This research project focuses on how inclusive business entrepreneurs deal with tensions between financial sustainability and social/environmental impact when scaling their businesses within Orange Corners' programmes in Angola, South Africa and Mozambique.

How can we support and scale the impact of young innovators in fragile settings? This study, initiated by Orange Corners in collaboration with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, INCLUDE and the African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL), explores the role of youth entrepreneurship in dealing with uncertainty and fragility and offers recommendations for policy makers and entrepreneurial support organisations on how to best cater to their needs.

At Orange Corners, we believe in the transformative potential of entrepreneurship. That’s why our research isn’t just about improving our own programmes – it’s about shaping the future of entrepreneurship theory and practice on a global scale. Our research agenda shows our priorities for the years ahead. From entrepreneurial ecosystem development to agri-entrepreneurship, we’re diving deep into the issues that matter most. And with cross-cutting themes like gender and digitalisation, we’re ensuring our work is inclusive and future-proof.

In November 2025, Orange Corners Benin Programme Advisors Rachel van der Pol and Ward Karssemeijer travelled to Benin to conduct an ecosystem mapping ahead of the opening of our two new programmes, the Orange Corners Benin training programme and the Orange Corners Innovation Fund Benin.

The first step towards successfully launching a new Orange Corners programme is always an in-depth ecosystem mapping. In May 2023, our programme advisor for Burundi Milou toured Burundi together with a colleague specialised in private sector development and an embassy colleague. In this summarised version of the Burundi ecosystem mapping for the very first time we share some of their observations with the larger public.

Originating in South Africa, Orange Corners now plays a central role in strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems. Together, the insights and recommendations from this ecosystem mapping provide a roadmap for enhancing Orange Corners’ impact in South Africa: deepening ecosystem collaboration, strengthening entrepreneurial pathways, and reinforcing entrepreneurship as a driver of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

This Orange Corners Nigeria/FATE Foundation report presents the findings of a national mapping study of Nigeria’s youth entrepreneurship ecosystem. Covering eight states (Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kogi, Edo, Abia and Rivers), the study provides a data-driven, field-tested look at the opportunities, barriers, actors and systemic gaps shaping the youth enterprise landscape across the country. Based on surveys, stakeholder interviews and comparative analysis, the report covers six thematic pillars: Policy & Regulation, Access to Finance, Business Support, Capacity Building, Access to Market, and Gender Equity.