Enhancing Entrepreneurship Skills and Competitiveness in Egypt

In Egypt there has been a need to improve the private sector’s growth potential and competitiveness. Kaizen provided technical interventions as a subcontractor to Chemonics International on the Egypt Competitiveness Program (ECP). Kaizen’s technical interventions supported the program’s overall goal to enhance entrepreneurship and business skills within the Egyptian private sector.

One of the interventions supported young Egyptian entrepreneurs in media. This was achieved by educating print media outlets about entrepreneurship, the quality of entrepreneurs, and the role that entrepreneurship can play in a burgeoning economy. Kaizen provided training and coaching to multiple traditional print and digital media organizations, including Rayada magazine. The company also worked one on one with individual entrepreneurs and the media that cover them during Startup Weekend Cairo and Entrepreneurship Days in Alexandria.

Another intervention was the development of a gender communication and media strategy to help understand, strategize, and promote female entrepreneurs in Egypt. Women in Egypt face obstacles to entrepreneurial opportunities, including lack of access to finance, weak social status, and competing demands on time. To help combat some of these barriers, Kaizen developed a communications and outreach guideline that focused on face-to-face encounters, was greatly supplemented by social media, and utilized private news sources.

Kaizen also developed a mentoring strategy for entrepreneurs based on global benchmarks and best practices. The strategy supported entrepreneurs in Egypt via mentoring and coaching. Kaizen assessed the specific needs of entrepreneurs and applied lessons learned from around the globe to develop a sustainable strategy that included a nationwide public campaign; a cadre of dedicated, committed, and trained mentors; and an online matching infrastructure.

Overall, Kaizen’s technical interventions in the ECP improved entrepreneurship and business skills within the Egyptian private sector. The interventions supported young Egyptian entrepreneurs in media, developed a gender communication and media strategy, and created mentoring strategy for entrepreneurs based on global benchmarks and best practices.