Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day
What people want are solutions that work
Every year, we celebrate Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, a day when policymakers, donors, and business leaders spotlight the engine rooms of our economies. And rightfully so. Across Africa, MSMEs are not a sector; they are the lifeline of our economies.
But let us be real. Most small business owners in Africa are not waiting for ideological alignment. They are not sitting around debating capitalism vs. socialism or formal vs. informal sector theory. They are just trying to keep the lights on, keep customers happy, and keep food on the table. They want to know: will this policy, loan scheme, grant, or training actually help me? As professionals working in government, finance, development, or enterprise support, we owe them more than slogans. We owe them real, practical answers.
You will find MSMEs in every alley of Accra, every kiosk in Kigali, and every corner of Kisumu and Kinshasa. These are the people creating jobs, feeding communities, and driving innovation. Yet, too often, what they get from professionals like us is red tape, one-size-fits-all programmes, or glossy conferences that do not touch the ground. MSMEs do not want buzzwords. They want breathing room.
They do not need empowerment speeches. They need stable electricity, fast payments, affordable finance, and clear tax processes. It is time we stopped offering them ideology and started offering infrastructure.
That woman running a tailoring shop in Tamale is not interested in whether her microloan programme aligns with global financial inclusion principles. She is interested in how soon she can get the money, whether the interest rate is bearable or if she can grow her business without drowning in paperwork. MSMEs trust what they can see, feel, and use. And that is where our work should focus, not on frameworks for their own sake but tangible outcomes that help people breathe easier.
Many MSME support programmes fail because we overcomplicate what should be simple. We fill toolkits with buzzwords. We hold stakeholder engagements that do not include the stakeholders who matter most—actual entrepreneurs. And we measure success by outputs, not outcomes.
One way to flip this script is to speak plainly. We must cut the jargon. If your programme cannot be explained to a bodaboda mechanic in five sentences, go back to the drawing board.
As we build solutions, we must build with MSMEs. This might look like co-design support systems with real business owners at the table. They know what works. Respect their lived experience.
It is equally important to stay accountable. MSMEs are not just numbers in a report. They are our neighbours, our partners, our future employers. If our interventions do not serve them, we have failed.
Africa’s economic future is not written in ideology. It is being built in market stalls, workshops, kitchens, tech hubs, and delivery bikes every single day. That is where the real work is happening.
On this MSME Day, we can do more than acknowledge small business. As professionals, policymakers, and service providers, let us challenge ourselves to listen better, simplify faster, and deliver smarter. Because what most MSMEs need is not theory but breathing room, tools that work and systems that serve. And if we cannot provide that, what are we really celebrating?
