Economic opportunity
Overview
Expanding access to economic opportunity is essential for improving lives and livelihoods, generating jobs and creating wealth. The private sector plays a leading role in delivering economic growth and is increasingly expected to do so in a way that is inclusive and sustainable.
There are a number of ways in which businesses, foundations, governments and development organisations work to support private sector development. These include developing inclusive market systems; supporting the creation of quality jobs; developing value chains and access to markets for businesses; development of the financial sector and supporting access to finance; MSME development; capital markets development; and overall business enabling environment.
Areas of Expertise
Agriculture and agribusiness
Africa’s agricultural sector is critical to sustainable economic development. It supports economic opportunities in rural communities, the alleviation of poverty and plays an essential role in food security. Genesis works across the public-private interface for governments, donors, philanthropic and private sector clients.
Unlocking the sector’s potential requires a combination of political will, enabling regulatory frameworks, improved access to finance, skills investment and climate change adaptation. An understanding of these interlocking factors underpins our approach to programme design and implementation.
MSME development
MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) are recognised across the world as drivers of socioeconomic growth and development. They make a significant contribution in boosting public revenue collection, employment creation and economic empowerment, as well as provision of goods and services to the public.
MSMEs face distinct challenges that limit their access to markets and operation capacity. Examples include limited formal documentation, lack of access to quality supplies and modern techniques, lack of networks and connections, limited access to finance, and limited capacity.
Gender and development
To reach the full potential of the continent, we have to harness the full capacity and ability of the population by ensuring that women, who make up half of the population, are empowered to contribute in an equitable, productive and safe manner.
Gender equality describes a world in which women and girls have equal access to resources and opportunities and where their participation, contributions, and decisions are valued and rewarded as much as those of men.
For this reason Genesis looks at all its projects through a gender lens so we can find the opportunities for gender equality and address the barriers that keep women and girls from being fully active in their homes, economies and societies. We can’t achieve progress if half the world’s population is left behind and their potential and talent are left untapped.
Projects
Women shine in evaluation of Ethiopian business growth project
Genesis Analytics conducted a final evaluation of Digital Opportunity Trust’s Entrepreneurship and Business Growth project in Ethiopia. The project conducted business skills training with entrepreneurs, linked MSMEs to business development services and facilitated greater access to finance.
Scoping new model for youth job creation in South Africa
Genesis Analytics was contracted by GIZ’s Skills Development for a Green Economy (SD4GE) project team to conduct a scoping exercise regarding the potential of using pay-for-performance models to create jobs in specific growth sectors in South Africa.
Related Focus Areas
Digital livelihoods
Our Digital Livelihoods team of industry insiders and local practitioners focuses on digital job creation in Africa by unlocking global demand.
By 2030 half of all new entrants into the global labour force will come from Sub-Saharan Africa. Around 15 million new dignified, meaningful jobs will need to be created annually, with even more required as populations continue to rise.
Economic impact assessment
In economics there are always trade-offs. Changes in policies, laws, and regulations, and every government intervention creates both positive and negative impacts, winners and losers.
Good government requires that these impacts are mapped and understood, so that responsive policy can be crafted to maximise the positive while minimising the negative.
Financial Services Strategy
Our Financial Services team has completed more than 1000 projects across sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East since 2001. We work with leading financial institutions to address their challenges, unlock value for their stakeholders and shape the future of the industry.
Our team understands the evolving technology and market structures, economics and regulatory trends across all segments of the financial services sector. Our distinct approach is characterised by deep specialisation and rigorous analysis based on a strong economics foundation.
Monitoring, evaluation and learning
We work to maximise the social and economic impact of development efforts. As a trusted provider of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) services we combine our deeply rooted understanding of the African context with our extensive experience in qualitative and quantitative monitoring and evaluation (M&E) methods to assess progress, measure value creation, and facilitate internal and external learning.
Photographer, Johnny MillerEconomic Growth and Impact
A transformation is underway across Africa’s economies.
In the Economic Growth & Impact practice, our purpose is to grow Africa’s economy for Africa by designing and delivering inclusive, sustainable growth. We place flourishing societies and healthy ecosystems at the foundation of economic progress, not as an afterthought.
We see economic growth as one of the most powerful forces for improving lives at scale. When businesses, governments, and institutions work together beyond narrow mandates and embrace impact as a core driver of value, they unlock new pathways for jobs, opportunity, resilience, and long-term prosperity across the continent.
This is a whole new way of thinking about business. It needs new business philosophies, models and strategies, new functions, and new ways of measuring and talking about corporate impact. In addition, the relationship between corporates and the state requires careful navigation to be a constructive partnership, and for companies to be a bulwark against nationalist and populist politics.
Youth: Our focus is on girls and young women
Africa is experiencing an unprecedented youth wave. Our focus in youth is on young girls over the next five years so that no one is left behind in the development of the next generation.
Gender equality describes a world in which women and girls have equal access to resources and opportunities and where their participation, contributions, and decisions are valued and rewarded as much as those of men.
For this reason Genesis looks at all its projects through a gender lens so we can find the opportunities for gender equality and address the barriers that keep women and girls from being fully active in their homes, economies and societies. We can’t achieve progress if half the world’s population is left behind and their potential and talent are left untapped.