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Since 2006, FC Africa has advanced inclusive economic growth across Africa by creating jobs, strengthening markets, and empowering enterprises.

21/08/2026

What does an entrepreneur contribute beyond the business they build?
Employment. Demand for local suppliers. New products and services. Knowledge of changing markets. And, over time, a stronger foundation for economic growth.

These contributions emerge through the daily work of running an enterprise: allocating limited resources, responding to customers, managing risk and making decisions under uncertainty.

Across FC Africa’s work, we see entrepreneurs as economic actors whose influence extends through households, supply chains and markets. When their capabilities are matched with appropriate finance, relevant business support and stronger market connections, that contribution can reach further.

This World Entrepreneurs’ Day, we recognise this wider contribution to enterprise development, employment and economic opportunity.

12/08/2026

Opportunity looks different depending on where you start. A first internship. A first client. A spark becoming a business. A skill becoming a source of income. A job that is more than a paycheck.

Across different contexts, young people take different paths, but the aspirations are remarkably similar: to learn, to earn, to build, and to have a meaningful place in the economy.

This International Youth Day, we celebrate young people as contributors, entrepreneurs, colleagues, and leaders including the young professionals building their careers with us right now.

Through BRIDGES, MESMER, and our own Young Professionals Development Programme, we're working toward a future where opportunity isn't the exception. It's the starting point.

03/08/2026

𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮

FC Africa is pleased to contribute to the newly initiated 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗔𝗜 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲, an initiative supporting the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence across Ethiopia’s public sector.

Working alongside government institutions, development partners, academia, and the private sector, the programme will identify high-impact opportunities for AI, develop practical solutions, strengthen institutional capacity, support responsible governance, and foster Ethiopia-UK partnerships for innovation.

With an initial focus on the health and education sectors, EthiopiAI will explore how AI can strengthen public service delivery, improve decision-making, and build the local capabilities and systems needed for sustainable, locally owned adoption.

Responsible AI is not only about technology. It is about working collaboratively, grounding solutions in local realities, and using innovation to create meaningful and lasting public value.

hashtag

28/07/2026

Inclusion starts with designing for everyone.

Last week, Mastercard Foundation brought together partners and stakeholders for World Refugee Day 2026, turning commitments into real action for refugee inclusion.

The MESMER Programme was there, sharing how it supports refugee and returnee entrepreneurs through business development services and access to finance.

One story stood out: Eyerusalem, a returnee entrepreneur from Bahir Dar. With the right support and financing, she grew her traditional handwoven clothing business into one that now employs 14 people.

A reminder that inclusion takes more than access to finance. It takes the right support, at the right time.

22/07/2026

The same questions we ask about AI are the questions we ask across all of our work:

• Access
• Trust
• Skills
• Institutional capacity

These principles shape how FC Africa approaches complex challenges, from design through to implementation.

Explore the full article in The Context: https://lnkd.in/e_sBAZZG

09/07/2026

Sometimes the biggest constraint isn't the availability of finance. It's how finance is designed.

The Green Practice Assessment identified access to finance as the strongest barrier to MSMEs adopting green practices, with a score of 88.9%.

Many green investments require significant upfront capital, while returns are often realized over a longer period. Yet financing products frequently rely on collateral requirements, repayment schedules, and lending conditions that do not reflect this investment reality.

As a result, viable green technologies remain out of reach for many enterprises, even when they are available in the market.
Expanding green finance is important. Equally important is ensuring that financial products are designed to match how MSMEs invest, grow, and adopt new technologie

Mastercard Foundation

07/07/2026

Green finance is not one-size-fits-all.

Enterprises operating at different stages of a value chain have different investment needs, risk profiles, and repayment capacities.

A producer may need concessional finance with risk-sharing mechanisms to adopt climate-smart inputs. A processor may require blended finance to invest in energy-efficient equipment or water-saving technologies. A distributor may benefit from asset financing for transport and storage, while an exporter may need partial risk guarantees to meet certification, traceability, and sustainability requirements.

The investment changes. The assets change. The risks change. The financing should too.

Designing financial products around how different enterprises operate is what enables green investments to move from intention to implementation.

Read more: https://lnkd.in/e8zAJKVc

01/07/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱.

One of the key findings from the MESMER Programme Green Practice Validation Workshop is clear. MSMEs are ready to adopt greener business practices. The challenge is not intent. It is access.

Validation with 370 MSMEs across 7 regions and 13 cities found:
• 59.9% readiness to adopt green business practices
• 32.7% current adoption of green practices
• 61.9% face significant barriers, with access to finance emerging as one of the biggest constraints

The findings reinforce an important lesson. Willingness alone is not enough. Access to finance, business development support, technical guidance, and the right incentives are essential to help MSMEs translate readiness into action.

Building a greener MSME sector requires more than awareness. It requires an enabling ecosystem that supports sustainable business transformation.
These insights will help inform future programme design and strengthen efforts to accelerate the transition to a greener and more resilient MSME sector.

Soil&More Ethiopia Mastercard Foundation

19/06/2026

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 "𝗧𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘄𝗼𝗰𝗵𝘂" 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?

Launched by Awash Bank S.C. in partnership with FC Africa, the competition seeks to identify and support promising entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas and growth potential.

Registration is now underway and will remain open until 7 July 2026 (Hamle 1, 2018 E.C.). Interested applicants can register online through the competition portal or visit their nearest Awash Bank branch for support.

For registration and more information: https://lnkd.in/eb6fh29V

16/06/2026

𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗔𝗜 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 – 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗔𝗜 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽

As 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮 continues to realize the cross-cutting impact of AI through Digital Ethiopia 2030, inclusive dialogue is essential to ensure the country's AI journey is locally grounded, responsible, and impactful.

That's exactly what the EthiopiAI Consultation Workshop set out to achieve.

The EthiopiAI Programme, funded by British Embassy, Addis Ababa - UK in Ethiopia, implemented by FC Africa in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), DAI, the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute- የኢትዮጵያ አርቲፊሻል ኢንተለጀንስ ኢንስቲትዩት and Kagool, convened a consultation workshop to bring together key stakeholders from government, development partners, the private sector, and Ethiopia's AI, digital transformation, policy, research, and innovation ecosystem.

The workshop created a platform for meaningful consultation on Ethiopia’s AI opportunities, priorities, and challenges, with discussions focused on how AI can support national development, strengthen innovation, and address real-world needs while promoting ethical, inclusive, and human-centered adoption.

A heartfelt thank you to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), our programme partners and all stakeholders who brought their insights, energy, and commitment to the table.

Looking forward to building an AI ecosystem that works for Ethiopia.

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