Susan Mang’eni, PS for MSMEs speaking during the launch of Conecta Africa at Windsor Hotel in Nairobi
Corporate organisations have been called upon to play a more active role in supporting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Kenya by offering access to capital, markets, and technical expertise critical for growth.
The call was made by Hon. Susan Mang’eni, Principal Secretary, State Department for MSMEs, during the launch of Conecta Africa, a continent-wide initiative aimed at strengthening early-stage entrepreneurial ecosystems. The programme is spearheaded by Bridge for Billions in partnership with TheIDRC, Grundfos Foundation, and Strathmore University.
Speaking at the event, which brought together over 100 stakeholders including government officials, development partners, corporates, academia, and entrepreneurship support organisations, PS Mang’eni emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts in enabling MSMEs—particularly those led by youth and women—to scale sustainably.
“MSMEs with viable products need support from corporates to access the three pillars of growth: capital, markets, and the technical know-how to scale,” she said. “By working together, we can build stronger and more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems.”
The Conecta Africa initiative spans Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa, and is designed to enhance inclusive growth through ecosystem building, access to finance, and entrepreneurial capacity development.
During her address, PS Mang’eni also shed light on upcoming plans for the next phase of the Hustler Fund, which will focus on scaling up existing enterprises with a proven credit track record. This next phase will offer larger credit packages, sector-specific support, targeted mentorship, and linkages to value chains and global markets.
“We want to see women and youth-led businesses progress from micro to small, and from small to medium-sized, export-ready enterprises,” said Mang’eni.
She also extended an invitation to Conecta Africa and its partners to collaborate with the government in developing digital training content that can be accessed by Hustler Fund beneficiaries to support their enterprise growth.
“Digital tools and tailored content will ensure that beneficiaries are not just accessing funds but also gaining the knowledge and skills to make their businesses sustainable,” she added.
The event provided a platform for high-level dialogue and co-creation of strategies to accelerate entrepreneurship-led development in Kenya and the wider region.