Since its founding in 2009, the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) has tracked the state of the small and growing business (SGB) sector globally through its bi-annual State of the Sector reports.  One of the most dynamic markets for small business growth is South Africa. The South African entrepreneurial ecosystem requires innovative solutions to increase the available finance, improve access to markets, reduce bureaucratic burdens, and strengthen the capacity of small businesses and start-ups. This report examines the state of the SGB sector in South Africa as of 2023 by assessing the amount and type of financial support available to enterprises, the type of capacity development offered, and trends in the policy landscape that affect the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The report concludes by highlighting the activity of ANDE and its member

Every entrepreneur operates within an ecosystem that determines the access to talent, finance, and markets that they need to grow their business. ANDE’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Maps serve as a tool for stakeholders to learn about the organizations providing support to small and growing businesses (SGBs) in a specific city, region, or country.

This mapping identified 140 organizations and nearly 170 distinct resources supporting entrepreneurs across Ethiopia. The online mapping provides a filterable directory of these organizations, categorized by sector, location, and support type. The mapping is complemented by a report analyzing the data and synthesizing key trends in the ecosystem.

This report establishes a baseline understanding of the state of green entrepreneurship in Kenya by assessing existing business models, the available financial and technical support for entrepreneurs, and key sectoral issues regarding the policy landscape and market opportunity. The purpose of the study is to inform decision-makers, such as policymakers, donors, investors, and business development service providers, of the primary trends, opportunities, and challenges in the green entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kenya.

"Un corpus de investigación en crecimiento ha mostrado que los programas de aceleración de negocios pueden ser efectivos para ayudar a los emprendimientos a pasar a la siguiente etapa de crecimiento. Sin embargo, un examen más profundo ha revelado que las emprendedoras no reciben los mismos beneficios que sus contrapartes masculinas, evidenciando que las mujeres están infrarepresentadas y que tienen un desempeño bajo en los programas de aceleración.Este informe sintetiza los hallazgos clave de cuatro proyectos de investigación y deriva perspectivas viables para ayudar a cerrar esta brecha en la evidencia sobre las necesidades de las emprendedoras y en qué forma las aceleradoras pueden responder a las barreras clave."

El término de gestión de talento puede definirse de varias maneras, pero en general se refiere a los procesos de un negocio para reclutar, desarrollar y retener a personas empleadas cuyos roles tienen el mayor potencial para sumar a la ventaja competitiva de la empresa. Este reporte resume la literatura existente sobre la gestión de talento en las PyMEs con un enfoque en las economías en desarrollo donde es posible, y señala vacíos específicos en la investigación que deben ser priorizados en el futuro.

With the launch of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, "SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth" has become a rallying cry for practitioners aiming to boost entrepreneurship as a means of economic and social development. However, while the concept of decent work may seem straightforward, clearly defining a “quality job” has proven to be a complex endeavor. The report by ANDE first summarizes how job quality is defined and measured, then provides an overview of the current evidence on the quality of jobs within SMEs, and finally examines the effectiveness of interventions to improve job quality.

Con el lanzamiento de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas, el "ODS 8: Trabajo Decente y Crecimiento Económico" se ha convertido en una consigna para las y los profesionales que buscan impulsar el emprendimiento como un medio para el desarrollo económico y social. Sin embargo, mientras que el concepto de trabajo decente puede parecer sencillo, definir claramente un “trabajo de calidad” ha probado ser una tarea compleja. El reporte primero resume cómo se define y se mide la calidad del empleo; después provee un panorama de la evidencia actual sobre la calidad del empleo en las PyMEs y, por último, examina la efectividad de las intervenciones para mejorar la calidad del empleo.

Com o lançamento dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável das Nações Unidas, o "ODS 8: Trabalho Decente e Crescimento Econômico" tornou-se um grito de guerra para os profissionais que buscam impulsionar o empreendedorismo como meio de desenvolvimento econômico e social. No entanto, embora o conceito de trabalho decente possa parecer direto, definir claramente um “trabalho de qualidade” se mostrou uma tarefa complexa. O relatório primeiro resume como a qualidade de vida no trabalho é definida e mensurada, em seguida, fornece uma visão geral das evidências atuais sobre a qualidade dos empregos em SMEs e, por fim, examina a eficácia das intervenções para melhorar a qualidade de vida no trabalho.

"While studies have found that acceleration does, in the aggregate, have a positive effect on new venture growth, further investigation has shown that there is significant unmet need for financial capital, particularly in developing economies. Little investigation has been done on how accelerators (particularly those that do not invest in their ventures directly) make connections with finance providers and whether these efforts are effective. The Global Accelerator Learning Initiative (GALI), a partnership between the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and Emory University, was created to explore questions such as these. Between 2013 – 2020, GALI partnered with dozens of accelerator programs to collect detailed data from entrepreneurs who applied to their respective application processes. These entrepreneurs, including those not selected into a program, were then resurveyed annually to gather valuable follow-up data about the status of their ventures over time. This knowledge brief explores GALI data from Central American startups, as well as qualitative insights from accelerators and finance providers."

To understand the network’s current level of support for climate entrepreneurship, ANDE identified which of its members work in climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience and mapped where and how this support is being provided. Data were collected between March and August 2021 through a survey of ANDE’s member organizations as well as supplementary desk research. While the analysis in this snapshot is static, the information is meant to serve as a catalyst for greater climate action in the SGB sector.