Publications

African tech hubs play an important role in building fledgling entrepreneurial ecosystems and helping start-ups, but they struggle to earn revenue and become financially sustainable. This second edition has expanded its coverage, adding insights from East African hubs. The report, based on...

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Botswana are engines of job creation with significant potential to foster economic diversification.

One in three companies in French-speaking Africa is in a difficult financial position, according to ITC research.

Thanks to a more services-based economy and the prestige associated with women’s entrepreneurship, new opportunities allow Nigerian women to play a more active role in business.

Small and medium-sized enterprises in Kenya are an underexploited resource with significant potential to boost inclusive growth.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Zambia play a key role in boosting growth and job creation.

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa can tackle e-commerce barriers such as formalization, e-payments and delivery by joining forces through collaborative business models. This paper examines the pros and cons of three models – associations, consortiums and cooperatives – and...

Policymakers now have an SME-friendly toolkit to guide national reforms when implementing the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement. Addressing reforms from the perspective of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will spread benefits across the whole business community.

Private investment from China into Africa is significant but its potential for increasing local productivity largely underestimated. The main challenge for investors is finding information on the availability and quality of local suppliers.

Small businesses in Saint Lucia are contributing to the country’s export growth. The findings of a new ITC Competitiveness Survey jointly conducted with the country’s Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA) provides guidance on how to exploit opportunities in four key sectors: food and beverages,...

Companies in 16 French-speaking African countries are more likely to export when they comply with international standards, according to a joint survey by ITC and the Permanent Conference of African and Francophone Consular Chambers (CPCCAF). Among 9,000 firms surveyed, only 25% have an...

Digitalization and the rise of the platform economy are rapidly changing the way in which firms do business. A strong business ecosystem is necessary to manage this change. This year’s SME Competitiveness Outlook tells how to build it.