ANDE Township Economies Learning Labs serve as a community of practice where we will dive deep into the already existing interventions of capacity development, market and capital access, investment linkages and non-financial support for township entrepreneurs.
As ANDE developed the 2021 South Africa Township Ecosystem Snapshot, it became clear that despite a significant number of entrepreneur support organizations creating dedicated programming to support these entrepreneurs, there is a clear lack of evidence on how to best support these entrepreneurs and what types of entrepreneurial support programming can help alleviate barriers and help these businesses grow. ANDE aims to expand on the evidence base on Township entrepreneurships in South Africa, and to advocate for additional support based on the available evidence on how to strengthen Township ecosystems effectively.
With support from the Walmart Foundation, ANDE Southern Africa chapter will design a 3-month learning journey for entrepreneurs and entrepreneur support organisations located in township economies. The Learning Labs will provide a neutral platform for entrepreneurs and entrepreneur support organisations to address key challenges to the quality and effectiveness of services provided as well as to share best practices and explore innovative ideas that are solution-driven and transparent to the realities of the township economy. Specific focus areas for the Learning Labs include investor readiness, access to markets, business development, and impact measurement & management including a gender and climate lens.
ANDE Staff contact: Tsholofelo Mlambo