After that, they will be eligible to receive grant funding of up to USD 250,000 to move from design to implementation.
- Categories
- Agriculture
-
FMO Supports CiGaba to Unlock Domestic Capital for Young and Growing Businesses in West Africa
CiGaba is a pioneering fund of funds designed to mobilize domestic institutional capital into private equity and private debt investments targeting young and growing businesses in Ghana and selected West African markets.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Accelerating Climate-Health: How the Sector Can Become Africa’s Next Strategic Investment Frontier
Africa faces a growing dual challenge at the critical nexus of climate and healthcare, as countries and health systems that are already strained by chronic underinvestment must now also deal with climate-related shocks and disease burdens. As Rajat Chabba at the William Davidson Institute and Martin Slawek at Open Capital Advisors explain, without targeted investment in integrated climate-health solutions, these health systems risk becoming overwhelmed, undermining public health and climate resilience across the region. But they also argue that these pressures create a clear opportunity for investors, businesses, and public and development-sector players. They explore why climate-health presents a compelling investment case in Africa.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Health Care, Investing
-
Viewpoint: Are Tech Solutions Fixing Mobility in African Cities or Just Masking the Problem?
Ride-hailing and mobility apps do not build roads. They do not expand rail systems or redesign cities. Instead, they optimize access to what already exists.
- Categories
- Transportation
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
When Uncertainty Becomes Structural: Entrepreneurship Support Organisations as Ecosystem Infrastructure in a New Fiscal Reality
Over the past year, the global development sector has changed at a speed and scale that would have seemed unlikely even two years ago. According to long-time development consultants Stephen Hunt and Nelson Okwonna, as funding dries up and uncertainty becomes structural, entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) are increasingly providing the collective functions that were once financed, governed and sustained through donor- and publicly funded programs. They discuss the implications of this shift for ESOs and entrepreneurs, exploring what it reveals about the key needs of entrepreneurship ecosystems — and about how ESOs must evolve to meet those needs.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
-
Press Release: Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance Invest More Than US $100 Million to Expand Electricity in Africa
Since The Rockefeller Foundation and the Alliance first announced their initial US$10 million commitment, their collective support has grown to more than US$100 million for Mission 300 in 23 countries to date.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Adenia Hits $180 Million Hard Cap at First Close for Entrepreneurial Fund, Announces First Investment
The successful first close underscores the continued appetite among global investors for disciplined, impact-oriented strategies in Africa. It also highlights the emerging theme of consolidation and institutionalization within the African private equity landscape.
- Categories
- Investing
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.