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<p>Investing in SMEs means investing for impact. The challenges that SMEs need to overcome to fully transform digitally are easier with the help of big firms. This Corporate Access explores the role private sector plays to get small businesses to technological support they need to grow.</p>


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Corporate Access: Driving Change for Financial & Social Impact

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<p>Artificial intelligence and machine learning are fast becoming the most in-demand sectors for growth and job creation. How is Africa leapfrogging over this digital disruption? And what can be done to accelerate the expansion of digital connectivity and innovation? Join CNBC Africa as a team of industry leaders gathers to break down Africa’s achievements in this space and what is practically needed to ensure no African is left behind.</p>


Digital Transformation: Leaving no African behind

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<p>On a global scale small and medium businesses are a central economic and social for job creation and economic growth. Accounting for 90 per cent of businesses and 50 per cent of gross domestic GDP, still face many challenges like financial inclusion, digital transformation and access to technology. This Corporate Access explores the Visa Impact Series.</p>


Corporate Access: Digital Transformation Progress on SMEs

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<p>Bag Innovation, a Rwandan ed-tech start-up since 2017, is addressing the rising youth unemployment by enhancing education outcomes. With over 50 employees, it is aspiring to become Africa&#8217;s top job simulation platform.</p>


Game Changers: Bag Innovation: The gateway to curbing unemployment in Rwanda

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<p>To match the pace of our rapidly changing world, Rwanda has committed to build upon one of its biggest assets. By focussing its energy on the youth, the country is paving a solid foundation for them to launch themselves into the future.</p>


Game Changers: Youth: A catalyst for economic growth

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<p>The agro-processing sector in Rwanda contributes up to a third of Rwanda&#8217;s GDP. Higher output of the agriculture sector enables agro-processing to position itself as the main driver of Rwanda&#8217;s manufacturing sector. This allows the opportunity to unlock this industry to manufacture and produce crisps.</p>


Game Changers: Unlocking Rwanda’s agro-processing potential

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<p>The path to achieving entrepreneurial success commences by identifying an unmet need within the market, while the sustainability of the established business is determined by the supportive ecosystem. Rwanda, in its endeavour to excel, is diligently investing efforts to foster a thriving community and cultivate an entrepreneurial culture within the nation.</p>


Game Changers: The important role of SMEs in Rwanda’s economy

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<p>On top of a fragile economy, small businesses have had many challenges thrown at them in the recent while. We’ve had the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions on the economy. And last week businesses were affected by the worst violence in post-Apartheid South Africa. Sonto Pooe, Founder of NativeChild joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Small businesses bear the brunt of violent unrest in SA

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<p>In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, funding of SMEs has been one of the major agendas in conversations regarding jump-starting economies on the continent. But is there if any a sustainable funding module for MSMEs? Fabrizio Cometto, Investment Specialist with UNCDF joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


UNCDF on how to bridge the credit gap for MSME growth

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<p>Kenya&#8217;s Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani is set to issue the 2021/22 Fiscal year budget statement tomorrow. This year&#8217;s budget is set in the context of a very challenging economic environment. So, what does the budget hold for SMEs who have been hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic? CNBC Africa spoke with the Managing Director at Viffa Consult, Victor Otieno for more.</p>


What the 2021 Kenyan budget means for SMEs

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<p>Tomorrow&#8217;s entrepreneurs are key to the growth of the private sector thus in the long run key to job creation on the continent but how do you foster this new generation?</p>


This initiative aims to create a new generation of African entrepreneurs

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<p>Most businesses are thought to have a ready succession plan but according to FNB that&#8217;s not necessarily the case. Joining CNBC Africa for more is Palesa Mabasa, Commercial Segment Head for Gauteng South West at FNB.</p>


FNB: Why succession planning is pivotal for small businesses

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<p>The Founder and CEO of Sparkle, Uzoma Dozie, says small businesses are the largest employer of labour in Nigeria but lack access to basic services that will help their businesses. Sparkle, a financial ecosystem solutions provider is looking to change this and help small businesses and SMEs access the much-needed products and services to grow their enterprises digitally. Uzoma Dozie joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Nigeria’s Sparkle retools to drive digital growth for SMEs

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<p>One of the main complexities small and medium-sized enterprises encounter in running and growing their businesses is the ability to take in revenue and to secure its supply of inventory and other inputs. Adoption of paytech to digitize payments is crucial. Tekwane Mwendwa, CEO and Co-Founder at Asilimia joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Asilimia CEO on how to unlock access to finance for informal traders

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<p>Most businesses were hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and many are yet to recover. But just how bad was the damage? A non-profit company called BeyondCOVID has compiled a report to quantify the damage. Some of the numbers they have gathered are that 21 per cent of businesses polled are closed, although 64 per cent of them indicated they do expect to reopen. Lings Naidoo, Director &#038; Joint-Founder at BeyondCOVID joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


This is how SA’s small businesses were hit hardest by COVID-19

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<p>7.2 million South Africans unemployed, those are the most recent figures coming from Stats SA. Many businesses have been severely affected by the COVID-19 regulations, forcing job cuts, and even closure. While President Cyril Ramaphosa pleaded with business and civil society to pull together to save jobs, the National Empowerment Fund seems to have headed the call by establishing an economic distress fund. Hlengiwe Makhatini, Divisional Executive: Venture Capital and Corporate Finance at the National Empowerment Fund joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


This fund looks to help black-owned businesses stay open amid COVID-19 crisis

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<p>There have been efforts across the East African region to expand electricity access, but the benefits of increased access to modern and cleaner energy services often fail to accrue evenly to men and women. African Development Bank’s Nnenna Lily Nwabufo joins CNBC Africa to unpack this.</p>


SMEs

Corporate Access: Driving Change for Financial & Social Impact

Digital Transformation: Leaving no African behind

Corporate Access: Digital Transformation Progress on SMEs

Game Changers: Bag Innovation: The gateway to curbing unemployment in Rwanda

Game Changers: Youth: A catalyst for economic growth

Game Changers: Unlocking Rwanda’s agro-processing potential

Game Changers: The important role of SMEs in Rwanda’s economy

Small businesses bear the brunt of violent unrest in SA

UNCDF on how to bridge the credit gap for MSME growth

What the 2021 Kenyan budget means for SMEs

This initiative aims to create a new generation of African entrepreneurs

FNB: Why succession planning is pivotal for small businesses

Nigeria’s Sparkle retools to drive digital growth for SMEs

Asilimia CEO on how to unlock access to finance for informal traders

This is how SA’s small businesses were hit hardest by COVID-19

This fund looks to help black-owned businesses stay open amid COVID-19 crisis

AfDB’s Nwabufo on how to close the energy access gap in Africa

News Tips

Advertise With Us

SMEs

Corporate Access: Driving Change for Financial & Social Impact

Digital Transformation: Leaving no African behind

Corporate Access: Digital Transformation Progress on SMEs

Game Changers: Bag Innovation: The gateway to curbing unemployment in Rwanda

Game Changers: Youth: A catalyst for economic growth

Game Changers: Unlocking Rwanda’s agro-processing potential

Game Changers: The important role of SMEs in Rwanda’s economy

Small businesses bear the brunt of violent unrest in SA

UNCDF on how to bridge the credit gap for MSME growth

What the 2021 Kenyan budget means for SMEs

This initiative aims to create a new generation of African entrepreneurs

FNB: Why succession planning is pivotal for small businesses

Nigeria’s Sparkle retools to drive digital growth for SMEs

Asilimia CEO on how to unlock access to finance for informal traders

This is how SA’s small businesses were hit hardest by COVID-19

This fund looks to help black-owned businesses stay open amid COVID-19 crisis

AfDB’s Nwabufo on how to close the energy access gap in Africa

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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