State of Social Enterprise Africa 2025

1. Cruz, M., et al. (2025, January). Estimating the number of firms in Africa. World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank. org/server/api/core/bitstreams/ad2895d4-8426-4d09-b092-5f82c82a8684/content 2. Throughout the report, the AU definition of “youth”, meaning individuals aged under 35, is used, unless stated otherwise. 3. World Economic Forum. (2025, May). Collecting data on social enterprises: A playbook for practitioners. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Collecting_Data_on_Social_Enterprises_2025.pdf 4. WID.World. (2024, November 19). Inequality in 2024: A closer look at six regions. https://wid.world/news-article/inequality- in-2024-a-closer-look-at-six-regions/ 5. International Labour Organization. (2024, August). Global employment trends for youth 2024: Sub-Saharan Africa. https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/Sub-Saharan%20Africa%20GET%20Youth%202024_0.pdf 6. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2025). Cuts in official development assistance: Full report. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/cuts-in-official-development-assistance_8c530629-en/full-report.html 7. World Bank. (2025, April). Africa’s Pulse: Improving governance and delivering for people in Africa. Volume 31. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/3bbc4659-de1e-472c-9d23-d67eb8364f1d/content 8. International Labour Organization. (2024). Global employment trends for youth 2024: Decent work, brighter futures (20th anniversary edition). https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/GET_2024_EN_web4.pdf 9. United Nations Trade and Development. (2024). Economic development in Africa report 2024. https://unctad.org/ publication/economic-development-africa-report-2024 10. Ichikowitz Family Foundation. (2022). African youth survey 2022. https://ichikowitzfoundation.com/storage/ays/ays2022.pdf 11. African Development Bank. (2017). African economic outlook 2017: Entrepreneurship and industrialisation. https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/AEO_2017_Report_Full_English.pdf 12. Ichikowitz Family Foundation. (2022). African youth survey 2022. https://ichikowitzfoundation.com/storage/ays/ays2022.pdf 13. International Labour Organization. (2022). Informal economy in Africa: Which way forward? Making policy responsive, inclusive and sustainable. https://www.ilo.org/meetings-and-events/informal-economy-africa-which-way-forward-making- policy-responsive 14. United Nations Development Programme. (2023). Informal economy annual report 2023: Supporting informal enterprises transition towards sustainable growth and formalization in the African, Caribbean and Pacific regions. https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2025-06/informal_economy_annual_report_2023_final.pdf 15. World Economic Forum. (2024). The state of social enterprise: A review of global data 2013–2023. https://www3.weforum. org/docs/WEF_The_State_of_Social_Enterprise_2024.pdf 16. Seed stage: in the planning phase, developing an idea but not yet operational. Activities include market research, business modelling or pilot testing. No consistent revenue or customer base; start-up stage: newly launched and refining its business model while building a customer base. Revenue is limited, relying on external finance or grants; growth stage: expanding market reach with increasing revenue. Focus on scaling operations, efficiency and team growth; established stage: stable operations with consistent revenue and a structured organization. Less reliant on external finance, focusing on optimization; expansion stage: rapid growth through market expansion or diversification. Investing in resources, partnerships and long-term scalability. 17. Republic of Cameroon. (2019). Law No. 2019/004 of 25 April 2019, Framework law governing social economy in Cameroon. http://www.minpmeesa.cm/site/inhoud/uploads/2022/07/ues2019.pdf; DIESIS Network. (2024). Mapping and needs assessment of the social and solidarity economy in Cameroon: The development of the SSE ecosystem and needs analysis of women in rural areas. https://www.diesis.coop/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/ENFinal-Version-Mapping- and-needs-assessment_compressed.pdf 18. Siemens Stiftung. (2020). Social enterprises as job creators in Africa: The potential of social enterprise to provide employment opportunities in 12 African countries 2020–2030 (Part II: Country Profiles). https://www.siemens-stiftung.org/ wp-content/uploads/2020/10/studie-socialenterprisesasjobcreatorsinafrica-part2-siemensstiftung.pdf 19. Quaye, J. N. A., Halsall, J. P ., Winful, E. C., Snowden, M., Opuni, F. F., Hyams-Ssekasi, D., Ohene Afriyie, E., Opoku- Asante, K., Ocloo, E. C., & Fairhurst, B. (2024). Social enterprises and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A means to an end. Environment, Development and Sustainability. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10668-024-05359-x 20. Siemens Stiftung. (2020). Social enterprises as job creators in Africa: The potential of social enterprise to provide employment opportunities in 12 African countries 2020–2030 (Part II: Country profiles). https://www.siemens-stiftung.org/ wp-content/uploads/2020/10/studie-socialenterprisesasjobcreatorsinafrica-part2-siemensstiftung.pdf 21. Ibid. 22. Kwama, J. (2025, June 12). Ruto creates 7 new state departments in govt shake-up. The Kenya Times. https://thekenyatimes.com/breaking-news/ruto-creates-7-new-state-departments-in-govt-reorganization/Endnotes The State of Social Enterprise: Unlocking Inclusive Growth, Jobs and Development in Africa 59