Developing University Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Sub-Saharan Africa

The following sections are included:

• Foreword
• About the Editors
• About the Contributors
• Contents

The following sections are included:

• Background
• Exploiting Digital Platforms
• Opportunity-Driven Ecosystem Development
• Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystems
• Functional Partnerships and Key Features of Ecosystems
• References

This chapter combines stakeholder, design thinking, and design science theory to underpin the analysis of the design, development, and implementation of a digital platform supporting the growth of an entrepreneurial ecosystem in East Africa. The study involved an analysis of stakeholder groups, their role and needs, and analyses of our findings based on causation, effectuation, and bricolage theories. We provide conclusions and recommendations that are targeted at entrepreneurs, policymakers, and technical platform developers in a context of high uncertainty and with an appreciation for the value of African entrepreneurial creativity and resilience. A contribution to theory concerns the conceptualisation of the digital platform as a construct representing an entrepreneurial eco-system.

We draw on the academic literature on university ecosystem, digital platforms, and professional identity development to conceptualise how we exploited digital platforms for entrepreneurship educators in an SSA university context. To illustrate, we present the Accelerating Entrepreneurship Support in Universities Accelerator Programme, the first pilot developed and applied at Riara University. The design of the programme, the delivery method, and the skills and competencies taught and developed by student entrepreneurs reveal the complexities of reinforcing an undergraduate programme in a Kenyan university and the tools needed to address the said complexities. Our reflections provide insights for mainstreaming entrepreneurship in SSA universities to ensure the development of professional identity within entrepreneurship programmes.

The tourism industry is increasingly important in the global economy and is expected to grow by 4.2% per annum to US$ 278 billion by 2028, creating over 235 million jobs globally. In Africa, tourism export revenues have risen threefold and have a unique potential to create over 12 million jobs by 2028. Despite the opportunities the tourism sector offers to create jobs for the youth in Africa, highly skilled tourism graduates are still disadvantaged in securing employment in an industry that appears to prefer a less skilled workforce. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), there is a need to expand entrepreneurship opportunities in tourism by creating innovative ecosystems and networks as a remedy to address highly skilled youth unemployment and underemployment in the region. The purpose of this chapter is to share critical reflections on the co-creation process and practices of a British Council — Innovation for African Universities (IAU036) programme, aimed at accelerating entrepreneurship and innovation for sustainable tourism in Africa that led to the formation of a youth-centred ecosystem for sustainable tourism development SSA. Framed by Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Open Innovation (OI) thinking, the project employed a hybrid methodology drawing upon the Rapid Situation Analysis (RSA) and the Peer-to-Peer co-constructed and participatory research techniques involving 45 tourism bachelors students registered in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa and critical knowledge exchanges between partners from Kenya, Ghana, and the UK. While the research identified key challenges and opportunities associated with entrepreneurship in tourism in Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, a co-created youth-centred ecosystem was the main outcome of the active engagement of tourism, innovation, and entrepreneurship researchers and industry players, offering knowledge exchange, mentorship, and coaching. The project led to new critical understandings of the complexity of operating in a challenging SSA tourism business environment and an ad hoc review of the tourism curricula delivered at the 3 SSA HEIs involved in the project. A training and impact evaluation toolkit and establishing digitally interconnected Sustainable Tourism Innovation Hubs and a more comprehensive industry network are proposed as possible ways forward.

Post-Harvest Losses (PHL) in Accra’s markets present a complex issue with significant ramifications for the agricultural industry in the city. The reasons for PHL are investigated in this chapter, with particular attention paid to the intricate interactions between consumer preferences, import dependence, and inefficiencies in local agricultural production and distribution. The analysis reveals a complex network of factors that contribute to PHL in Accra, such as the importation of large quantities of commodities, the length of supply chains associated with imports, and consumer prejudice in favour of imported produce, which reduces local demand and increases PHL when unsold. PHL is heavily influenced by the timing of sales, with early-morning vendors experiencing better sales. The analysis highlights the necessity of implementing concerted measures to tackle inefficiencies, decrease reliance on imports, and modify consumer attitudes. Additionally, it suggests creative storage techniques and micro agro-processing facilities as entrepreneurial alternatives.

This chapter delves into a detailed exploration of the crucial interplay between social enterprises and economic growth. The primary aim is to conduct a thorough investigation of the multifaceted relationship between these entities. The authors analyse the challenges and advantages inherent in this relationship and propose strategies for policymakers to harness the profound impact that social enterprises can exert on both societal and economic progress. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of this subject, qualitative research methods have been employed throughout this chapter. The research methodology involves an extensive literature review, which serves as a foundation for gathering insights and knowledge pertaining to social enterprises and their intricate ties with economic growth. Recognising social enterprises as catalysts for economic expansion necessitates the formulation of a comprehensive policy framework. Consequently, it becomes imperative to address these challenges. This approach is not only crucial for ensuring the growth and sustainability of social enterprises but also for fostering a form of economic growth that embodies inclusivity, equity, and sustainability. The recommendations presented in this chapter advocate for the establishment of an enabling environment where social enterprises can thrive and make substantial contributions to economic development, all while addressing urgent social and environmental challenges.

Youth unemployment is one of the most pressing issues for South Africa’s economic prospects. While the drivers behind youth unemployment are diverse (including lack of relevant education and opportunities), youthled entrepreneurship has been proposed as a potential solution. Further, while social entrepreneurship has been identified as a priority area and part of a long-term strategy for the country, significant barriers persist for South African social entrepreneurs. This chapter explores a collective form of social entrepreneurship — cross sector social partnerships (CSSP) — involving four distinct actors (universities, South African youth, ecosystem practitioners, and non-government organisations) and considers how cross sector social partnerships enable social entrepreneurial learning by South African youth and how collaborations in a social entrepreneurial ecosystem better enable CSSP partners to create more social value. Drawing from the results of mixed-methods research in a project focused on supporting youth social entrepreneurs in South Africa, the chapter provides evidence to suggest that partnerships were instrumental in enabling social entrepreneurial learning and practice. Further, our findings highlight the social value created through partnerships, involving key actors in the social entrepreneurial ecosystem. Based on our findings and project reflections, we propose a circular model of cross sector social partnerships that create value through social entrepreneurship. We conclude with policy implications.

There is strong evidence that young entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa are building start-up business ventures in isolation, under pressure, and disconnected from the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem, both contributing to high start-up failure rates. Ecosystem players such as academic institutions, industry partners, and investors have the knowledge, human and financial assets able to offer specialised technical and market support for young entrepreneurs. Yet, it seems that while relevant key stakeholders that make up functional innovation ecosystems are present, the synergy amongst them seems weak and needs to be strengthened if “job seekers” are to become “job creators”. This study proposes an approach to functional multi-stakeholder partnerships that can build thriving ecosystems to support young entrepreneurs in Africa. It presents some of the strategies adopted on the Nexus Project to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem around young entrepreneurs in Nigeria that has resulted in their transformation from “locked” to “unlocked” to “investable” entrepreneurs. The study revealed that an approach to building functional ecosystems in the African context requires a shared vision and values-based engagement between entrepreneurship ecosystem stakeholders. The alignment of a few stakeholders sharing a common goal enhanced the chances of accessing wider ecosystem stakeholders and by extension resulted in effective engagements with other players and positive outcomes for young start-up founders. The spillover effect of the values that underpinned the first level of the partnerships in the wider ecosystem is proof that silos can be broken down when relevant stakeholders take responsibility for this.

This chapter explores the essential characteristics and features of a university fostering entrepreneurship and innovation within the context of weak infrastructural support and the lack of policy mechanisms. It presents an analysis of institutional ambitions, change measurement, ongoing initiatives, and their sustainability. Our study employed semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions of relevant stakeholders (staff and students) from four major Nigerian universities. Findings were categorised into two main dimensions. First, certain essential elements such as the strength of networks, entrepreneurial culture, and modelling good practices were identified as independent of management, constituting the bedrock of successful university entrepreneurial ecosystems. These elements, fundamental for fostering innovation, are intrinsic components of vibrant entrepreneurial environments within academic institutions. Secondly, the study illuminates features influenced by management, stakeholder engagement, and personalized relationships. These elements, encompassing aspects like infrastructure, funding, quality control management, and state-level policies, act as catalysts for development but are not obligatory. They function as path-dependent variables, leading to varying outputs. Despite their variability, these management-driven factors are indispensable for the evolution and scaling of university entrepreneurial ecosystems, forming the backbone of innovation within higher education institutions in Nigeria.

Curriculum Development is the multi-step process of creating and improving a course taught at a school or university, with the aim of achieving improvement. Entrepreneurship is a relatively new tool for solving the dynamic needs of people in different nations of the world. It is an instrument to create more jobs and reduce the rate of unemployment. Studies have shown that the university curriculum in Africa (in context, Nigeria) seems to produce graduates that have very good cognitive and theoretical knowledge but less applied knowledge, especially in innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E), hence creating a wide gap between the university curriculum and the practice of I&E. The Nigerian National Universities Commission (NUC) Benchmark Minimum Academic Standard (BMAS) and the present NUC Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS) provide insufficient guidelines in the curriculum to cover the required experiential elements demanded for I&E. Unfortunately, the current unemployment rate in Nigeria flows from lack of transformational I&E. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the university curriculum in terms of embedding, maintaining, and improving the content and practice of I&E across all programmes within the university, with a view to using the knowledge obtained from the study to create a solution for better integration of I&E into the university curriculum. We carried out the study using a target population that comprised 300 selected students from three universities in Ondo State, Nigeria. We administered open-ended questions, and there were 297 respondents (response rate was 99%). Descriptive analysis of the data demonstrated that most of the university students did not believe they possessed any appreciable innovative skills, despite their innate entrepreneurial skills. The research concludes that there is clearly a need for the augmentation of the university curriculum with I&E aspects that are missing. To address this gap, we present the establishment of the University Co-creation/Innovation Hub (U-COHUB) in the Nigerian university system. U-COHUB has been designed to empower undergraduates with skills, mentorship, wide-ranging opportunities, and technical support to become providers of solutions to social and real-life problems.

The following section is included:

• Index