Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.9, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site.

# AGCAE

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://agcae.africa/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Pages

- [Home](https://agcae.africa/) - AGCAE exists to enable data-driven dialogues for entrepreneurship-led sustainable development across Africa.
- [Contact us](https://agcae.africa/contact-us/) - We're here to help. Please reach out to our team with any enquiries related to African Entrepreneurship.
- [Working papers](https://agcae.africa/working-papers/) - Browse our working papers and publications for valuable insights into the African entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- [About](https://agcae.africa/about/) - AGCAE is a research project within Stellenbosch University’s School of Public Leadership. Learn about our mission.
- [Policy](https://agcae.africa/policy/) - Policy Thank you for choosing to be part of our community at AGCAE (“company”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. If you have any questions or concerns about our policy, or our practices with regards to your personal information, please contact us at When you
- [Terms & Conditions](https://agcae.africa/terms-conditions/) - Terms & Conditions The Site is the property of AGCAE. BY USING THE SITE, YOU AGREE TO THESE TERMS OF USE; IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, DO NOT USE THE SITE.AGCAE reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to change, modify, add or remove portions of these Terms of Use, at any time. It is
- [Ecosystem Building](https://agcae.africa/ecosystem-building/) - Our four flagship projects include Connecten, Ecosystem.build, Rwanda Ecosystem Recalibration and the AEEI.
- [Research Initiatives](https://agcae.africa/research-initiatives/) - Learn how we support relevant research, foster talent, shape policies, and inspire innovative funding initiatives.
- [Blogs](https://agcae.africa/blogs/) - Browse our blogs for all the latest news to do with policy, analytics, data and talent in African entrepreneurship.
- [Data Hub of Hubs](https://agcae.africa/data-hub-of-hubs/) - Data hub of hubs Inspiring a global movement toward collaborative data governance and culture We collaborate with global data partners to develop original diagnostic tools that assess entrepreneurial ecosystems and track the performance of ESOs, talent, and ventures. Essential Assessment Tools for Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Success ESO Diagnostic Tool To generate ecosystem data that will inspire
- [Careers](https://agcae.africa/careers/) - Discover available opportunities for passionate and talented researchers to join our team.

## Publications

- [Exciting new entrepreneurship fund could be a game-changer for SA youth.](https://agcae.africa/publication/exciting-new-entrepreneurship-fund-could-be-a-game-changer-for-sa-youth/) - Absa in partnership with the Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship (AGCAE) has launched the Absa Youth Entrepreneurship Fund (AYEF) in Johannesburg. The aim is not simply to fund businesses, but to understand what young entrepreneurs actually need and provide solutions based on real data. The launch of the Absa Youth Entrepreneurship Fund (AYEF) on
- [Redesigning entrepreneurial ecosystems in South Africa: a collaborative approach to inclusion and resilience](https://agcae.africa/publication/redesigning-entrepreneurial-ecosystems-in-south-africa-a-collaborative-approach-to-inclusion-and-resilience/) - Abstract Entrepreneurial ecosystem research emphasizes systemic coordination, yet most studies analyze existing systems rather than intentionally redesign them. This gap is critical in emerging economies where coordination failures undermine support. We investigate this paradox in South Africa’s Western Cape, where entrepreneurs struggle to access appropriate support despite numerous programs. Using a design science research approach,
- [Measuring national entrepreneurial ecosystems in Africa](https://agcae.africa/publication/measuring-national-entrepreneurial-ecosystems-in-africa/) - Abstract Productive entrepreneurship is highly needed for economic growth and development in Africa. For this to happen, the conditions for productive entrepreneurship need to be improved. However, data on the conditions for productive entrepreneurship in the African continent are scarce, which makes it very difficult to improve these conditions and interventions in a context-specific way.
- [‘Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Data is a Human Rights Issue.’](https://agcae.africa/publication/entrepreneurship-and-innovation-ecosystem-data-is-a-human-rights-issue/) - This year’s Freedom Day and Human Rights Day were celebrated in the shadow of persistent high unemployment figures, widening inequality and slow service delivery. Despite decades of policy intervention and investment, progress has been uneven and, in many cases, exclusionary. But we could be looking at new avenues for solutions – and one of these
- [From entrepreneur to educator and scholar](https://agcae.africa/publication/from-entrepreneur-to-educator-and-scholar/) - Clint Davies, PhD, joins the Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Clint Davies grew up in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town. His father, a fishing trawler skipper, was the breadwinner and mostly away from home through Clint’s formative years. Clint, his younger brother and two sisters were raised largely by
- [Why do some entrepreneurs fail – and others become successful?](https://agcae.africa/publication/why-do-some-entrepreneurs-fail-and-others-become-successful/) - Dr Knowledge Shumba recently joined AGCAE as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. He is particularly interested in studying entrepreneurial ecosystem conditions at a continental level, coupled with resilience strategies, and ultimately exploring why, in the same ecosystem, some innovators and entrepreneurs establish profitable ventures and others do not. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ If there’s a cornerstone to Dr Knowledge
- [New paper introduces Africa’s 1st entrepreneurial index](https://agcae.africa/publication/new-paper-introduces-africas-1st-entrepreneurial-index/) - Africa is often described as the most entrepreneurial continent in the world. And yet, few ventures contribute to productive entrepreneurship. There are several reasons underpinning this, but a major driver is that there hasn’t yet existed a framework that can measure the conditions for productive entrepreneurship on the continent – until now, that is. A
- [‘We must help younger entrepreneurs brave enough to start a business’](https://agcae.africa/publication/we-must-help-younger-entrepreneurs-brave-enough-to-start-a-business/) - Josh Adler, Chief Programs Officer at the African Leadership Academy, is currently pursuing a PhD at the Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship. He wants to focus on improving the practice of youth entrepreneur support as it is more than a field of study to him – it’s his life’s work. After graduating with a
- [Contextualizing ecosystem frameworks: a systematic bibliometric analysis of entrepreneurship in Africa](https://agcae.africa/publication/contextualizing-ecosystem-frameworks-a-systematic-bibliometric-analysis-of-entrepreneurship-in-africa/) - Abstract Entrepreneurial ecosystems are essential to driving innovation and supporting new ventures across Africa. However, most existing models are built on assumptions drawn from high-income settings and often fail to reflect African realities. This study presents a systematic bibliometric analysis of 684 Scopus-indexed publications from 2000 to 2023. Using VOSviewer for keyword co-occurrence and modularity-based
- [Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building: Co-Creating Solutions in South Africa](https://agcae.africa/publication/entrepreneurial-ecosystem-building-co-creating-solutions-in-south-africa/) - Despite an abundance of incubators, grants and training schemes, many entrepreneurs in South Africa’s Western Cape still cannot find the right help when they need it. To understand why, we combined 13 semi-structured interviews with key ecosystem actors and two rounds of collaborative workshops involving 32 practitioners, funders and policymakers. Using thematic coding and supplemented
- [Prestigious win for SA-initiated global entrepreneurship research partnership](https://agcae.africa/publication/prestigious-win-for-sa-initiated-global-entrepreneurship-research-partnership/) - The Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship (AGCAE) at Stellenbosch University, in collaboration with the Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies (AGGP), Utrecht University, and the Innovation for Policy Foundation (i4Policy) have won three awards at the 2025 GEN Compass Awards in Indianapolis in the USA. At a glittering gala dinner event on 3 June 2025,
- [We need to build entrepreneurship policies that WORK](https://agcae.africa/publication/we-need-to-build-entrepreneurship-policies-that-work/) - On February 19, 2025, Belinda Baah, of Innovation for Policy Foundation (i4Policy) had the privilege of joining the ABSA x AGCAE Youth Entrepreneurship Dialogue in Johannesburg, a gathering designed to move beyond discussion and towards action. Hosted by ABSA, one of Africa’s largest banks, and the Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship (AGCAE), an i4Policy
- [Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for the Africa we  want](https://agcae.africa/publication/entrepreneurial-ecosystems-for-the-africa-we-want/) - Utrecht University School of Economics (U.S.E.) is part of the faculty of Law, Economics and Governance at Utrecht University. The U.S.E. Research Institute focuses on high quality research in economics and business, with special attention to a multidisciplinary approach. In the working papers series the U.S.E. Research Institute publishes preliminary results of ongoing research for
- [Building Africa’s entrepreneurship policy on data: Rafiki Murenzi’s PhD Journey](https://agcae.africa/publication/rwandan-researcher-is-focused-on-improving-african-entrepreneurial-ecosystems/) - Policy can unlock Africa’s entrepreneurial potential – but only if it is grounded in evidence. That’s the mission of doctoral candidate Rafiki Murenzi, who is bringing advanced data science and engineering into the heart of entrepreneurship policy at Stellenbosch University’s Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship (AGCAE). “We often talk about building entrepreneurial ecosystems, yet
- [Prof to focus on sustainable business growth in sub-Saharan Africa](https://agcae.africa/publication/prof-to-focus-on-sustainable-business-growth-in-sub-saharan-africa/) - Dimitrios Tsagdis has dedicated his career to understanding how businesses across the globe can operate sustainably. Now a chance meeting in Morocco has led to his appointment as Extraordinary Professor of International Business and Senior Research Fellow at the AGCAE, presenting him with the opportunity to contribute to this discussion in sub-Saharan Africa. ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr
- [Ecosystem Mapping of Innovation Entrepreneurship at South African TVETs](https://agcae.africa/publication/ecosystem-mapping-of-innovation-entrepreneurship-at-south-african-tvets/) - South Africa currently has 50 registered Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, with over 250 campuses spread nationwide. The number of learners enrolled in these colleges was estimated to be 452,277 in the 2021 academic year and increased to 518,584 students in 2023 (Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). It is essential
- [Companies and public entities can do more to boost entrepreneurs, study shows](https://agcae.africa/publication/companies-and-public-entities-can-do-more-to-boost-entrepreneurs-study-shows/) - Government is just one player that needs to step up — the private sector should also take up a role There is a mismatch between what private companies and public organisations can do in entrepreneurial spaces, and what they are actually doing. This is a key finding of a study released by Allan & Gill
- [Data crises in entrepreneurial ecosystems: A call for a data hub of hubs in Africa](https://agcae.africa/publication/data-crises-in-entrepreneurial-ecosystems-a-call-for-a-data-hub-of-hubs-in-africa/) - There is little data available to help policymakers and practitioners make sense of collective efforts Trying to understand African entrepreneurial ecosystems is a little like entering a vortex — a whirlpool of confusing and conflicting thinking where issues tend to slip away and disappear. Limited understanding of the vital challenge areas that constitute a healthy
- [Can a gaming intervention improve the entrepreneurial aspiration of African youth?](https://agcae.africa/publication/allan-kimaina-inaugural-phd-students/) - Data scientist and PhD student Allan Kimaina is passionate about the potential of machine learning and statistical analysis. In his current role at Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies (AGGP), he has immersed himself in a diverse array of pioneering projects. One endeavour he spearheads involves evaluating an online gaming platform to cultivate the entrepreneurial mindset
- [African entrepreneurs face an uphill battle – says PhD student](https://agcae.africa/publication/african-entrepreneurs-face-an-uphill-battle-says-phd-student/) - Doctoral researcher Robiel Hailie is deeply concerned about the many challenges that entrepreneurs in Ethiopia face. He believes that finding solutions will not only help the economy but also address poverty and unemployment—and help entrepreneurs in other countries on the continent too. Robiel Hailie is a firm believer in finding African solutions for African problems.
- [New Entrepreneurship Index to drive data-driven solutions for African entrepreneurs](https://agcae.africa/publication/new-entrepreneurship-index-to-drive-data-driven-solutions-for-african-entrepreneurs/) - Mauritius, South Africa and Tunisia have the most promising entrepreneurial ecosystems out of 27 countries on the continent, according to the inaugural African Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Index – a new data-driven research tool launched at the GEN GEC + Africa entrepreneurship congress this month. The African Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Index (AEEI), a new research tool that harnesses

## Categories

- [Category](https://agcae.africa/article-category/category/)
- [Policy](https://agcae.africa/article-category/policy/)
- [Talent](https://agcae.africa/article-category/talent/)
- [Entrepreneurial Ecosystem](https://agcae.africa/article-category/entrepreneurial-ecosystem/)
- [Analytics](https://agcae.africa/article-category/analytics/)
- [Data Hub of Hubs](https://agcae.africa/article-category/data-hub-of-hubs/)

## Publication types

- [Working Paper](https://agcae.africa/publication-type/working-paper/)
- [Published Paper](https://agcae.africa/publication-type/published-paper/)
- [Insights](https://agcae.africa/publication-type/insights/)
- [Blogs](https://agcae.africa/publication-type/blogs/)
- [Press Release](https://agcae.africa/publication-type/press-release/)
- [Journal Articles](https://agcae.africa/publication-type/journal-articles/)