Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025: “Entrepreneurship isn’t developed by decree,” Dr Brice Hondi

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For Dr. Brice Hondi, Global Entrepreneurship Week should not be reduced to an international ritual, but become a lever to awaken the African continent — carried by millions of entrepreneurs who, despite adversity, build the Africa of tomorrow every day. In his message, he reminds that on the continent, starting out is not an ambitious choice but a vital necessity.

Everywhere in Africa, he says, lives are being reinvented away from the spotlight. From the artisan in Cotonou who shapes bamboo without a design degree, to the hairdresser in Ouagadougou who feeds several families thanks to an improvised salon, to the young developer in Dakar creating solutions for markets he has never set foot in. “Those entrepreneurs don’t take part in Global Entrepreneurship Week. They live it every day,” he insists.

For the promoter of the African Artisans Network, these economic actors, often informal and invisible, nevertheless embody the true soul of the African economy.

Entrepreneurship often ignored but decisive

One of Dr Brice Hondi’s central messages lies in this question: how many African entrepreneurs recognize themselves as such? Many operate without training, without funding, without networks, “with as their only capital their ingenuity, their perseverance and the quiet conviction that they can do better than the fate assigned to them”.

For him, Africa does not have a shortage of entrepreneurs. It suffers from a severe lack of supportive ecosystems — notably accessible financing, solid support structures, institutional recognition and reduced administrative burden. It is in this context that the NGO Club Excellence ADECO has been working for more than twenty years.

The organization, its Chairman of the Board recalls, transforms artisans into accomplished entrepreneurs, supports women in structuring their activities, and equips young people so they can create the opportunities they lack themselves.

“Our contribution is only one stone among many in a vast undertaking, but we lay it with seriousness, consistency and respect for those who fight every day,” he says.

A message addressed to entrepreneurs, states and partners

In this 2025 edition, Dr Hondi targets three groups of actors. To African entrepreneurs, he pays a moving tribute. He maintains that they are “everyday heroes” who write the continent’s history by persisting despite obstacles. He encourages them to “claim their title,” to demand the support they deserve and to connect with one another to amplify their impact.

To governments and institutions, he reminds that no economy prospers without a conducive environment. “Entrepreneurship does not develop by decree,” he insists. To technical and financial partners, he reminds that support should not be limited to media-covered startups. Because, he says, the true engine of transformation lies “in SMEs, artisans, traders and innovative farmers,” those thousands of small enterprises that form the real foundation of the African economy.

“They are the true drivers of African development,” assures Dr Hondi. He is convinced that the continent’s economic future is played out in these modest but powerful journeys. “Africa will not develop through aid. It will develop through its entrepreneurs.” he added.