Youth Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa: Understanding Relationships That Exist Between Business and Individual Characteristics, Challenges and Ways Forward

The study set out to discover from the perspectives of youth entrepreneurs in Ghana, civil societies and the government, the internal and external challenges that impede the ability to grow youth entrepreneurial ventures as well as capture their perceived ways forward through a mixed-method approach. Analysis revealed a significant relationship between internal challenges and marital status, business location and business registration. Also, there was a significant relationship between external challenges and marital status, business location and business registration. Marital status and location of business predicted internal challenges. There were significant differences in business location (virtual or physical) and marital status concerning perceived internal and external challenges. Regarding the ways forward, there was a significant relationship between the region and access to finance, type of business and right support systems and infrastructure, and access to entrepreneurship networks and collaborations/partnerships. A significant relationship was found between location and access to finance, the right support systems and infrastructure, and the creation of the avenues for capacity building/skills development and between monthly profit and flexible business registration processes. The location of the business and the type of business predicted the right support systems and infrastructure. There were significant differences in one’s preference for the right support systems and infrastructure, increased market opportunities for business products, access to technology tools, and flexible business registration process concerning business type. Stakeholders believed the way forward is access to finance and shorter processes for business registration, support system, market opportunities, capacity building, networking, and providing tech tools.