T H E M E 2
The r i ght coach i ng and mentor sh i p adds va l ue to bus i ness sur v i va l and growth prospect s
For ESOs, building a pool of appropriate coaches and mentors who understand the challenges faced by entrepreneurs is the key. ESOs emphasize key benefits of mentorship to entre- preneurs, even though they are still at the early stage of building a large and strong pool of mentors that will help the diverse group of entrepreneurs they have in their network. Only 40% of ESOs have between 0 and 10 mentors. There is clear aspiration to build a strong matching mechanism that considers the field of exper- tise and an in-depth understanding of the market to ensure that entrepreneurs are appropriately matched with suitable coaches and mentors, and that both parties have compatible expectations. Focus groups reveal that most ESOs do not have a structured mentor network. This is more prevalent in the central African region, where in comparison to other African regions, central African countries have fragile mentorship structures. Women find it harder to connect and collaborate with their mentors. Because of limited availability of female mentors, they are often connected to male mentors which undermines the importance of diversity and representation. Mentors are critical to the success of ESOs programs. ESOs need to build a well-structured network of mentors with a balanced expertise representation to support the entrepreneurs in their community. There is a pool of industry experts across the continent that are not connected to startup support organizations.
What is your preferred way of meeting a mentor/adviser? (% of rating)
Entrepreneurship Programs and Events
65%
27%
8%
Personal Introductions
72%
21%
6%
Networking Events
56%
30%
11%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Very Relevant
Significant
Relevant
If you run mentoring activities, how many mentors do you have in your mentor pool for 2020? (% of rating)
+100
1%
61-100
4%
41-60
9%
21-40
13%
11-20
32%
40% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 0-10
28
N E E D S A S S E S S M E N T R E P O R T
Trends and insights from ESOs, entrepreneurs, and investors
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