Small Business and Entrepreneurial Development in Africa

This book explores the issues around small business and entrepreneurial activities in Africa within the context of frequent collapse of businesses, seizures by governments, lack of access to capital and raw materials as well as the reliance on the informal sector. All these issues, the Editors argue, have been exacerbated by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, entrepreneurship must be at the heart of efforts to transform Africa's economic prospects to ensure sustained economic growth and decent work for all.

In looking at the development of entrepreneurship for Africa's growth, contributors to this edited collection take an evolutionary approach by focusing on entrepreneurial intentions (where entrepreneurial ideas are formed), customer management (which is central to all entrepreneurial business success) and by also focusing on local and entrepreneurial business development. The book then ends with a discussion around technological innovations in small business development in Africa. Covering topics such as social entrepreneurship, international joint ventures and the impact of digital platforms, this conceptual path provides rich contemporary insights for students, researchers, and policy makers and contributes to the achievement of SDG 8 targets.

Part I: Introduction. - Chapter 1: Introduction. - Part II: Entrepreneurial Intentions and Customer Management Issues. - Chapter 2: Dynamics of Final Year Students Entrepreneurial Inclination: Does Understanding of Entrepreneurship Matter? . - Chapter 3: Understanding Customer Service for Small and Entrepreneurial Firms. - Part III: Local and International Perspectives. - Chapter 4: Enterprise Growth in The Informal Economy in Sub-Saharan Africa An Empirical Qualitative Investigation. - Chapter 5: Social Entrepreneurship in Focus: Evidence From Ghana. - Chapter 6: Exploring International Joint Ventures. - Part IV: Technology and Entrepreneurial Development. - Chapter 7: The Impact of 4ir Technologies on Venture Creation and Technology Commercialisation: Insights and Exemplars From An Emerging Economy Context. - Chapter 8: The Impact of Digital Platforms on SMES Development and Performance. - Part V: Conclusion. - Chapter 9: Theoretical, Policy and Managerial Implications for Entrepreneurial Practice in Africa.