Situation analysis of Startups in Sudan - Insights Report

This study started with the purpose of expanding the knowledge on the startup scene in Sudan through the collection of information about several topics of interest, the most important of which were: the main features and characteristics of start-ups in Sudan, the nature of the business environment, and the entrepreneurial culture in Sudan, the common obstacles and challenges faced by the Sudanese start-ups and identifying and mapping the entrepreneurial ecosystem actors and the existing support options. We had higher aspirations of reaching a more extensive and more diverse sample of respondents in this study survey. However, due to the limitations we faced, which were the world’s prominent situation as a reason for the pandemic lockdown and the country’s unique conditions, we gathered a little over 500 respondents. 249Startups and JICA considered an excellent quantity of data. We will discuss the main critical insight that we consider an eye-opener in several elements of Sudan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. We have reached to its conclusion by analyzing and validating the data.

The key findings and observations attained in this study in the business environment could be summarized by first, the existence of a significant gap in the knowledge of the public about registration, taxation, and financing processes, as well as the complication, complexity, and difficulty of these processes in the eye of the public. This observation was recurring during the validation interviews and focus groups made with both entrepreneurs and experts. This pointed out how critical these matters are currently and how important it is for us to investigate these majors in the future further to produce and contribute informing the appropriate solutions. The gap in knowledge and awareness of the public extends to support, training, mentorship, educational, and funding programs by support organizations, non-governmental organizations, government, and other actors in Sudan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Some of the arguments presented in this matter attribute this gap to the insufficient supply of these programs. For the cultural element of the entrepreneurial culture, one of the essential traits considered a matter of concern is the domination of risk aversion in the Sudanese society’s behavior. The educational system could fight the fear of failure and the imitation it results in and media channels which was also a point raised often during the data validation process.

The key findings discussed briefly above, and the other findings of this study represent great interest and concern that need further study and investigation to acquire more information about each separate issue.

Many factors can affect entrepreneurship’s ease or difficulty, including legal infrastructure, policies, access to finance, workforce, social views, educational institutions, and support entities. The study conducted an in-depth review of national and international relevant documents and literature, surveys, and interviews with a cross-section of stakeholders in the government, private sector, startups, support organizations, and actors. A survey was conducted to provide new data from the startup ecosystem in Sudan. Triangulating data assisted in understanding different viewpoints. The analysis included an investigation of the three sections that holistically describe the ecosystem (business environment, actors, and culture) and compare between Sudan’s and Uganda’s startup ecosystem