The AFIF 2017 Conference Report is now online

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the largest job creators in Africa. According to the World Bank, SMEs contribute to up to 45% of total employment and to up to 33% of national income (GDP) in emerging economies. However, SMEs are struggling to get access to finance, which is limiting their growth.

A diversified economy is indispensable to protect African countries from global financial, economic and environmental crises. SMEs are key to create a more balanced economy and therefore Governments should be responsible for building a welcoming environment for the private sector.

With this in mind, EMRC convened the 11th Africa Finance & Investment Forum (AFIF 2017) at the Strathmore University in Nairobi, from 13 to 16 February 2017. Under the title “Entrepreneurship & Innovation 4 Growth”, the AFIF 2017 gathered over 200 participants to address the issues of access to finance in leading economic sectors in Africa – agriculture and agribusiness, infrastructure, energy and healthcare.

The conference report is now available HERE.