It might come as a surprise to some that an African country, Uganda, ranks first in the world for having the most entrepreneurs per capita, according to recent research conducted by UK-based business-networking group, Approved Index. Three further African countries, Cameroon, Angola and Botswana also occupy places amongst the top nine countries with the most entrepreneurs, many of them women.

The number of entrepreneurs in these top 9 ranked countries (Uganda, Thailand, Brazil, Cameroon, Vietnam, Angola, Jamaica, Botswana and Chile) was calculated by the researchers as the percentage of the adult population that owns or co-owns a new business and has paid salaries or wages for three or more months. Perhaps surprising to many is that the US ranks much lower down the list for the number of entrepreneurs in the country, coming in at 41st in the world, with 4.3% of their adult population being entrepreneurs. Similarly, Britain was ranked only 37th with 4.6% of their adult population being entrepreneurs.

According to the World Economic Forum coverage of the research the high percentage of entrepreneurs found in these top 9 ranked countries can be attributed to the fact that "Running your own business has its perks — more control, no boss, and choice of working hours." Business Insider's report on the Approved Index research describes the findings as follows, "In the UK and the US, entrepreneurs are associated with startups. But in some countries, becoming self-employed is a necessity rather than a dream. You have to make your own opportunities when there are not many jobs available." This is certainly the case on the African continent.

The research suggest the countries with the most entrepreneurs are going through a commercial revolution. “In countries where the economy is poorer, or where unemployment rates are high, citizens turn to starting their own small businesses where they see opportunity,” Trilby Rajna of Approved Index said. “I am South African and will never forget the makeshift cardboard photo booth pitched outside the traffic department in Cape Town. “All that was needed was a camera, a portable printer, and a plain wall. People like myself who had forgotten to bring ID photos along for their license were queuing up outside. It was an excellent idea.”

THE 9 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST ENTREPRENEURS PER CAPITA (Source: Approved Index UK)

The number is calculated by the percentage of the adult population that owns or co-owns a new business and has paid salaries or wages for three or more months.

More about the nine top ranked countries

9. Chile — This country is considered one of South America’s most stable and prosperous nations, and about 11% of its population choose entrepreneurship. Here a big seminar on Chile-based startups is underway.

8. Botswana — 11.1% of the population are entrepreneurs, setting up swathes of stalls across the country to bring in personal business.

7. Jamaica — 11.9% are self-employed, and many are street vendors. The government has pushed for greater adoption of entrepreneurial ideas when it comes to technology.

6. Angola — 12.4% of the population work for themselves. Street sellers, “zungueiros” for males and “zungueiras” for females, make up a large portion of the self-employed. Traffic jams directly help these workers in pushing their products to customers.

5. Vietnam — about 13.3% of the population are self-employed. Vietnam is known for its prolific stalls and “street barbers.”

4. Cameroon — 13.7% of the country is self-employed, including many workers in the service and food industries.

3. Brazil — 13.8% are entrepreneurs and are predominantly single-person vendors. Almost half of the entrepreneurs are women.

2. Thailand — 16.7% of the country work for themselves, and transportation is one of the biggest sectors. Tuk tuks, or rickshaws, are staple ways of getting around the city and can earn you a decent wage in tourist-heavy areas.

1. Uganda — a massive 28.1% of the population are entrepreneurs, capitalising on the freedom that comes with shirking off decades-long rule by dictatorship. Many of the self-employed are seeing their businesses expand because of the country’s recently laid fibre optic cables that connect even remote villages to the internet.

Perspectives on women's entrepreneurship in Uganda

Whilst an ever increasing number of women are turning to entrepreneurship in Uganda as a way to advance their economic prospects, the odds still remain heavily stacked against them. The fact that 40% of all businesses are owned by women but 93% of the credit for all businesses goes to men, is a sobering reality. The Ugandan Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited (UWEAL) is an initiative that is tackling this gender bias head on. As a way of raising the profile of women entrepreneur, UWEAL issues an award to the best Female Entrepreneur of the Year to encourage female business owners, and defy stereotypes of entrepreneurship as a male activity.

The message seems to be getting across and more women are making their mark as founders of successful businesses. One such woman entrepreneur is Regina Mukiibi Mugango, Director of Uganda Funeral Services Limited. She works to help people in grief to provide a dignified funeral for their loved ones. “Entrepreneurship is identifying a gap in your community and translating it into an opportunity. That’s what we did”, “I am proud to tell you that Uganda Funeral Services is a pioneer company,” she says. “We changed the image of death.”

'Ugandan Women Mean Business' - a film by Carol Cooke

“Culturally in Uganda women don’t own land, and that is the major requirement from the bank to show them what you have and what is your security,” says Stella Maris Ddumba-Sewagaba, Chief Executive Officer at UWEAL. “Without access to finance, being in business becomes a challenge.”

According to Carol Cooke who made the film Ugandan Women Mean Business, businesses in Uganda is still largely seen as the man’s world. But these ideas are changing, along with developing opportunities for women.

Over the past few months, LoA has been profiling some of the most successful and inspirational women entrepreneurs of Uganda who are changing the face of entrepreneurship in their own country and around the African continent and beyond. Read the startup stories of Julian Omalla, founder of Delight Uganda, one of Africa's most successful drinks and foodstuffs businesses; Ngyenzi 'Nunu' Mugyenyi, Janet Mugume and Angel Kalisa, the co-founders of leading fashion retail concept, BOLD Kampala; Juliana Nasasira, founder of creative fashion label, Kwesh; Brenda Katwesigye, the founder of health-tech company Instahealth; and sisters Nadia and Nahida Bhegani together with childhood friend Olga Mugyenyi, the founders of fashion sensation DEF.I.NI.TION Africa. Meet them here:

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Anne K Rweyora, an inspirational entrepreneur enabling women to own climate-smart homes in Uganda

Anne K Rweyora is the founder of Smart Havens Africa, an impact-driven business launched in 2018 aimed at contributing to Uganda’s housing sector by helping low-income women to become home-owners. As a female civil engineer driven to positively change lives, Anne’s business stands out by offering an innovative, eco-friendly, and empowering pathway to homeownership for women-headed families.

Diana Mbabaali Miiro, a pioneering landscaping entrepreneur creating green spaces in Uganda

Diana Mbabaali Miiro is the managing director of KeyScapes Limited, a pioneering company in Uganda specializing in landscaping, potted plants artistries and gardening supplies. She is an ardent gardener with a mission to encourage Ugandans to live a healthy natural lifestyle, growing their own food organically in the small spaces of their backyards as CSR (Community Social Responsibility) under the Backyard Gardeners Uganda, a forum she founded on social media platforms. Diana previously worked in the Information Technology & Change department with Barclays Bank, now ABSA Bank, as Head, Service Management before joining the world of entrepreneurship when she discovered that she could make a living from her passion. She is a Vital Voices Fellow, Vital Voices Leadership Journey, a female future program graduate and an Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Mentor.

Lily Katumba, a Ugandan entrepreneur building an impact-driven business giving hope to others

Lily Katumba is the founder of Zuri Styles, an accessories design and manufacturing business in Uganda creating jobs and restoring hope to vulnerable people. Lily’s mission is to stop Human Trafficking and empower those most vulnerable by creating sustainable employment, providing coaching and mentorship, and empowering girl children.

Pendo Galukande, a Ugandan social entrepreneur creating opportunities through premium gifting

Pendo Galukande is one of the original three co-founders of Dis N Dat (Uganda) Ltd and the current Managing Director. She has been featured several times on National Television and print media as a positive example of a social entrepreneur. Her social enterprise having started out creating hand crafted greeting cards, and now has expanded into providing the youth access to skills and employment through the provision of premium gift services. Dis N Dat was launched in 2007 and employs 2 full time people, 4 consultants, and provides about 25 placements for part-time positions for youth annually. Pendo has a track record in Health Management having been the first manager of the leading private hospital in Uganda. She also managed a pharmacy in a rural hospital and oversaw refugee programs in rural Uganda.

Bright Asiimwe Wandera, a serial retail and hospitality entrepreneur in Uganda

Bright Asiimwe Wandera is the founder and CEO of Plum Cafe and Restaurant in Uganda. She’s a serial entrepreneur with interests in retail chain and hospitality. She’s an alumnus of Africa Women Entrepreneurs Cooperative and Stanbic Bank Uganda Business Incubator. Bright runs two supermarkets and most recently a high-end restaurant with two branches. Bright founded Plum Cafe and Restaurant this year in February 2021 after testing a restaurant model in 2020 that was attached to one of her supermarkets.

Joan Mugenzi, a Ugandan entrepreneur coaching people to be the best versions of themselves

Joan Mugenzi is the founder of Imagine Me Africa, based in Uganda. She is an International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach with 385 hours of coach training and over 750 hours of coaching, with a focus on employment transition. Whether a person is getting into a new job, moving into the next opportunity within the organization, grappling with management and leadership transition role, or planning on exiting, Joan enjoys facilitating the conversations. Joan has trained in coaching up to the highest level of coaching (Mastery), and wholly believes in the need for people to experience professional coaching. She is the founding and current president of the International Coaching Federation Uganda Chapter. Her focus is building Africa's coaching hub of choice.

Catherine Nakayemba, a Ugandan entrepreneur manufacturing menstrual kits for rural women and girls

Catherine Nakayemba is the co-founder and administrator of Safe Girl in Uganda, a business on a mission to lower the cost of menstruation by making safe and eco-friendly reusable menstrual kits. Each kits consists of two reusable sanitary pads, a knicker, storage bag and a piece of soap. This lasts for 12 months hence enabling a rural woman or girl to save from buying monthly pads. Since launching the business, it has produced over 1000 reusable menstrual kits and distributed them all around Uganda. The business employs 20 women working in both production and marketing of the pads.

Kintu Jovia, a Ugandan entrepreneur building a local organic hair care brand with big ambitions

Most successful haircare brands start because they look to solve a problem for consumers, and in the case of Kintu Jovia, founder of Kia Cosmetics in Uganda, that was certainly true. Her inspiration was to give consumers the choice to use chemical free products that would be good for their hair and the environment.

Nunu Mugyenyi, Angel Nkwaya and Janet Mugume, three Ugandan entrepreneurs building an award-winning retail outlet

In Uganda, if you are looking for the most exciting apparel and home decor brands, then you need go no further than the Bold in Africa retail outlet, launched back in 2012 by co-founders Nunu Mugyenyi, Angel Nkwaya and Janet Mugume. Today, the business is going from strength to strength, now showcasing over forty emerging apparel and home décor brands from countries across the African continent including Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia and South Africa.

Noreen Asekenye, a Ugandan social entrepreneur changing lives through storytelling

Stories have always had the power to enthrall, to engage, and often to change lives, and for Noreen Asenkenye, founder of Tell a Story Foundation Uganda, that is her motivation. She is passionate about looking out for the vulnerable, and through storytelling she is helping them deal with their distress. Noreen is an enthusiastic fundraiser, and through Tell a Story Foundation, she has successfully run fundraising campaigns for children with autism, two young girls raised by single mothers, and the current Together for Good campaign, a Covid-19 relief fundraiser benefiting vulnerable families with income relief. Noreen is a cohort 35 Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Fellow, Cohort 18 Reignite Africa Young Leaders Fellow, and a recent graduate of the 2020 Zimba Women Business Program.