When it comes to investing in their countries and the continent, African entrepreneurs are proving to be very creative and intelligent with innovative ideas and resilience in challenging environments. Despite this goodwill, the conversion of business ideas into startups and successful enterprises is significantly low compared to other regions of the world. Indeed, African entrepreneurs lament the unfavourable conditions that penalise their initiatives. They face many challenges, including poor access to finance, technology and the right skills. Lack of the right information and the right partners or collaborators are also among the main obstacles that exacerbate the structural challenges of raising finance, access to technology, intellectual property and the scarcity of skilled labour.

Organised by AfroSkills (www.afroskills.org) from 7 to 10 December 2022, Africa Skills Week will provide an opportunity for opinion leaders, policy makers and the knowledge and business community to :

• exchange on opportunities and solutions to challenges related to skills development, technology acquisition, fundraising and innovation in Africa;
• promote their businesses and participate in the African Business Ideas Competition finals to discover ideas that can be developed into successful businesses.