I have always loved the entrepreneurial spirit of Africa. In Uganda, it’s evident absolutely everywhere. On my daily walk to work, I pass hundreds of small businesses.
It’s as if the equatorial climate, the sun, the rain and the soil make these businesses sprout like weeds.
The brave hustlers of Kampala. 💪
We love to brag about Uganda being perhaps the most entrepreneurial country in the world.
But is this a good thing?
A recent article in The Economist says no. The main point:
Africa does not need more small businesses. It needs more large ones.
Why?
Large firms are productivity powerhouses. They bring people, ideas, technology and equipment together in ways that make workers more efficient, which makes people richer.
It's about survival
The reason we see all this entrepreneurship everywhere is not because of a thriving business climate.
On the contrary.
Most of these do what they do because they have no other options.
It’s a daily hustle to survive.
And the longer I have been in Uganda, the more I realise that the hustle is real.
Survival is not easy.
It's about capital
So what is needed to improve this?
One thing more than anything else: Access to capital.
Wild is not happy being small. To be honest, I hate it. We have been small for way too long.
(Too much to learn, too many battles to fight. But that’s a a story for another time.)
It’s time to get big! 🚀
Will you support us in creating a large African business?
You can help us on our journey in several different ways:
- Subscribe to our coffee for home or for your workplace.
- Tell your friends to get our coffee for their office.
- Join our crowdfunding campaign, launching soon.
Shoot us a message if you would like to learn more. We would love to hear from you!