7th Edition of AACOSE

ABOUT AACOSE

Welcome to AACOSE, an initiative of the Institute for Social Transformation at Tangaza University College, founded in 2017. Our mission is to bring together key players in social entrepreneurship, fostering collaboration to cultivate an environment conducive to its growth across Africa.

AACOSE, co-organized by Tangaza University College – Institute for Social Transformation alongside various partner organisations dedicated to supporting social entrepreneurs, serves as a premier Pan-African gathering. Here, stakeholders in social entrepreneurship come together for mutual learning, co-creation, networking, and the development of narratives essential for driving social transformation on the continent.

At AACOSE, we focus on solutions, spotlighting the efforts of social entrepreneurs and innovations driving positive change in Africa. Our value lies in generating new knowledge, shaping the discourse surrounding social entrepreneurship, co-creating innovative solutions, fostering connections, and forging alliances to propel the growth of social entrepreneurship.

Join us at AACOSE and be part of the movement towards impactful social change across Africa.

AACOSE 7

AACOSE 7 will centre around the theme of – Building Networks to Advance Social Entrepreneurship in Africa. This focus is timely as the world grapples with pressing issues such as environmental crisis, growing inequality, and widespread youth unemployment, necessitating urgent collaborative efforts. While traditional economic models have often fallen short, social entrepreneurship has proven to be a catalyst for positive change, particularly in Africa.

Social entrepreneurship in Africa is effectively addressing social challenges through sustainable enterprises that prioritise societal well-being. Despite notable growth, there remain obstacles hindering its acceleration, including limited access to finances, absence of legal frameworks, weak collaboration, and capacity development. Additionally, social entrepreneurship remains misunderstood and unpopular in many countries, highlighting the need for greater awareness and strengthened networks.

AACOSE aims to address these challenges by leveraging existing networks and initiatives to build a continental network of social entrepreneurship. By connecting and strengthening these networks, AACOSE seeks to propel social entrepreneurship into a transformative force for continental change. Through multi-sectoral collaboration and a Pan-African discussion, AACOSE endeavours to bridge crucial gaps and advance social entrepreneurship in Africa.

Methodology of the conference

The summit will use a methodology that blends the experiences and practices that will contribute to generating new knowledge and solutions. It will showcase models of social entrepreneurs, case studies, social entrepreneurship research, and panel discussions. The sessions will be organised in plenary and breakout sessions. The breakout sessions provide the opportunity for in-depth conversation, showcasing, master class and practices on thematic areas. The parallel sessions are led by industry leaders. The AACOSE academia will focus on research paper presentations.

Outcomes

The conference will generate new knowledge through panel discussions and case studies. This knowledge will be compiled in a book that will enhance our understanding of social entrepreneurship practices and challenges. This will serve as a learning resource for social entrepreneurship. In addition, the conference will be able to connect various social entrepreneurship networks, which will help to amplify the impact that is shaping the content. It will create new research opportunities for academia. The lessons from the conference will provide direction for advocacy for social entrepreneurship in Africa.