Emerging issues in private sector development : enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises in Africa

Abstract

Most African enterprises are of small and medium size and still predominate in agriculture, industry and services. Their development is however, hampered by many problems, including: lack of managerial and technological skills, inadequate research quality, difficult access to credit, lack of markets for their products, lack of appropriate technology, insufficient assistance from productivity centers and institutions for training in entrepreneurship business, lack of agricultural inputs and products transformation, and lack of basic infrastructure for services development and efficiencies The present report sets out to lay the groundwork for a strategic framework to help African SMEs compete in regional and global markets.