African SMEs : Towards Sustainable Growth

The second edition of the International Entrepreneurship Forum has taken place in Douala last Monday, 16 June 2025, with a call for economic operators to build strategies to ensure sustainable growth. The event brought together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, support organizations, institutional partners, incubators, and NGOs around the theme "Supporting African SMEs towards sustainable growth." The event organized by the Enterprise Development Network (RED) was an opportunity to inspire, network, and share solutions that promote sustainable growth of African Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). During the event roundtable, discussions were centered on different themes such as sustainability, impact financing and local content just to name a few.  In his keynote address, the French consul General to Douala, Jean-Charles Ledot, appreciated the strong entrepreneurial spirit in Africa, particularly in Cameroon, where creative energies are being unleashed. He added that France supports entrepreneurship in Africa through initiatives like the France “Startup 237”, which supports around 100 Cameroonian startups in various fields such as technology, health and agri-food.
For the Representative of the Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Jean Marc Essono Ateba, the presence of delegations from several countries, including the Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Côte d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, and France illustrates the shared commitment to develop a strong and inclusive African economy. According to him, the theme of this forum, "Supporting African SMEs towards sustainable growth," is highly relevant...