Leading issues affecting businesses in selected African countries 2023
Between 2022 and 2023, a survey found that the leading issue faced by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Africa was the inflation rate, with 31 percent of firms citing this as the biggest factor affecting them. The second most impactful issue was the lasting effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, mentioned by 19 percent of respondents. However, the situation differed in Ethiopia, where business owners identified political uncertainty resulting from the ongoing war in northern Ethiopia as the primary factor affecting their operations.