The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched a pan-African entrepreneurship portal, aimed at cultivating an ecosystem that will promote mentorship, funding, information-sharing and networking.
Facilitated by Accenture, the YAS! (Youth for Africa and SDGs) Portal-Platform is designed for young African entrepreneurs, and was created to support the development and growth of youth entrepreneurship on the continent by providing four pillars of support, categorised as Learning, Ecosystem Mapping, Challenges and Opportunities.
The platform, which will be activated in East, West and Southern Africa, aims to help entrepreneurs begin their journey by providing answers on the key concepts relevant to enterprise development, and develop an ecosystem map for corporates and entrepreneurs, which will locate different entrepreneurial service providers across the continent.
The YAS! platform will also give entrepreneurs the opportunity to acquire more knowledge about funding and specific information on how to implement innovations, and function as a knowledge hub for virtual online master classes. In addition, it will act as a matchmaking support system for potential capital providers and suitable grant candidates.
“YAS! is a much needed pan-African digital mechanism for youth entrepreneurs to access opportunities and contribute to the positive transformation of the continent through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are directed to ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring that people everywhere enjoy peace and prosperity,” said UNDP special advisor for private sector Tomas Sales.
