Africa’s young entrepreneurs face numerous challenges when starting and operating their businesses. Often, their aspiration is not matched by the availability of opportunities, resources, or institutional support. As a result, most youth entrepreneurs operate necessity-driven, “survival” businesses – often informal micro- or small enterprises with limited growth potential. Creating a conducive environment that enables youth to participate meaningfully in the economy, including through entrepreneurship, is vital. The Promoting High-Growth Youth Entrepreneurship in Africa Webinar explores issues pertinent to a creating a responsive and inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem for young people, with a focus on the regulatory environment, business development services, skills for entrepreneurship, access to finance, market access, and networks for high-growth enterprises. It aims to 

Key Objectives

✅To identify systemic barriers that prevent young entrepreneurs from building scalable businesses, and what solutions can unlock their growth;

✅How to bridge the aspirational gap between youth’s entrepreneurial ambitions and the actual opportunities available to them;  

✅To identify ways to develop and/or strengthen the capacity of youth-friendly financing services and business development services (BDS) to meet the needs of young entrepreneurs;

✅To identify sectors with the potential for scalable, growth-oriented enterprises in Africa and 

✅To identify measures that policymakers can/should adopt to create a conducive regulatory environment to support young entrepreneurs in establishing high-growth enterprises;

✅To interrogate elements of a conducive regulatory environment that can support young entrepreneurs to establish high-growth enterprises.

Speakers Key Insights

Edson Mpyisi, Chief Financial Economist at the African Development Bank Group: “By 2035, more young Africans will enter the labour force each year than in the rest of the world combined, making youth entrepreneurship not simply a social issue but an economic imperative. Africa must close financing gaps, improve business formalisation, and create ecosystems that support enterprises to scale sustainably and generate quality jobs.”

Abel Ayella, Founder of Bunaroma Coffee Exporters: “Young entrepreneurs in agricultural value chains need more than motivation — they need practical support to meet export standards, improve quality, navigate trade regulations, and access markets that allow African businesses to compete globally.”

Abraham Andreas, Founder of Lersia: “Patient capital is critical for young businesses operating in agriculture and innovation sectors, where growth takes time. Entrepreneurs also need stronger access to data and financial systems that help them build credibility and unlock investment opportunities.”

Harry Devonshire, Argidius Foundation: “Entrepreneurship support works best when it is evidence-based and rooted in peer learning rather than generic training programmes. Communities of practice where entrepreneurs openly share failures, lessons, and strategies are essential to building resilient business ecosystems.”

Pren-Tsilya Boa-Guehe, Google for Startups: “Technical mentorship, digital tools, and equity-free support can help young African entrepreneurs accelerate innovation and scale solutions more effectively, particularly in technology-enabled sectors with strong growth potential.”

Salam Huna, Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Ethiopia: “Governments must create enabling policy environments that reduce barriers for startups and encourage innovation. Ethiopia’s startup reforms aim to strengthen the ecosystem by improving regulatory frameworks, supporting innovation, and making entrepreneurship more accessible for young people.”

FULL STORY HERE