Social Entepreneurship Social-Preneurs

Nafula Kisiangani

Nafula is the Executive Director of Ubuntu Development Solution

What is a social Enterprise?

A social enterprise is an organization whose main focus is not just financial value but also social good. Social Enterprises adopt Human Centered Models and are always led by passionate individuals who are interested in change and these are Social Entrepreneurs.

Why are social enterprises important in Africa?

There are unending social challenges in Africa that need to be addressed for enhanced productivity. For instance, we cannot tap to the productivity and ability of marginalized groups if we do not address issues around inequalities. However, as we seek to address social challenges we should focus on sustainability of our solutions. Therefore we have to be futuristic and rethink our models of achieving social change.

How are Social Enterprises registered?

Social Enterprises can be registered as both profit and nonprofit entity; They can be a limited company, company limited by guarantee, CBO, NGO, Trust, Society, Sacco, Women group etc. Each outfit has its legal obligations, pros and cons. Registration outfit will always depend on factors like the nature, purpose and vision of the organization etc

What are some of the challenges that social-entrepreneurs face?

Lack of capital as they are often working against the system in their quest to influencing a social change, a lot of social challenges are in low income areas therefore it's hard to charge this them for the solutions; ironically sometimes those you are working for want to be paid. There is generally a low investment in social work in developing countries; unfortunately, social work has significantly been left to volunteers and well wishers. Social workers also struggle with burnout because of intense work and little appreciation. There is little innovation in social development due to of status quo related interest and finally we have inadequate policies on social enterprises etc

What are some of your proposed solutions?

Social Enterprises relies on trust and credibility because they are often dealing with people, Social Entrepreneurs should therefore be consistent and communicate effectively to earn loyalty. Secondly they should network to leverage on their costs. Third, social entrepreneurs should take advantage of social media to advance their causes. They should also take advantage of free online learning opportunities to up their skills; for instance learning how to tell their brand stories. Social entrepreneurs can also leverage on partnerships to reduce costs enhance their visibility. Another strategy for their survival is to adopt unique models such as price discrimination: For instance, if you are doing something to do with life skills, Mental Health you can sign contracts with high end schools that are always willing to pay because in they understand this and then reach out to informal settlement. Further, it is important that Social Entrepreneurs have a source of income to cater for their needs; sustainability also means they are sustaining themselves, to achieve this they can leverage on their talents. In order to enhance credibility, social entrepreneurs should be strategic on their membership; they should incorporate those with social justifications. Social Entrepreneurs should also be committed to their personal development so that they can deal with the challenges they encounter; Remember they are challenging status quo and status quo will resist and they have resources. Lastly Social Enterprises should align their agenda to SDGs, National Development goals, County Development Goals etc to be relevant and to get partnerships and funding. They need to understand the industry you are in and its global and local interests.

What are the opportunities for Social Entrepreneurship/ Social Entrepreneurs?

Ubuntu Community is already an opportunity for you to learn, to create partnerships and networks. Further, I encourage you to be a constant visitor of platforms like opportunity desk and event bright they have amazing opportunities. Remember to make good use of social media; always sell your agenda to get the support you need. Social Entrepreneurs should also use social media to brand themselves: A Social Entrepreneurs key capital is also on their brand. For personal and skill development, you can leverage on online courses; organizations such as YALI, acumen, British council etc have a number. On social media specifically; be intentional, authentic, speak your passion boldly, celebrate your milestones, say the kind of help you need. Finally, take advantage of networking and volunteering opportunities, get out there strategically and accumulate the social capital, make sure you are known by what you do so that in case of an opportunity, they think about you 1st.

I have a business that I launched a week ago; I am making natural oils for hair. Is it possible to make it a social enterprise?

Yes. You can identify a problem in your industry and address it. It can even be on organization modeling for instance you can decide to adopt a feministic model. Remember women still struggle with discrimination in the corporate spaces in their current modeling. Businesses that will survive in future must have global characters, you can always align your business to an SDG goal.