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World MSME Day – 27 June 2025
Theme: Enhancing the Role of Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) as Drivers of Sustainable Growth and Innovation
Across every street corner, village, township, urban district, and online platform in Africa, there is a story of resilience and ingenuity being written every day. That story belongs to Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) — the informal trader in Soweto, the agri-preneur in Northern Ghana, the mobile app startup in Nairobi, the fashion designer in Lagos, and the young green-tech innovator in Kigali.
Today, on World MSME Day 2025, the world pauses to acknowledge the irreplaceable contribution of MSMEs to global development. The United Nations has rightfully declared this year’s theme: Enhancing the Role of MSMEs as Drivers of Sustainable Growth and Innovation. For Africa, this is not just a theme — it is a lived reality.
MSMEs: Africa’s Engine of Growth
MSMEs account for over 90% of businesses, more than 80% of employment, and over 50% of GDP in most African countries. In communities where big industry is absent, MSMEs are the economy. They put food on tables, send children to school, digitise informal commerce, and fuel hope where opportunity is scarce.
Yet, despite their importance, many MSMEs face harsh barriers — lack of financing, limited access to markets, digital exclusion, and regulatory burdens. This is why MSMEs must not only be recognised — they must be empowered, protected, and amplified.
67CEOS Foundation: Investing in African Entrepreneurs
At 67CEOS Foundation, we believe that entrepreneurship is a social justice issue. Supporting entrepreneurs — especially youth, women, and rural innovators — is one of the most sustainable ways to drive socioeconomic transformation across Africa.
Through years of advocacy, convening, and action, we’ve positioned ourselves as ecosystem builders — connecting business leaders, governments, investors, development partners, and MSMEs on a common mission: to unlock the full potential of entrepreneurship for inclusive and sustainable development.
We’re not waiting for permission or ideal conditions. We’re acting.
Since its inception, the 67CEOS Foundation has worked tirelessly to strengthen Africa’s entrepreneurial backbone—its MSMEs. Through curated mentorship, business development programmes, and funding support, the Foundation has trained over 10,000 entrepreneurs and supported more than 2,000 MSMEs across South Africa and beyond. From funding digital transformation to rebuilding looted businesses, our initiatives have created tangible results—over R3 million in grants awarded, 172 full-time jobs created in 2024 alone, and countless success stories across industries like agriculture, construction, energy, hospitality, and tech. We’re not just empowering entrepreneurs—we’re building a movement of impact-focused African business leaders ready to compete globally while solving local challenges sustainably.
These achievements would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our partners and sponsors, including Exxaro Resources, Nedbank Group, Bidvest Group, and Bigen Group, who have committed funds, expertise, and corporate solidarity when it mattered most. As we prepare to host the Africa CEO Impact & Sustainability Meeting 2025 and the Africa Sustainability Hackathon, we invite even more visionary partners to stand with us—so together, we can continue driving entrepreneurship, sustainability, and inclusive economic growth across the continent.
Africa CEO Impact & Sustainability Meeting 2025
This year, we are hosting the Africa CEO Impact & Sustainability Meeting 2025, a landmark conference that brings Africa’s top CEOs to South Africa from 15–18 July.
Each CEO will deliver a powerful TED-style presentation, showcasing the socioeconomic impacts their companies are making and sharing sustainability actions that can be scaled and the vision of the AFRICA WE WANT.
This is not just about big business talking to big business. It’s about building bridges between established enterprises and rising entrepreneurs. These CEOs are not just speakers — they are mentors, collaborators, and impact investors.
Parallel to the main event: Africa Sustainability Hackathon
Running alongside the CEO conference is the Africa Sustainability Hackathon — a 67-hour innovation sprint for young developers, designers, and founders to co-create digital solutions for Africa’s sustainability challenges. These innovators, many of whom come from the MSME sector, will pitch solutions in agriculture, clean energy, digital finance, waste management, water, and supply chain sustainability.
The Hackathon is more than a competition — it is an investment in Africa’s future problem-solvers. And it’s one more way 67CEOS Foundation is connecting enterprise leadership to grassroots innovation.
What’s Next?
In the lead-up to July, we are hosting bi-monthly virtual sessions under the “Road to Africa CEO Impact & Sustainability Meeting 2025” banner. These sessions bring together MSMEs, business leaders, and sustainability experts to share knowledge, build networks, and inspire transformation.
From this moment forward, we commit to not only celebrating MSMEs but supporting them with access to markets, mentorship, strategic partnerships, and visibility at the highest levels of business and policy.
In the Spirit of Madiba
On this World MSME Day, and in the shadow of Nelson Mandela’s legacy, we are reminded that “It always seems impossible until it is done.” Let’s keep building an Africa where MSMEs are not just survivors — but thrivers, innovators, and torchbearers of sustainable progress.
To all the African entrepreneurs building something from nothing, we see you. We support you. And we’re building with you.