Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa : Achieving impactful local outcomes through partnerships

Abstract: Governments at the bottom of the pyramid are putting an increasing amount of trust inthe private sector to help build infrastructure and alleviate poverty. Therefore, finding better ways to support local entrepreneurial initiatives is crucial. Corporations and organisations alike are starting BoP initiatives to help with these challenges, yet knowledge of how these challenges can best be solved remains underdeveloped. It is suggested that creating shared value through partnerships between corporations and the BoP can help alleviate poverty as well as benefit the corporation. In sharing knowledge and resources with the BoP, corporations can also help develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem in BoP regions. Research regarding entrepreneurial ecosystems in the BoP or the workings of partnerships within BoP markets such as the Sub-Saharan African BoP is scarce. Through a thematic study of perspectives on entrepreneurship and partnerships from three different stakeholder groups active in the Sub-Saharan African BoP market, this study seeks to add to the existing body of literature on entrepreneurial ecosystems and partnerships in BoP markets. Our findings suggest that partnerships between entrepreneurs and corporations could help mitigate some ofthe challenges entrepreneurs face, provided the stakeholders have shared goals and commitment to achieve impactful and mutually beneficial results. Currently, these goals appear to be slightly misaligned.