Make-IT in Africa Initiative: Impact Report 2017-2019

Submitted by Alina Danieles… on 20 May 2020

MAKE-IT In Africa is an initiative launched in 2016 by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in Germany, together with the private sector, as part of BMZ’s Digital Africa Initiative.The Make-IT Alliance connects the experience and practical knowledge of successful technology companies, associations and entrepreneurship initiatives with the creative potential of young tech entrepreneurs. The network is continuously growing with currently 32 partners jointly promoting tech entrepreneurship and ecosystem development in emerging economies. Since 2017, cooperations with partners such as SAP, IBM, Afrolynk, German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHK) and others connected more than 50 tech entrepreneurs with corporates for joint innovation and market access.

The “Tech-Entrepreneurship Initiative Make-IT in Africa” promotes digital innovation for sustainable and inclusive development in sub-Saharan Africa. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH implements this project on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as part of BMZ’s Digital Africa Initiative. In close collaboration with more than 20 corporate and financing partners, social enterprises, hubs and networks, ‘Make-IT in Africa’ supports an enabling environment for young entrepreneurs in the digital sector – to enable better access to finance, markets and skills.

This impact report highlights the results of Make-IT in Africa’s first two years of implementation experience, in creating new types of partnerships between development organisations, business, finance and entrepreneurs by combining the strengths of the public and private sectors to promote digital innovation for sustainable and inclusive development. The impact reporting is frequently updated with quarterly fact sheets available on the initiative's website.  

Find out more about the innovation ecosystems in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia and how Make-IT in Africa seeks to insure better access to finance and markets for tech start-ups as well as the support offered for national and international policy dialogues for tech entrepreneurship promotion in the impact report available here.

For more information please visit Make-IT in Africa website; contact make-it [at] giz.de.

Third Country
Nigeria Tunisia Other Countries in Africa
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