Meet Africa: The Diaspora demonstrates its entrepreneurial skills

Expertise France and its partners (ANIMA, AFD) welcomed 3,000 registered visitors to the Forum of Entrepreneurs from the Diaspora, Meet Africa 2, on February 11. African and European Public and private stakeholders had the opportunity to exchange ideas during the plenary sessions and the traditional forums and workshops. However, the Diaspora did not wait for investments from the North to do business in Africa. Meetings.

By Yousra Gouja, in Paris

When their projects are not fully funded, entrepreneurs from the diaspora have had the courage to try. This was demonstrated by Rui Mendes da Silva, founder of Kemet automotive in Senegal, as announced in the plenary hall. The Frencah-Senegalese said he had completed the prototype of the electric SUV in Senegal: « We have African business angels. And we are pleasantly surprised. According to our three-year roadmap, we estimate our needs at more than 80 million euros, » he says, almost embarrassed to ask for so much money. « We thought about different types of vehicles: buses, taxis, etc. We worked with a lot of engineers to find the right solution. We worked with a lot of engineers from the diaspora, thanks to our contacts in Europe, because we grew up here. We hope the authorities will support us. The way France supports Renault, » he argued in conclusion.

« We are bringing our offer to Morocco after launching in France in 2017 »

In France, an independent business incubator, Marseille Innovation, has taken on the challenge of supporting entrepreneurs from a different African country each year. This year’s winner is Morocco. Badreddine Chater, Campus/Start Up Manager at CIC Place de l’Innovation at Marseille Innovation, says: « About 12 Franco-Moroccan startups will be supported. We host the startups so that they can work with us in their offices under the best conditions. Almost 80% of our funding comes from our services and we receive around 20% of regional aid. For example, Marseille Innovation supports Salima Ari, co-founder of Splouf/Jacuzzi Land: « We offer an inflatable hot tub at home. After launching in France in 2017, we are offering the service in Morocco to have an intimate environment and complementary services. » Certainly, the partnership between the two coasts is particularly sought after. During one of her trips, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, said « In Kinshasa, I met cultural entrepreneurs who wanted to reproduce Station F in their country. Let ideas and knowledge circulate. That is the kind of partnership we want.”

« In Senegal, we have filled a gap: access to finance for the most vulnerable”

In terms of funding and support, several African countries are no longer dependent on their European counterparts and are launching their own initiatives. This is the case of Der, the general delegation for rapid entrepreneurship in Senegal, which finances women and young people. Mamadou Ndiaye, director of promotion and entrepreneurship, says: « We are not a machine for training entrepreneurs. We are just five years old. We have filled a gap: access to finance for the most vulnerable, on the initiative of the President of Senegal. We are part of a value chain. We know that the diaspora is the 15th region of Senegal. We invest almost 30 billion CFA francs a year and have reached almost 1,500 women.”

In Côte d’Ivoire, the government wants to make a difference by integrating a support mechanism into its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and the Diaspora. Professor Ouattara Katiénéffooua Adama, Director of Diaspora Skills and Resource Mobilization, says: « An interactive tool is proposed as well as a financing mechanism with the Mechanism for Enterprise Creation Support (Mace). We are signing agreements with private banks to ease the way for entrepreneurs. It is a national strategy. We have a consultation committee with public, private and civil society figures.”

« It is up to us to ensure that this happens quickly »

The African diaspora, which already weighs heavily on national budgets, can go even further. This is the wish of the powerful Franco-Tunisian businessman Tarak Chérif, head of the Alliance group. « Some African countries are capable of achieving 8% growth. This makes us think. It is up to us to ensure that this happens quickly. He cited the example of the Lebanese diaspora, which « injects almost 10 billion euros a year », particularly valuable in these times of serious crisis.