Botswana Listed As Africa’s Most Entrepreneurial Country

Botswana has had active programs of government support to small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) since the1970s. Now it continues to enjoy the fruits of its labour as Botswana together with Senegal have been named the most entrepreneurial countries in Africa. This comes after a 2015 survey that included 62 economies around the world as well as 8 African economies being Botswana, Burkino Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.

Both of these countries exhibit an upward trend year-on-year in terms of the number of adults starting new business 33% and 38.6% respectively. Surprisingly, our neighbors South Africa’s TEA rates continue to be lackluster at just 9.2%. The global average for this across all 60 participating economies in 2015 was 21%.

There are many organizations active in Botswana that focus on supporting local SMEs. Below you find some organizations you might want to check out. This list is not exhaustive, but provides a good starting point to research the support available to you:

• CEDA: for more information on how to apply for financial assistance from the Citizen Economic Development Agency
• BOCCIM: A business association aimed at supporting and promoting private enterprises across Botswana
• Botswana National Youth Council:  Supporting youth-run enterprises in Botswana
• The First Steps Venture Center of the Botswana Innovation Hub: Focused on supporting tech-focused start-ups and SMEs
• Starting a business in Botswana: Providing a check list of legal and administrative requirements for starting and running a business in Botswana
• Women In Business: Providing support, resources and networking opportunities for women-run SMEs across Botswana