entrepreneurship

Firm growth in Africa depends not just on founder ideas but on building capable teams, developing local managerial talent, and equipping people with the skills needed to scale sustainably. Key gaps remain in identifying high-potential founders early, supporting team formation, retaining skilled local managers, and building the institutional capacity to harness AI in ways suited to African market realities.

A five-year randomised trial across Tanzania finds that entrepreneurship training delivered to young women before family obligations set in produces lasting income gains, but both economic and reproductive-health programmes unexpectedly increased ear...

New research on China shows that entrepreneurs who start multiple firms are more productive on average – but this conceals a troubling pattern: some succeed not because of skill, but because of preferential access to finance.

While entrepreneurship training programmes can modestly enhance business survival, income, and management skills in developing countries, their effectiveness depends on tailored design, sustained engagement, and complementary support such as finance, peer learning, and technology.

Despite offering attractive conditions for foreign investment, a combination of structural and institutional barriers often prevent developing countries from realising their full potential. Yonas Alemu describes the obstacles he overcame to establish a grain-based food producing company in Ethiopia, supporting local farmers and talent in the process.

Temporary managerial jobs in the Dominican Republic pushed individuals into business creation and led to positive effects on firm growth. Policymakers need to balance broad access to these opportunities with focused support to maximise firm creation ...

The caste system in India discriminates against lower-ranked castes, reducing their access to finance and dampening their entrepreneurial potential. This social norm imposes significant macroeconomic costs, ultimately impeding economic development.

Cash grants and a multifaceted entrepreneurship programme both had temporary impacts on young women’s income in Nairobi, Kenya, but only the more holistic approach led to long-term improvements in wellbeing