Bringing Together the Big and the Small

Multinational corporations (MNCs) have the potential to influence job and business formation in the Africa through Corporate Social Responsibility Entrepreneurship (CSRE) programs and support. Surprisingly, the best approaches and/or means to support, track, and report these efforts remain unclear. Through a review of twelve prominent companies, this chapter expands the current literature on CSR by providing a broader view of MNCs role in promoting entrepreneurship priorities in Africa. Five major types of CSRE that current initiatives fall under are identified, along with the intended contributions, beneficiaries (e.g. micro-entrepreneurs, SMEs, women), and ways in which MNCs track and report impact. While MNCs efforts are laudable for their depth and breadth, major challenges remain to ascertain the real impact of these priorities and actions on the entrepreneurial landscape. The authors discuss these and suggest important considerations for MNC continued and improved support of African entrepreneurship and African entrepreneurs.