Providing orientation through a Guide for Digital Entrepreneurs

Young man holding a booklet
© DTC Benin

Country

  • Benin

Module

  • Digital Economy
  • Innovation Promotion

Founding a digital business can be overwhelming. Each context has its own specific challenges local entrepreneurs need to tackle to establish themselves and their business. To support Beninese digital entrepreneurs in their journey, the DTC Benin developed a “Guide for Digital Entrepreneurs” (available here in French).

The Beninese digital and entrepreneurial ecosystem of 2023 can be characterised as small and nascent but at the same time ambitious and dynamic. The study “Overview of the digital ecosystem and digital entrepreneurship in Benin” (available here in French with an executive summary in English) conducted by the Digital Transformation Center in Benin identified two major challenges: a lack of understanding of certain processes regarding the development of innovation and a gap in competences. Further, accessing up-to-date information specific to the Beninese context can be difficult. All those aspects are essential to the development of successful digital solutions and, more broadly, a mature ecosystem.

The available documentation and discussions with entrepreneurs in the country show that few of them manage to get through the various growth stages of an enterprise. Some entrepreneurs have remained at the ideation or prototype stage for a long time without being able to advance, despite the undeniable potential some of them have.

With a view to create and strengthen the competencies of those involved in digital entrepreneurship in the country, the DTC in created the “Guide for Digital Entrepreneurs” (available here in French). It is entirely adapted to the local context and challenges and is based on the experiences of successful local entrepreneurs.

 

 Recommendations

  • Access to a baseline study helps to identify concrete gaps and challenges that actors of the ecosystem face and that can be addressed in the Guide.
  • Work with and integrate the local ecosystem into the development process of the Guide through workshops, survey etc.
  • Manage the process locally and contract local consultants to conduct the work (as opposed to international experts) to guarantee a good understanding of the ecosystem and its actors and ensure the creation of an in-depth document
  • If budget permits, plan for the development of an online platform to facilitate the access to the Guide easier