Rwanda's economy has been experiencing strong growth over the last decade – with an average of 7.2% a year over the decade to 2019 – and showed resilience during the Covid-19, before rebounding to 8.1% in 2021. As in many African countries, Entrepreneurship has been one of the key drivers behind those economic performances. 

Developing a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem will be key to achieve Rwanda’s development objectives. 

Hence the need to reflect on policies capable of strengthening the factors conditioning the future success of Rwandan entrepreneurs, in particular entrepreneurial education and training in the country.

This is why the BETAF project team organized on May 25, 2023 in Kigali within the campus of AIMS Rwanda, a conference entitled “What kind of entrepreneurial training programs can be used to boost Entrepreneurship in Rwanda”.”

Thanks to a dynamic panel comprising entrepreneurs, representatives from public institutions, members of academia, training institutions and civil society, the conference analyzed strategies to improve the success of Entrepreneurial education and Entrepreneurial training. We highlight that the former occurs when students are attending academic institutions while the latter focuses on people out of the educational systems (working or unemployed people) looking forward to joining the world of entrepreneurs. 

Key learnings and recommendations from the conference are highlighted below. 

• Panelists proposed several taxonomies to cluster the burgeoning entrepreneurial class in Rwanda, notably one based on the level of maturity/transferability of the venture.

• Unfortunately, entrepreneurial development policies tend to ignore small players who employ the bulk of the Rwandese workforce.

• The most interesting definition of what an entrepreneur is, made a distinction between people who are self- employed and sell their expertise and the entrepreneur who has created a venture with processes that sell products and services distinct from its owner. According to that taxonomy, most African enterprises should be grouped under the self employment category.

• For panel members, entrepreneurial education and training should dedicate a substantial amount of time to explaining to aspiring entrepreneurs those taxonomies and the differences in the different levels of entrepreneurship. Sensitization should also focus on convincing entrepreneurs to create autonomous enterprises that can exist even after them. 

• With respect to entrepreneurial policies, panelists emphasized that a lot still needs to be done in the Rwandese ecosystem, despite the country’s progress and rankings. Panel members stressed the difference between having policies and implementing them, especially in the African context. 

• They highlighted the need to improve the coordination among departments in charge of entrepreneurial development, given poor linkages.

• As far as priorities are concerned, from some successful entrepreneur’s experience, panelists considered that financing should not be the first thing that aspiring entrepreneurs should care about.

• Securing a job may however be a solution to cover subsistence expenditures but also to provide seed funds for their enterprise and invaluable expertise. 

• Panel members encouraged young aspirants to seek professional experience first through volunteer activities and to valorize them. 

• Panel members stressed the importance of some psychological factors that tend to be underestimated but which prove to be essential in the long term for entrepreneurial success.

• To be successful, entrepreneurs do not only need to have a positive mind-set, but also have  to be realistic.

• As many people wonder which tools should be used to better calibrate entrepreneurial ecosystems, panelists did not only identify data collected from entrepreneurial practices, but also experience gained by entrepreneurs as starting points.

• Panelists identified mature entrepreneurs as one of the best suited actors to train young entrepreneurs.

• As in other African countries, the question of the tropicalization of entrepreneurial training was raised in Rwanda, with some interesting avenues such as entrepreneurial data analysis. Entrepreneurial data management and analysis was considered to be a way one can inform new practices in training.

 Online streaming

Video highlights of the conference 

AIMS BETAF May 25th, 2023.mp4

NEWSPAPERS

The New Times 

Entrepreneurship: Varsity students drilled to boost sustainable development

Taarifa

Inama Umuhanga Aha Guverinoma Y’u Rwanda Mu Gutegura Ba Rwiyemezamirimo

Kura (IGIHE)

Ibyo ukwiye kwitaho mu gihe ushaka kwihangira umurimo

 TWITTER

• Twitter thread; https://twitter.com/AIMS_Rwanda/status/1661652266284097542

• Highlight video (Twitter); https://twitter.com/AIMS_Rwanda/status/1663907526730035200

To get additional insights and to understand the detailed background of our project, feel free to check out our social media channels. There you will find further information on our research project!

• Twitter: @BetteringAfrica 

• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/betaf/ 

… 22% of Africa's working-age population start new businesses? That is the highest rate in the world!

… Africa is the only region in the world where more women than men choose to become entrepreneurs

… Africa has the largest free trade area in the world? The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was founded in 2018! Its trade has been commencing as of 1 January 2021!