By Sarah Shearman
London — Female entrepreneurs from African countries say they need to benefit from the same opportunities as men for their continent’s ambitious development goals to be realised
From job creation to clean energy, female African entrepreneurs can add millions of dollars to their economies and deliver positive social change if they are taken more seriously, experts said at British trade event on Monday.
Entrepreneurs from 21 African countries – many of them women – showcased businesses from smart street lighting in Nigeria to environmentally friendly breweries in Kenya aimed at making profit and doing good at the inaugural UK-Africa Investment Summit in London.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a pitch for Britain to be “investment partner of choice for Africa” at the conference, days before his country leaves the European Union.
But female entrepreneurs from African countries including Uganda and Zambia said they needed to benefit from the same opportunities as men for their continent’s ambitious development goals to be realised.
“It is not just about men-run and owned businesses… the whole team has to play,” said Monica Musonda, founder of Java Foods, a Zambia-based food manufacturer that aims to tackle malnutrition.
“We have to scale and make women-run businesses profitable because they create impact, create jobs and they also contribute to development,” she said.
Africa has the highest concentration of female entrepreneurs, accounting for almost a third of all businesses on the continent, said a British government statement. Read more…
