Alibaba Group, UNCTAD bring together 24 Africa-based entrepreneurs to engage in eFounders Initiative

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Alibaba Business School and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) brought together 24 Africa-based entrepreneurs to participate in the inaugural eFounders Initiative.

The eFounders Initiative is the first step to fulfill the commitment Jack Ma made as the UNCTAD Special Adviser for Young Entrepreneurs and Small Business to help empower 1,000 entrepreneurs in developing countries over the next five years. It is part of a set of smart partnerships UNCTAD is creating to reach the sustainable development goals. By bridging the digital divide facing young entrepreneurs in developing countries, the eFounders initiative helps make sure no one is left behind by the digital economy, as called for by the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.  The eFounders Initiative is also in line with Alibaba’s mission to help small businesses succeed in their home markets and beyond by leveraging the power of technology.

“Today, we have to be smart to make sure we do not miss the opportunity e-commerce represents, both as an engine of growth and as a source of inclusiveness,” says Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD. “There are sharp differences on how countries use it and benefit from it. This contrast is nowhere more evident than in Africa, where less than five percent of the population shops online.”

The two dozen participants were selected from more than 700 applicants via a rigorous application process. All participants are current pioneers in their respective fields, varying from mobile payment, big data, retail, logistics, and others. As a part of the program, they have pledged to be agents of change in their home countries. After graduating, each of them will commit to applying the program’s learnings to their own business objectives and to transferring their know-how to others to improve the e-commerce infrastructure of their country.

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