British Council & Microsoft Programme Targets Aspiring Entrepreneurs

The British Council is teaming up with Microsoft to support Africa’s aspiring and early-stage young entrepreneurs through their ‘Creative Economy E-Learning Programme’. The free programme offers online courses geared at equipping Africa’s youth with the necessary tools to navigate the creative economy and turn their ideas into a reality.

Upon completion of the e-programme, participants will receive a certification that opens the door to sustained support through their business journey including mentoring, coaching, incubation and acceleration. 

The programme comes as part of the British Council’s broader ‘Creative Economy’ strand, aimed at developing ecosystems into sustainable hubs of entrepreneurship and innovation. The modules include courses of varying difficulties, catering to different skill sets. The basic course introduces curious entrepreneurs to the foundations of the creative economy and the steps required to build a business. The intermediate level delves deeper into the details of growth strategies, building a team and raising capital. 

After learning the basics, the budding entrepreneurs will have access to a more nuanced look into the social impact of creative entrepreneurship as well as insight for policy stakeholders looking to drive change in the creative economy. ‘Social Impact through Creative Entrepreneurship’ will equip students with an understanding of social innovation, the role of technology and the ethics of inclusion and sustainability, while ‘Creative Economy Policy’ explores the role of the creative economy in sustainable development.