Recent data from the State of Social Enterprise report illuminates the leadership landscape within the social economy across key African nations. The findings reveal that women are taking a commanding role in the sector, which distinguishes itself by prioritising societal impact—such as poverty alleviation, education, and healthcare—alongside revenue generation.
Among the nations surveyed in the November 2025 insight report, South Africa leads the region with the highest proportion of women-led social enterprises, recording an impressive 67%.
Kenya follows closely, demonstrating strong gender inclusivity in this sector with 58% of its social enterprises being led by women. This places Kenya ahead of several other major economies in the comparison.
Ghana also showcases a majority female leadership demographic, with 55% of social enterprises directed by women, further emphasizing the trend of high female participation in impact-driven business models across the continent.
Ethiopia presents a slightly more balanced gender distribution but still maintains a majority, with women leading 51% of social enterprises.
Cameroon rounds out the dataset with 40%, being the only country in this specific cohort where women constitute less than half of the leadership in social enterprises.
Collectively, these figures suggest that the social enterprise model in Africa is heavily driven by female entrepreneurs who are balancing market mechanisms with social development goals, particularly in Southern and East African markets where the percentages are most pronounced.
