Despite Africans’ energy and ingenuity, the region struggles to produce enough profitable small businesses; given a small nudge new entrepreneurs seem able to make it hand over fist. Lots of issues* mentioned in the Economist article, but focuses on solutions through support from TechnoServe, TradeMark East Africa, and H2O Venture Partners, an investment firm that has started several agricultural businesses in Africa — but must set up entire value chain to make the business work.

* shortages of electricity, potholed roads and inefficient ports and railways hold back manufacturers, widespread illiteracy and innumeracy, and access to finance: banks in many African countries serve mainly to take savings and channel them into the hands of governments rather than entrepreneurs, since treasury bills often pay juicy rates of interest