Morocco: Africa Hub, the battle for youth employment and entrepreneurship.
30 January 2015
Read by 1907 persons
Casablanca, the African capital of investment and entrepreneurship on April 2 and 3. It will once again host the Africa HUB, celebrating its 3rd edition. Youth employment, entrepreneurship and investment in Africa will be highlighted. Casablanca once again demonstrates its commitment to entrepreneurial dynamism, especially since Morocco has just adopted the self-entrepreneur status inspired by past work of the Africa HUB. This year, the Africa HUB returns with one watchword: "Believe in Africa, invest in Africa".
Africa is experiencing unprecedented growth. It is increasingly revealing itself through its progressive pacification, its sense of responsibility (increasing political stability and more commitment to fighting scourges), but also through its assets (natural and demographic resources, growing markets...). The continent is also embarking on a major demographic turning point, with a population expected to double by 2050 to reach almost 2 billion people. This will make it one of the largest markets in the world. This demographic growth will lead to the arrival on the labor market of 160 million young people and an increase in African household spending from USD 840 billion in 2008 to USD 1400 billion in 2020. This demographic power, viewed from another angle, would help accelerate economic growth. But the continent would still need to be well prepared. This is a mission that the Casablanca Africa Hub has set itself in partnership with the Moroccan government.
Self-entrepreneurship against youth unemployment
Dedicated to investment, creation and business development (creation, takeover, franchise, development, financing, innovation...), the Africa HUB fair brings together political and economic players in Africa and aims to unite the public and private sectors, large groups, SMEs/SMIs, VSEs/MSEs. Launched two years ago on the initiative of Zakaria Fahim, Managing partner BDO, member of the self-entrepreneur commission, the Africa HUB is an exchange platform offering visitors and participants the opportunity to benefit from the expertise and advice of African and international economic operators. During the first edition, the fair attracted no less than 4207 project leaders, creators and heads of SMEs from Morocco, Senegal, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Algeria. The second edition focused on the trends of "new African economies", new development and disruptive models such as self-entrepreneurship and Business Angels. Following the signing in 2012 of an agreement on self-entrepreneurship submitted to the government, the Africa HUB has just won a battle since the bill on the self-entrepreneur status was passed on January 21 with the aim of attracting thousands of self-entrepreneurs currently working in the informal sector. Last year, the fair proposed a new text on Business Angels to the public authorities. In North Africa, the youth unemployment rate in the region is estimated at 27.1%, the highest in the world. Morocco, where 55% of the population is under 25, has 15.9% inactivity among the 15-24 age group. These figures reflect the difficulty of the employment market. The problem of underemployment too often leads young people on the continent to turn to the public sector or salaried employment. The problem is the financing of projects for first-time applicants, a challenge that is still very difficult to overcome.
Casablanca, a strategic hub
By choosing Casablanca as its anchor point, Africa HUB has set itself the objective of capitalizing on the entrepreneurial dynamism of the Moroccan financial center to encourage the growth of young entrepreneurs. The choice of Casablanca is therefore strategic. The economic capital of the Cherifian kingdom is popular with entrepreneurs. The Greater Casablanca region alone produces 19% of Moroccan GDP. It hosts 42% of industrial establishments, attracts 48% of investments and accounts for 30% of the banking network as well as almost all of the headquarters of banks and insurance companies. The service and commerce sectors also remain very popular with new entrepreneurs established in the economic capital.
The editorial staff.
Afriqueinside.com
Published on January 29, 2015.
Posted online on January 30, 2015.
Africa is experiencing unprecedented growth. It is increasingly revealing itself through its progressive pacification, its sense of responsibility (increasing political stability and more commitment to fighting scourges), but also through its assets (natural and demographic resources, growing markets...). The continent is also embarking on a major demographic turning point, with a population expected to double by 2050 to reach almost 2 billion people. This will make it one of the largest markets in the world. This demographic growth will lead to the arrival on the labor market of 160 million young people and an increase in African household spending from USD 840 billion in 2008 to USD 1400 billion in 2020. This demographic power, viewed from another angle, would help accelerate economic growth. But the continent would still need to be well prepared. This is a mission that the Casablanca Africa Hub has set itself in partnership with the Moroccan government.
Self-entrepreneurship against youth unemployment
Dedicated to investment, creation and business development (creation, takeover, franchise, development, financing, innovation...), the Africa HUB fair brings together political and economic players in Africa and aims to unite the public and private sectors, large groups, SMEs/SMIs, VSEs/MSEs. Launched two years ago on the initiative of Zakaria Fahim, Managing partner BDO, member of the self-entrepreneur commission, the Africa HUB is an exchange platform offering visitors and participants the opportunity to benefit from the expertise and advice of African and international economic operators. During the first edition, the fair attracted no less than 4207 project leaders, creators and heads of SMEs from Morocco, Senegal, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Algeria. The second edition focused on the trends of "new African economies", new development and disruptive models such as self-entrepreneurship and Business Angels. Following the signing in 2012 of an agreement on self-entrepreneurship submitted to the government, the Africa HUB has just won a battle since the bill on the self-entrepreneur status was passed on January 21 with the aim of attracting thousands of self-entrepreneurs currently working in the informal sector. Last year, the fair proposed a new text on Business Angels to the public authorities. In North Africa, the youth unemployment rate in the region is estimated at 27.1%, the highest in the world. Morocco, where 55% of the population is under 25, has 15.9% inactivity among the 15-24 age group. These figures reflect the difficulty of the employment market. The problem of underemployment too often leads young people on the continent to turn to the public sector or salaried employment. The problem is the financing of projects for first-time applicants, a challenge that is still very difficult to overcome.
Casablanca, a strategic hub
By choosing Casablanca as its anchor point, Africa HUB has set itself the objective of capitalizing on the entrepreneurial dynamism of the Moroccan financial center to encourage the growth of young entrepreneurs. The choice of Casablanca is therefore strategic. The economic capital of the Cherifian kingdom is popular with entrepreneurs. The Greater Casablanca region alone produces 19% of Moroccan GDP. It hosts 42% of industrial establishments, attracts 48% of investments and accounts for 30% of the banking network as well as almost all of the headquarters of banks and insurance companies. The service and commerce sectors also remain very popular with new entrepreneurs established in the economic capital.
The editorial staff.
Afriqueinside.com
Published on January 29, 2015.
Posted online on January 30, 2015.
