An exploratory study on social entrepreneurship in Egypt

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to add to the existing wealth of knowledge on the benefits and challenges of social entrepreneurship in Egypt, a challenging emerging economy. Design/methodology/approach The research combines secondary and primary research with the latter including interviews across the public, private and social entrepreneurship sectors, together with surveys to gather Egyptian and international perspectives. Findings The study addresses several political, cultural and economic themes that significantly influence the emergence and growth of social entrepreneurship organisations in Egypt. Research limitations/implications Egypt is undergoing significant change at present; hence, this research provides a snapshot of what may be considered a very dynamic environment. Practical implications Recommendations are made that have practical implications for each of the public, private, development and non-profit sectors in Egypt. It is suggested that the public sector ought to unite its efforts under one umbrella organisation, the private sector could benefit from growing social awareness across the region, while development groups should continue to focus on education generally. Non-profit entities can seek to collaborate with others, and all organisations can make better use of developing global communications technology. Social implications A base of social entrepreneurship is already established in Egypt, but this research suggests that further encouragement of these initiatives could help develop the economy and foster a more socially aware culture and political landscape. Originality/value Social entrepreneurship in Egypt continues to evolve, and this research identifies a number of economic, cultural and political perspectives that, if addressed, could help accelerate progress.