INSIGHTS – REA-BRIDGE Africa: Best Practices for connecting the entrepreneurial ecosystems of Africa and France

Led by a consortium composed of Business France and ANIMA, the REA-BRIDGE Africa project aims to sustainably strengthen African entrepreneurial networks while connecting them to the French innovation ecosystem. This structuring initiative promotes peer-to-peer collaboration, encouraging exchange, mentorship, and skills development for entrepreneurs across the continent.

A Network of Networks Supporting African Entrepreneurship

At the heart of the project are the African Entrepreneur Networks (Réseaux d’Entrepreneurs Africains – REA). Created by entrepreneurs, NGOs, or local organizations, these networks bring together communities ranging from 3 to 250 active members in diverse sectors such as agriculture, audiovisual, and cultural industries. Their mission: to pool resources, share opportunities, and foster mutual support among entrepreneurs.

Since 2020, around fifteen REAs have been launched with the support of the Solidarity Fund for Innovative Projects (FSPI) from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Needs identified during consultations with these networks helped define the program’s core priorities: strengthening ties with the diaspora and French counterparts, improving access to practical tools, and ensuring the sustainability of existing structures.

Practical and Inspiring Support

REA-BRIDGE Africa goes beyond networking: it offers concrete support through training sessions, diaspora-led mentorship programs, twinning initiatives, business meetings, and international events. The goal is to empower REAs to organize, grow, and thrive.

Inspiring Testimonials: 3 “Best Practices” Videos

To illustrate the project’s real impact, three entrepreneurs committed to their communities share their journeys and advice in a series of inspiring videos:

🔹 Adzo Atitsogbui – Animation & Gaming in Ghana
In a booming industry, Adzo shares her advice for young people—especially women—looking to enter animation and gaming:

“We are here to push each other, motivate each other, talk to other women and reach our community.”

🔹 Tanjona – Founder of Moli Company (Agri-food, Madagascar)
: With her Royal Zanatany coffee grown by local women in Itasy, Tanjona from Moli Company encourages others to take action—even with limited means:

“Don’t wait, just go for it! Start small, dream big, and believe in yourself.”

🔹 Gaetan Rajaofera – Greentsika (Waste management, Madagascar)
Entrepreneurship and sustainability meet in Gaetan’s mission for a cleaner environment through Greentsika:

“Resilience and courage are essential in entrepreneurship.”

This project, at the intersection of solidarity, innovation, and the Francophonie, represents a new approach to supporting African entrepreneurship: more collaborative, more connected, and deeply rooted in real needs on the ground.