Entrepreneurship issues in Africa were discussed at the Banque de Luxembourg during the 38th Midi of Microfinance.

The event welcomed two speakers with expertise regarding the African continent: Jean-Michel Severino, President of the Investors and Partners Fund ( I & P) for African SMEs and co-author of the book "Entreprenante Afrique", and Eric Campos, General Delegate of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation.

The creation of local businesses can generate job creation in Africa: 200 million jobs can be created thanks to these small and medium entrepreneurs, but also entrepreneurs, important information to report on this day of the woman. These actors have the opportunity to create new jobs in the middle class and to provide equitable resources, both environmental and social.

However, there are often great difficulties, especially concerning access to funds with few investors still willing to finance small businesses. Indeed, banks, which are absent from the places where these SMEs emerge, or little interested in these clients, without equity or guarantee, cannot provide financing to local entrepreneurs.

According to the speakers of this Midi, the financial companion of SMEs must have a transversal vision of the chain of values. In addition, to reduce the investor's fees, the creation of a local investment fund would be profitable.

The other challenge for SMEs is to face unequal competition from large groups as well as foreign entrepreneurs.

Whilst entrepreneurship proves challenging in Africa, speaker Jean-Michel Severino stresses that adaptability to this changing universe, resilience and entrepreneurial creativity are the keys to success.

Photo by ADA/Olivier Minaire. From left to right: Eric Campos (Fondation Grameen Crédit Agricole), Luc Vandeweerd (ADA); Jean-Michel Severino (Investors & Partners)