The 2017 Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index, which measures the quality and dynamics of entrepreneurship ecosystems around the world, has just been published by The GEDI Institute. It reveals some interesting data for Sub-Saharan Africa, the second largest continent by area and the largest if measured by number of countries, and includes some of the least developed countries which is reflected in the countries’ global GEI rankings and GEI scores. This new GEI indicates there is significant work still to be done to improve the foundations for entrepreneurship across the region. The leading country in this region according to the Index data, Botswana, achieves a GEI score of 34.4, which ranks it 52nd among the 137 countries analyzed in the global GEI ranking. Botswana has an Attitudes score almost 50% higher than its other scores. This is a much larger difference than average, and is also visible in Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin and Mauritania. Other countries in the region score highest in Abilities including Rwanda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, and Burundi. Finally, some countries score highest in Aspirations including South Africa, Gabon, Swaziland, Kenya, Angola and Chad. West Africa’s profile shows bright spots in Opportunity Perception, Networking, and High Growth.
GEI Ranking of the Sub-Saharan African Countries
Botswana (52), South Africa (55), Namibia (60), Gabon (75), Ghana (86), Swaziland (88), Zambia (96), Nigeria (100), Senegal (102), Rwanda (103), Kenya (107), Ethiopia (109), Côte d’Ivoire (112), Gambia (115), Cameroon (116), Tanzania (118), Mali (119), Liberia (121), Mozambique (123), Madagascar (124), Angola (125), Uganda (126), Benin (127), Malawi (130), Guinea (131), Burkina Faso (132), Mauritania (136), Sierra Leone (135), Burundi (136), Chad (137).