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Supporting ICT SMEs September 2010

DRAFT
Round 1 Feedback: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania

This report is solely for the use of the Excelsior Firm and client personnel. No part of it may be
circulated, quoted, or reproduced for distribution without prior written approval from Excelsior
Firm.

DRAFT – page
DRAFT – page00
Purpose of this document

• Summarize findings from the first


round of feedback sessions
Note:
• Share early findings with stakeholders • These are early findings
• Additional inputs will be
• Solicit feedback on early findings incorporated before finalizing the
proposed interventions
• Stimulate discussion on how best to
support East African ICT
entrepreneurs

DRAFT – page 1
ATTENDEE PROFILE
Total attendance Experience within ICT industry

85% Number of surveyed participants


68
58 response 0-2 years 7
rate
3-5 years 21
6-10 years 18
11-20 years 6
21+ years 4
Attendance Surveyed N/A 2
(4 countries) participants

Type of ICT services provided Company size

Annual
Number of surveyed participants
revenues, USD Number of surveyed
Software 29 thousands participants
Mobile 21 0-50 15
Content 19 50-100 4
Network 17 100-500 9
Security 13 500-5,000 2
Respondents could select more than one category; other categories selected: 5,000+ 3
Non-technical (10), Data Centers (9), BPO/Call Centers (9), Hardware (9)
, Other (8) N/a or non-profit 25

Date September 2010 Lead Javier Ewing (Excelsior) Ory Okolloh (Excelsior)
Locations - Nairobi, iHub (2 sessions) Moderators Lauren Rawlings (Excelsior)
- Kampala, Hive CoLab
- Kigali, KIST Additional Victor Gathara (UKaid) Ellen Olafsen (infoDev)
- Dar es Salaam, Heritage Hotel Moderators/ Tim Kelly (infoDev) Jill Sawers (infoDev)
Participants Lucy Mbaye (Excelsior) Steve Giddings (infoDev)

page 2
Feedback session takeaways
Issues Participant comments Common themes

Access to • ―We’re geeks. We need people who can market and


business skills communicate.‖ • Need to partner with
• ―At university we learned how to code, but our professors don’t business professionals
know other things we need in the real world.‖
Access to • Need practical advice
financial • “There is local money, but the networks are not transparent.‖
resources • “I know I need some money, but I don’t know exactly how much.” • Need connections to
funders
Access to • “Nobody thinks we can do the jobs.”
• “We don’t know when the tenders come out.”
markets
• ―The government and the big companies would rather • Need mentors for
outsource to foreign companies than have locals do the work.‖ business model review
• ―There is no place for people to find my work.‖
• Need forum for
Access to • “The certifications people want are expensive. I have the skills, but I discussing and
can’t afford to pay the certificate fees.” publicizing ideas
technical skills
• “The schools teach computer sciences using theory—on the
chalkboard and from books—we don’t get practice.‖ • Need to develop
communities of trust to
Access to • “I don’t know how to find someone who can check my code.” encourage idea sharing
business • ―These networking opportunities are priceless.‖
networks • ―If we worked together we could have capacity for big jobs.‖ • Need trusted
• ―I wouldn’t tell someone my idea, because they might steal it.‖ intermediaries for
• “We need to be organized to talk to government.” rating, referring, and
• ―I need to talk to someone who has done it before.‖ validating products and
• ―We need some mentors.‖ services
Encouraging • ―There is no legal protection for intellectual property.‖ Similar themes
regulatory • “The government doesn’t make the companies work with us.” across the
environment countries

DRAFT – page 3
Emerging interventions
Potential interventions with donor
community leadership

Potential Partner
Intervention Description Issues Addressed Organizations
Provide seed • Provide funds (and • Poor access to capital • Local angel investors;
capital culture expertise) for entrepreneurs • Poor access to business networks chamas, mulitlateral and
to take demos to full • No R& D investment bilateral donors; diaspora
conceptualization

Government • Government tenders could • Poor access to markets: customers • National and provincial
contracting require that certain classes governments; multilateral
small business or value of services be and bilateral donors
set-asides provided by micro and small
businesses

Create network • Create organizations and • Access to business networks • Business leaders;
groups and events that bring together • Poor representation in policy universities and colleges;
events ICT entrepreneurs discussions incubators, donors and
• Create spaces for foundations
entrepreneurs to work and
meet

Support skills • Provide on the job training • Access to technical skills: some • Large corporates,
development and scholarships training technicians need to update universities and technical
programs knowledge and qualifications, self- colleges; training firms,
• Develop integrated taught technicians may not be able donors and foundations
computer science to afford certifications to prove skills
curriculum (esp. Rwanda) • Need practical and business skills

Knowledge base • Document process to set up • Poor access to business skills • Business incubators (e.g.,
for businesses SMEs in each country, iHub); universities;
in the region including key resources. successful entrepreneurs;
• Write up local success bilateral and multilateral
stories organizations

DRAFT – page 4
Next steps

Second • Kenya – Tuesday, October 19


round • Uganda – Thursday, October 21
sessions • Tanzania – Tuesday, October 26
• Rwanda – Thursday, October 28

Draft – first • First full draft available for next consortium team
round meeting during the week of October 11-15

DRAFT – page 5
KENYA SESSION DETAILS

DRAFT – page 6
Kenya attendee profile – 14 September 2010
Total attendance Experience within ICT industry

86% Number of participants


29
25 response 4
0-2 years
rate
2-5 years 3
5-10 years 8
10-20 years 4
20+ years 4
Attendance Surveyed N/A 2
(2 sessions) participants

Type of ICT services provided Company size

Annual
Number of participants
revenues, USD Number of surveyed
Software 12 thousands participants
Content 9 0-50 10
Mobile 8 50-100 1
Security 7 100-500 4
Network 7 500 – 5,000 1
Respondents could select more than one category; other categories selected: 5,000+ 2
Non-technical (5), Other (3), Hardware (3), Data Centers (3), BPO/Call Centers
(2) N/a or non-profit 7

Date 14 September 2010 Lead Javier Ewing (Excelsior) Ory Okolloh (Excelsior)
Location Nairobi, iHub Moderators
Time 2 sessions:
- 10am-12pm Additional Victor Gathara (UKaid) Tim Kelly (infoDev)
- 2pm-4pm Moderators/ Lauren Rawlings (Excelsior) Lucy Mbaye (Excelsior)
Participants

DRAFT – page 7
Takeaways from Kenya sessions – 14 September
Issues raised Interventions suggested

Access to • Understanding investor • Create directory of people with


business skills requirements business skills (lawyers,
Common themes
accountants, etc) who are willing to
work with entrepreneurs
• Need mentors for
Access to • Forecasting financial needs • Revolving fund for seed capital; business model review
financial • Need to educate investors create seed capital culture
resources • Partnerships with vendors to • Need to develop
reduce working capital communities of trust to
requirements encourage idea sharing

Access to • Need virtual market places • “Show and Tell” sessions to • Need practical advice
markets • Need market data present demos, not just ideas (e.g., how to register a
• Finding trustworthy business)
suppliers/partners
• Need forum for
Access to • Self-taught technicians may • Provide on the job training and discussing and
technical skills not be able to afford scholarships for formal training/ publicizing ideas
certifications to prove skills continual education programs

Access to • Need ICT-specific business • Develop ICT-specific business • Need trusted


intermediaries for rating,
business networks network
referring, and validating
networks
products and services
Encouraging • SME need and contributions • Designate a formal SME
regulatory overlooked in policy representative to participate in ICT
environment discussions policy discussions

DRAFT – page 8
Intervention capture sheet – Access to business networks

Date 14 September 2010 Participants Fabian and others Moderator - Ory


Location Nairobi, iHub
Time 10am-12pm

Intervention name Improving access to business Issue type: Access to business networks
networks
Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Lack of mentoring • Provide safe environment within the context of seed funding
• large business not interested in partnering with small business so that there is incentive and a penalty for violation e.g.
• More resources on IP education similar to Chama network
• Facilitate sharing ideas in safe environment • Share case studies of open businesses and successful ones
especially local
• Scorecard for SME procurement for big business
Successful interventions Resources required
• AIESEC as an example of network • Create multiple idea sharing environments e.g. business clubs
• Digital villages as outreach but can entrepreneurship be in school, speed dating equivalent, match making site.
linked to this e.g. show and tell not just in iHub type spaces • More here’s how to get to the next step kind of documentation

Other efforts Expected impact


• • Ability to leverage business networks

DRAFT – page 9
Intervention capture sheet – Access to finance

Date 14 September 2010 Participants Victor (UKaid) Moderator - Javier


Location Nairobi, iHub Daniel
Time 10am-12pm Saud
Evans
Ahmed

Intervention name: Encouraging environment for seed Issue type: Access to finance
funding; commercial/trading finance
Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Ability to raise seed/Series A financing • Leverage Kenyan resident and diaspora successful business
• Access to trade/commercial finance (e.g., invoice financing, leaders as angels; major Western programs e.g., Google
bonds for contract for major vendors) Series B financing programme in EA
• Partnerships with banks and vendors to structure financial
vehicles

Successful interventions Resources required


• Silicon Valley culture of raising funds and access to • Angel identification and roles/responsibilities delination
mentorship • Process to bring transparency to metrics and development
milestones

Other efforts Expected impact


• Most financial instruments are essentially non-convert debt, • Significant headway against “bootstrap” challenge
and are seemingly scarce • Considerable set of entrepreneurs graduating to “Series B”
• Invoice financing is also not popular early VC stage

DRAFT – page 10
Intervention capture sheet – Access to human capital

Date 14 September 2010 Participants Simon Moderator - Javier


Location Nairobi, iHub Mark
Time 2pm-4pm James
James

Intervention name Upskilling young business Issue type: Access to business and technical skills
managers
Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Business and client development • Project management classes and mentorship (e.g., review of
• Project management skills workplans/proposal)
• Certification is too expensive for many entrepreneurs • Creative certification financing (e.g., forgiveness through
• Employers and potential suppliers look for certification instead community service, loans for certification)
of proof of skills

Successful interventions Resources required


• None mentioned • Strategy and project management mentors
• On-line web training facilities

Other efforts Expected impact


• None mentioned • Greater competitiveness in proposals process
• Improved project fulfillment

DRAFT – page 11
Intervention capture sheet – Access to finance

Date 14 September 2010 Participants Marten Moderator - Tim


Location Nairobi, iHub Joseph
Time 2 pm-4pm Zeblon
Daniel

Intervention name: Mobilizing and using early capital Issue type: Access to financial resources

Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Lack of business skills • e-Procurement: putting government contracts online to allow
SMEs to see what is available and to build transparency and
• Poor access to markets
trust
• Little trust among entrepreneurs
• m-Education – using mobile phones for delivery of training
• mLab – building sustainable businesses in mobile apps
• Market analysis – up to date market data
Successful interventions Resources required
• SME Solutions Centre (IFC)
• Rural Livelihoods plan (World Bank)
• Tactical Technology Collective (Hivos)

Other efforts Expected impact


• Short-term projects with a focus on social change or building
donor awareness
• Too much focus on “museum” applications, or over-funded
areas like AIDS
• Kenya ICT Board challenge (not enough focus on SMEs)

DRAFT – page 12
Intervention capture sheet – Access to finance

Date 14 September 2010 Participants Gopal Moderator - Lauren


Location Nairobi, iHub Allan
Time 2 pm-4pm Segeni
Ken
Juliann

Intervention name: Mobilizing and using early capital Issue type: Access to financial resources

Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Access to early money • Provide seed capital along with expert advice
• Access to investors
• Communicating financial requirements
• Using invested capital wisely

Successful interventions Resources required


• Tandaa competitive grants for local content development • Need successful ICT executives to mentor/advise start-ups
• Youth Fund • Need donors to initiate matching/revolving fund alongside
• Google Foundation support for test message applications indigenous investors

Other efforts Expected impact


• Ability to formalize business and attract further financing

DRAFT – page 13
Intervention capture sheet – Access to business networks

Date 14 September 2010 Participants Gopal Moderator - Lauren


Location Nairobi, iHub Allan
Time 2 pm-4pm Segeni
Ken
Juliann

Intervention name: Creating networks of ICT Issue type: Access to business networks
Entrepreneurs
Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Need people to provide feedback on ideas • Create ICT-specific networks
• Need to understand latest trends and happenings • Create “Show and Tell” events for demonstrating and
• Need trust-based community publicizing promising concepts

Successful interventions Resources required


• iHub • Physical location for convening (eg iHub, Digital Villages)
• BNI • Network manager
• Enablis

Other efforts Expected impact


• Feedback on ideas and business concepts
• Opportunities to meet potential supplier or partners

DRAFT – page 14
UGANDA SESSION DETAILS

DRAFT – page 15
Uganda attendee profile – 16 September 2010
Total attendance Experience within ICT industry

73% Number of participants


response 0-2 years 0
11 rate
2-5 years 4
8
5-10 years 4
10-20 years 0
20+ years 0
Attendance Surveyed N/A 0
(2 sessions) participants

Type of ICT services provided Company size

Annual
Number of participants
revenues, USD Number of surveyed
Mobile 6 thousands participants
Content 6 0-50 1
Network 5 50-100 1
Software 5 100-500 2
BPO 4 500 – 5,000 0
Respondents could select more than one category; other categories selected: 5,000+ 0
Security (3), Data Center (3), Other (2), Non-technical (1)
N/a or non-profit 4

Date 16 September 2010 Lead Javier Ewing (Excelsior) Ory Okolloh (Excelsior)
Location Kampala, Hive CoLab Moderators
Time One session: 2pm-4pm
Additional Tim Kelly (InfoDev) Lauren Rawlings (Excelsior)
Moderators/
Participants

DRAFT – page 16
Takeaways from Uganda sessions – 16 September
Issues raised Interventions suggested

Access to • Computer Science • More integrated curriculum


business skills education does not provide • Team up with “marketing hackers”
Common themes
practical skills such as and other business experts
project management
• Need finance, marketing • Need mentors for
and other business support application and idea
review
Access to • No investment in R&D
financial • Need communities of
resources trust to encourage idea
sharing
Access to • Need virtual market places • Develop certification and rating
markets • Need to establish credibility system • Need practical advice
of local talent (e.g., how to register a
business, how to do
Access to government tenders)
technical skills
• Need forum for
discussing and
Access to • Need ICT business network • Develop ICT-specific business publicizing ideas
business • Need local success stories network
networks • Need mentors and advisors • IdeaLab
• Need a place to convene • Celebration of success • Need trusted
intermediaries for rating
• ICT Business clubs at universities
and referring products
and services
Encouraging • Start-ups and micro/small • Require government contractors to
regulatory businesses not able to bid partner with small businesses
environment on government tenders • Increase government interaction
• Poor IP protection and lobbying

DRAFT – page 17
Intervention capture sheet – Access to business networks

Date 16 September 2010 Participants Douglas Joseph Moderators – Javier & Ory
Location Kampala, Hive CoLab Michael Simon
Time 2 pm-4pm Solomon Revence
Richard Daniel
Arnold Tim (infoDev)
Emmanuel Lauren (ExF)

Intervention name: Creating networks of ICT Issue type: Access to business networks
Entrepreneurs
Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Need people to provide feedback on ideas • Create ICT-specific networks
• Need to understand latest trends and happenings • Developer/app showcase
• Need trust-based community • iHub-type place
• Less focus on capital raising • IdeaLab

Successful interventions Resources required


• iHub • Physical location for convening (Hive CoLab)
• Cape IT Initiative • Network manager
• Mobile Monday
• IdeaLab

Other efforts Expected impact


• Feedback on ideas and business concepts
• Opportunities to meet potential supplier or partners

DRAFT – page 18
Intervention capture sheet – Access to business markets

Date 16 September 2010 Participants Douglas Joseph Moderators – Javier & Ory
Location Kampala, Hive CoLab Michael Simon
Time 2 pm-4pm Solomon Revence
Richard Daniel
Arnold Tim (InfoDev)
Emmanuel Lauren (ExF)

Intervention name: Small business tender support Issue type: Access to markets

Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Need to understand tender process • Increase interaction with government
• Need help preparing tenders • Mentoring on project management and tender process
• Need to develop credibility of local small businesses

Successful interventions Resources required


• Business Uganda Development Services (BUDS) – program • Successful entrepreneurs
to help small businesses respond to tenders. No longer • Government liaison
active.

Other efforts Expected impact


• Local small business contracted for government work

DRAFT – page 19
RWANDA SESSION DETAILS

DRAFT – page 20
Rwanda attendee profile – 28 September 2010
Total attendance Experience within ICT industry

82% Number of participants


17
14 response 0-2 years 2
rate 3-5 years 9
6-10 years 2
11-20 years 1
21+ years 0
Attendance Surveyed N/A 0
(2 sessions) participants

Type of ICT services provided Company size

Annual
Number of participants
revenues, USD Number of surveyed
Software 7 thousands participants
Network 4 0-50 3
Hardware 4 50-100 0
Non-tech. 4 100-500 1
3 tied 2 500 – 5,000 0
Respondents could select more than one category; other categories selected: 5,000+ 0
Data Center (2), Mobile (2), Other (2), BPO/ Contract Center (1), Content (1),
Security (0) N/a or non-profit 10

Date 28 September 2010 Lead Javier Ewing (Excelsior) Lauren Rawlings (Excelsior)
Location Kampala, Kigali Institute of Moderators
Science and Technology
Time One session: 10am-12pm

page 21
Takeaways from Rwanda sessions – 28 September
Issues raised Interventions suggested

Access to • Computer Science • More integrated curriculum


business skills education does not provide • Internships
Common themes
practical skills such as
project management
• Need practical skills
Access to • Need introductions to the • Three-year tax holiday for
financial people who have money to businesses started by young • Need mentors for
resources invest Rwandese (5 years for females) feedback on technical
and business ideas
Access to • Even local clients would • Develop certification and rating
markets rather hire a foreigner than a system • Need communities of
Rwandese company for ICT • Require government contractors to trust to encourage idea
project partner with small businesses sharing

Access to • University training is very • Provide more access to computer • Need trusted
technical skills theoretical with little practice labs and upgrade equipment intermediaries for rating
or experimentation and referring products
and services
Access to • RICTA (the current ICT • Develop ICT-specific business
business network) doesn’t provide network
networks any services to members
• Need mentors and advisors
Encouraging • ICT4D policy is focused on • Increase government lobbying for
regulatory infrastructure; does not help SME
environment SMEs
• Government tenders are too
hard for SMEs to respond
• Poor IP protection

DRAFT – page 22
Intervention capture sheet – Access to financial resources

Date 28 September 2010 Participants Sabin Albert Alice Moderators – Javier & Lauren
Location Kigali, KIST/CITT/TBIF Philotele Rajeev J.Paul
Time 10 am - noon Ntaro Nicole Nicolas
Christian Ntare Robert
Binjamin Theonste Abraham
Stevenson Jean Claude

Intervention name: Startup tax break Issue type: Access to financial resources

Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Even if it does not take much capital to start a business, there • Provide a tax holiday for young entrepreneurs starting a
needs to be enough to keep the business going in the early business. For the first three years after registration (five years
days if business owner is female) business income will be be tax
• Banks will not lend without collateral exempt.

Successful interventions Resources required


• None mentioned • SME lobbying

Other efforts Expected impact

• None mentioned • Local small businesses will be able to re-invest more of their
earnings into their business the first few years.

DRAFT – page 23
Intervention capture sheet – Access to business network

Date 28 September 2010 Participants Sabin Albert Alice Moderators – Javier & Lauren
Location Kigali, KIST/CITT/TBIF Philotele Rajeev J.Paul
Time 10 am-noon Ntaro Nicole Nicolas
Christian Ntare Stevenson
Binjamin Theonste Abraham
Robert Jean Claude

Intervention name: Business association Issue type: Access to business network


strengthening
Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Poor business networks and access to investors • Re-launch the ICT business association with a series of
• Current association does not provide enough services to programs that are valuable to members, eg, negotiating
warrant membership dues preferential rates for training for SMEs
• Does not meet needs of SMEs

Successful interventions Resources required


• None mentioned • New leadership or management for association
• Support for programming

Other efforts Expected impact


• Rwanda ICT Association (RICTA) • Improved access to finance, business contacts, information
and mentors through the network

DRAFT – page 24
Intervention capture sheet – Access to skills

Date 28 September 2010 Participants Sabin Albert Alice Moderators – Javier & Lauren
Location Kigali, KIST/CITT/TBIF Philotele Rajeev J.Paul
Time 10 am-noon Ntaro Nicole Nicolas
Christian Ntare Stevenson
Binjamin Theonste Abraham
Robert Jean Claude

Intervention name: Enhancing computer science Issue type: Access to business and technical skills
education
Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Computer science curriculum is too theoretical • Internships
• Students do not learn the specialist skills required in industry • More integrated curriculum
• Students do not have opportunities to do much practical work
or experimentation
• Students do not learn business skills
Successful interventions Resources required
• None mentioned • Businesses willing to work with student interns
• Curriculum development specialist
• Soecialist training and certification courses

Other efforts Expected impact


• None mentioned • Graduates will be better prepared for real world IT work

DRAFT – page 25
TANZANIA SESSION DETAILS

DRAFT – page 26
Tanzania attendee profile – 29/30 September 2010
Total attendance Experience within ICT industry

100% Number of participants


response 0-2 years 1
11 11 rate 3-5 years 5
6-10 years 4
11-20 years 1
21+ years 0
Attendance Surveyed N/A 0
(2 sessions) participants

Type of ICT services provided Company size

Annual
Number of participants
revenues, USD Number of surveyed
Mobile 5 thousands participants
Software 5 0-50 1
Network 3 50-100 2
Content 3 100-500 2
3 tied 2 500 – 5,000 1
Respondents could select more than one category; other categories selected: 5,000+ 0
BPO/ Contact Center (2), Data Center (2), Hardware (2), Secutiry (1), Other (1),
Non-Technical (1) N/a or non-profit 5

Date 29/30 September 2010 Lead Javier Ewing (Excelsior) Lauren Rawlings (Excelsior)
Location Dar es Salaam, Heritage Hotel Moderators
Time Two sessions:
29 Sept 7pm-8:30pm Additional Ellen Olafsen (infoDev)
30 Sept 10am-12pm Moderators/ Jill Sawers (infoDev)
Participants Steve Giddings (infoDev)

page 27
Takeaways from Tanzania sessions – 30 September
Issues raised Interventions suggested

Access to • “Many guys who know ICT • More integrated curriculum


business skills don’t have skills for small • Internships
Common themes
business.” • Access to specialized training
• “I have a good business courses
idea, but I don’t know how to • Need mentors for
do the analysis.” application and idea
• “Even with a degree I am review
now paying for a business
course. “ • Need communities of
trust to encourage idea
Access to • Investor community is only • Develop formal network of ICT sharing
financial known through informal angel investors
resources social networks • Need practical advice
(e.g., how to register a
Access to • Need to establish credibility • Develop certification and rating business, how to do
markets of local firms and talent system government tenders)

Access to • Need technical equipment • Upgrade university computer • Need trusted


technical skills and software to practice facilities and provide open access intermediaries for rating
• University computer lab for students and referring local
does not have modern products and services
equipment
Access to
business • Need ICT business network • Develop ICT-specific business
networks • Need mentors and advisors network

Encouraging • Start-ups and micro/small • Require government contractors to


regulatory businesses not able to bid partner with small businesses
environment on government tenders • Increase government interaction
and lobbying

DRAFT – page 28
Intervention capture sheet – Access to business skills

Date 29 September 2010 Participants Abbas Moderators – Javier & Lauren


Location Dar es Salaam, Heritage Motel Is-Haq
Time 7 pm – 8:30 pm Moshi
Idrisa
Bajuna

Intervention name: Business skills development Issue type: Access to business skills, markets

Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Poor business skills • Provide business skills relevant to entrepreneurs

Successful interventions Resources required


• Foundation for Civil Society has a business training course • Funds (grants/loans) for course subsidy/scholarships

Other efforts Expected impact

• Many other programs to provide business skills but they are • Greater early stage business success
too expensive
• World Bank incubator will provide mentorship and skills
development, opening in March 2011

DRAFT – page 29
Intervention capture sheet – Access to business networks

Date 30 September 2010 Participants Nadeem Moderators – Javier & Lauren


Location Dar es Salaam, Heritage Motel Richard
Time 10am-noon S. R.
Peter
Terence
Suhail

Intervention name: ICT SME Association Issue type: Access to business networks, markets, and
finance
Current states Idea generation

Issues to be addressed Description


• Only informal access to investor networks • Create an association of ICT entrepreneurs
• Need to develop credibility of local small businesses
• Need to know who peers and potential partners are

Successful interventions Resources required


• None mentioned • Dynamic group leadership
• Support for programming
• Successful business leaders willing to invest in startups and
provide mentorship

Other efforts Expected impact


• World Bank incubator will provide mentorship and skills • Local small business are able to access markets, information,
development, opening in March 2011 – value proposition and finance through the association
seemed to appeal to entrepreneurs considerably

DRAFT – page 30

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