THE African Social Enterprise Workshop (ASEW) has successfully hosted the 7th edition of its Sustaining Impact Summit convening over 500 of social innovators, thought leaders, and practitioners to exchange insights on building resourceful selves, societies, and networks.
The ASEW is a leading platform dedicated to supporting social entrepreneurs and innovators across Africa through learning, collaboration, and recognition.
The initiative focuses on strengthening resourceful and resilient communities by equipping social innovators with tools to create sustainable social impact.
The two-day summit featured dynamic panel discussions where the founder of ASEW and the Director of the Sustaining Impact Summit, Adeyemi Adelekan, highlighted that ‘Relying solely on external funding makes social enterprises vulnerable.’
He noted that sustainability comes from resourcefulness, adaptability, and building on what communities already have.
The keynote speakers, Debbi Brock and Sophie Bacq, led conversations on resilience, accountability, and sustainability in the social enterprise space.
Panelists from across the continent emphasised the importance of leveraging local resources, building coalitions, fostering creativity, and collaborating across ecosystems to drive community-owned impact.
‘Social entrepreneurs need to be engaged and involved in the decisions that affect them, including policies that shape their work,’ said Sophie Bacq, underscoring the need for inclusive governance.
Speakers highlighted how African entrepreneurs can shift from a consumer to a producer mindset, embrace design thinking, and use peer mentorship, creativity, and indigenous knowledge as powerful tools for lasting change.
Also, Amandine Robin said ‘Most startups fail because they spend their time solving problems nobody cares about. Successful solutions begin with empathy and a deep understanding of community needs.’
The event also featured the Impact Prize Awards, celebrating outstanding African social entrepreneurs driving change in their communities.