The survey also found that there are considerable differences between businesses when it comes to inclusion. And no matter who is embarking on the challenge of inclusive business in Africa ‒ be it NGOs or companies ‒ they all face challenges in integrating socially-relevant issues into their core operations.
The survey was conducted by the INCLUDE research group called ‘Inclusive Business Strategies in Africa’ (in which PrC participates) and is discussed on the INCLUDE online platform.
One striking result of the survey is that organisations define and frame inclusiveness in many different ways. The most common obstacles organisations encounter in becoming more inclusive are shortages of skilled workers and limited financial resources.
Based on the results of the first survey, the research team is preparing a second survey to sharpen its understanding of inclusive business, related motivations and barriers faced by companies doing business in Africa.
The full article is published on the INCLUDE platform here. For more information about the Inclusive Business Strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa project, contact Siri Lijfering, researcher and project officer at the Partnerships Resource Centre.