Entrepreneurship provides an important avenue for expanding the economies of developing countries. Although capital is needed to kick-start entrepreneurial endeavours, an understanding of the marketplace, application of sound business practices, and effective technology use can help entrepreneurs put investments to good use. The Enterprise Steering Committee of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Digital Divide Initiative (GDDI) set out to foster socio-economic development by exploiting WEF’s global network and the power of information and communications technology (ICT) to help entrepreneurs in developing countries build sustainable businesses. It created the Enterprise Channelling Organisation (ECHO) in 2001 as a vehicle for delivering development aid at ground level that would offer support to entrepreneurs through donations of human and other resources instead of money.

This report includes: descriptions of the support provided by ECHO partner companies to the two recipient entrepreneurial initiatives, a report on best practices gleaned from the pilot, and suggestions for taking forward a model for helping ground level entrepreneurs.

Table of contents

Executive summary

1. Introduction and background

2. The Echo pilot in South Africa

3. Description of the SHAWCO Computer Centre intervention

4. Description of the BuySouthAfricaOnLine.com intervention

5. Best practices for ground level entrepreneurship support gleaned from the ECHO pilot

6. Suggestions for taking the model forward

7. Conclusion

Acknowledgements