INSIDE AWEC

Defying the odds is often paramount to the success of a business. The women in our community know this all too well. Operating in the current economic climate, they deal with supply-chain issues, rising costs of materials, employee retention insecurity, and a myriad of other problems.

In our recently-published white paper report, entrepreneurs like Cecilia Nchangnwi, take us inside to what it's like to run a business, whilst battling inflation in the middle of the war in northern Cameroon.

The report is full of firsthand accounts like Cecilia's, as well as expert advice spanning the continent from top academics such as The American University in Cairo, senior executives from the Africa Development Banking Group and expert advice from specialists of fragile, conflict and violence zones.

The Director of Governance & Conflict Prevention at the African Union Commission and AWEC alumna, Patience Chiradza, offers strategies for women entrepreneurs navigating businesses in conflict zones.

It also contains data-powered analysis and actionable toolkits such as the risk assessment matrix, customer journey map, and empathy map activity sheet to help entrepreneurs ride the tumultuous waves of running their businesses in the midst of economic turmoil and other uncertain environments.

Navigating Economic Downturn: How African Women Entrepreneurs Can Thrive in the Midst of Inflation and Recession is a report packed with:

Genuine viewpoints from African women entrepreneurs across 20+ countries. This is a rare compilation of data that was prompted by the need to understand and navigate the impact of the economic downturn on their businesses.

In-depth case studies that offer real-life experiences behind the statistics, provide a tangible understanding of the situation at hand.

A wealth of practical strategies and applicable frameworks that readers can readily adapt and implement in their own ventures, empowering them with the tools to thrive amidst adversity.

Launching the report

To celebrate the release of this publication, we ran our first-ever Instagram competition. We asked you what your greatest insights were from the report and what you were most excited to implement in your business from the downloadable toolkits.

At the end of the week-long competition, we had two highly-engaged winners, itching to share the gold nuggets they mined from the report. And the winners were...

Engr. Enita Ese Okonkwo and Esther Sunday, two Cohort 4 alumnae from Nigeria!

Both ladies excitedly shared their anticipation of the report. In addition to the firsthand viewpoints from women-run businesses on the ground, the report delved into how the data analysis and expert commentary could explain the effects on small and medium-sized businesses operating in Africa. Enita and Esther gave us their feedback, sharing their thoughts and how African women can steer the ship toward safety amidst the effects of inflation.

How the report is impacting our community

Enita is the founder of The Book Market, an online bookstore on a mission to build the largest community of readers in Africa. She firmly believes that Africa is poised for global prominence, viewing African women as the 21st century's modern Amazons.

Esther, the talented Lagos-based creative director of Ela Real Designs is out to help women stay fashion-forward without straining their budgets. Ensuring beautiful aesthetics, high quality, and swift delivery are the company's unwavering promises.

Enita shared what she learned from the report:

Multi-hyphenate Enita is a dedicated community builder and social advocate who is passionately committed to establishing sustainable, intelligent civil infrastructure and promoting literacy in Nigeria and across Africa.

"Never consider yourself an island; the surging tide may sweep you away. Stay receptive to new ideas so you can continually learn and adapt, shedding practices that don't benefit your brand or personal growth."

Esther found insights from the report to be helpful in building her brand:

"Networking is one area that the African businesswomen needs to grow her personal and professional skills."

We love hearing how the white paper is representing and empowering African women entrepreneurs! Navigating the rough terrain of economic downturn isn’t easy in business so let’s lift each other up by sharing it with a friend. Be sure to let us know on Instagram what your biggest takeaways were too.

If you haven’t read it yet, CLICK HERE.