1.9 Non-financial support landscape for social enterprises in Africa The survey reveals that one in two social enterprises in Africa recognizes the critical importance of non-financial support, with a significant demand for assistance in financial management, skills development and market access as they seek to grow and achieve their mission. Approximately 49% of social enterprises have sought external non-financial support in the past three years. This figure, however, varies significantly across countries, with 80% of social enterprises in Cameroon and 59% in Ghana reporting they did not seek this type of assistance, suggesting a possible lack of awareness or availability of such services in these contexts, or that the social enterprises did not see a need for the support available. For those who did seek support, the interests were diverse yet pointed to core business needs. The top five types of support sought were: financial matters (53%), staff training and skills development (53%), market access (44%), digitalization (43%) and scaling (37%). This shows that while financial capital is a key concern, social enterprises also recognize that they need technical and operational expertise to make effective use of that capital and grow their businesses. The data reveals country-specific priorities within these broader trends. In Cameroon and Ethiopia, financial matters ranked first, highlighting an urgent need for business and financial literacy. In South Africa and Ghana, staff training and skills development were the top priority, indicating a focus on human capital development to drive growth. In Kenya, both areas were equally important, ranking first. Additionally, support for environmental sustainability was a top five concern in Cameroon (29%), Ghana (40%) and Ethiopia (36%), reflecting the growing importance of eco- friendly practices in these markets.Types of non-financial support sought by social enterprises FIGURE 18 Financial matters Staff training and skills development Market access Digitalization Scaling Impact measurement Environmental sustainability Governance Legal matters Sustainability53% 53% 44% 43% 37% 32% 29% 26% 22% 4% Source: Survey data, World Economic Forum The State of Social Enterprise: Unlocking Inclusive Growth, Jobs and Development in Africa 37

State of Social Enterprise Africa 2025