The Role of Social Enterprises in Post Covid Recovery in Africa

The spread of COVID-19 will have lasting social and economic impact on the world; however, the economic impact will be felt far longer in Africa, than in many other parts of the world. Taking a backward view, we analyse the impact on the flow of aid and FDI, as well as bond market issuance in Africa, following significant economic events in the past. Using this, we predict that Africa will not be receiving a ‘helping hand’ from large economies as they start to rebuild their economies. As such they will need to find a solution to restarting their economies and reengaging their workforces, elsewhere. This paper proposes that the countless Social Enterprises that are already established and functioning in high-impact areas of African society are best suited to deliver immediate, effective and last ingeconomic improvements to their resident economies. However, to achieve this, the authors outline key areas which Social Enterprises and Governments would need to consider to successfully leverage this often unsung, yet highly effective, solution to poverty.