Contributing to academic discussions on entrepreneurship and gender in Africa, Amanobea Boateng’s new book African Female Entrepreneurship: Merging Profit and Social Motives for the Greater Good, makes for fascinating reading. It provides coverage of recent trends and an exploration of the evolution of female entrepreneurship over time. This innovative new text, written from an African woman’s perspective, fills a gap in the current literature on this topic and places important focus on the role of female entrepreneurship in Africa’s development as a continent.
Focussing on key issues such as social feminism and the capability approach, the author addresses the possibility of a potential overlap between social entrepreneurship and female entrepreneurship in Africa. Insightful accounts of women from countries such as South Africa, Namibia and Ghana, along with theoretical research into the further development and advancement of female entrepreneurs, make this book an important must-read for those interested in entrepreneurship and gender in Africa.
Author quotes
Entrepreneurship is a catalyst for development and growth and has contributed significantly to recent positive economic trends in Africa.
Female entrepreneurship positively impacts poverty alleviation and socio-economic development.
In addition to income generation, women often use entrepreneurship to gain independence and agency to enhance the quality of life for themselves and their communities.
About the author
Dr Amanobea Boateng is an author on African female entrepreneurship, and an independent Consultant in the field of small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Her book entitled “African Female Entrepreneurship: Merging Profit and Social Motives for the Greater Good” published by Palgrave Macmillan, examines the role of African female entrepreneurs in contributing to socioeconomic development. Amanobea has most recently consulted for the International Development and Advisory Services (IDAS) of KPMG in Ghana, and until December 2016 was Programme Manager for the Graça Machel Trust women’s financial inclusion programme, New Faces New Voices, with representation in seventeen African countries. She previously worked for PwC in Ghana and KPMG in Zambia in management consulting, and also for the South Africa mining companies, Anglo American Corporation and Gold Fields Limited in the development and support of Black-owned SMEs. She is passionate about entrepreneurship and was instrumental in setting up and operating the Gold Fields Thusanang Centre, providing SME development, support and capacity building services to entrepreneurs and businesses in gold mining communities in the West Wits and Free State in South Africa. Amanobea holds a doctorate in business administration (DBA) from the Grenoble École de Management, France, in which she researched the impact of female entrepreneurship on poverty alleviation. She has an MBA from Stirling University, Scotland, and a BA (Hons) in French and Spanish from Cardiff University, Wales.
Why LoA loves it….
There are lots of books written on women’s entrepreneurship, but Amanobea Boateng writes on the impact driven value chain that results when Africa’s women entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses. It’s interesting to read her analysis of the greater impact created by these women entrepreneurs on community, family, society and a new generation of aspirant young women business builders of the future. And, in changing perceptions of women entrepreneurs in Africa as a whole, positioning them as positive change agents in their own right. A thought provoking read for all those interested in the wider discussions around women’s entrepreneurship in Africa. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and ceo of Lionesses of Africa