Theoretical, Policy, and Managerial Implications for Entrepreneurial Practice in Africa

Given the immense role of entrepreneurship in Africa’s socioeconomic transformation, this chapter contributes to current discussions by providing some pathways for effective and tailored entrepreneurial behaviour and activities in Africa. While admitting that numerous challenges bedevil entrepreneurial development on the continent of Africa, the chapter is optimistic in discussing several theoretical, managerial, and policy frameworks for advancing entrepreneurship in Africa. The main theoretical and conceptual perspectives identified as presenting opportunities include the entrepreneurial ecosystem perspective, the institutional void perspective, the financial constraints perspective, the business incubation perspective, skill segmentation, and the roles of entrepreneurial visioning, innovation, business performance, and action imperatives. Empirical findings relating to how each of these perspectives could be leveraged are discussed. The African Union’s Agenda 63 framework is identified as a pivotal and future-leaning framework for spurring entrepreneurial development across Africa. Agenda 63 is positioned as providing the needed level of collaboration through the mobilisation of manpower, human capital development, and the requisite institutional framework. The chapter highlights some of the contributions of the book and calls for a more intentional and integrated approach to dealing with the big question of promoting entrepreneurship on the continent of Africa.