Building Bridges: Tunisia and Côte d'Ivoire Unite to Foster Entrepreneurial Innovation
Kufanya International Connect
The Kufanya International Connect (KIC) marked a significant milestone in the history of African entrepreneurship, as Tunisia and Côte d'Ivoire came together to launch a groundbreaking event that brought together entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation experts to foster collaboration and innovation between the two French-speaking African startup ecosystems.
The first edition of KIC was held on November 22, 2024, simultaneously in Tunis, Abidjan, and online, with around 100 participants from both countries and beyond. The event was organized by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Tunisia and Friedrich Naumann Foundation / West Africa - Ivory Coast in collaboration with African Business Leaders in Tunisia and Africa Business.
The KIC offered a unique platform for exchange and collaboration between the two dynamic ecosystems, with a balanced participation of around 40 people in Tunis and a similar number in Abidjan, as well as numerous participants connected online. The event concluded with a major resolution: the creation of a single network bringing together the key players in the entrepreneurial ecosystems of both countries to support startups in their development.
The event program focused on two main themes: opportunities and challenges for startups in Tunisia and Côte d'Ivoire, and internationalization and bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The discussions highlighted the strengths and complementarities of the two ecosystems, while identifying the levers for accelerating the growth of African businesses.
The Kufanya International Connect marks the beginning of a lasting collaboration between Tunisia and Côte d'Ivoire, with the ambition of building solid bridges between North and West Africa. This event reflects the collective desire to strengthen innovation, promote entrepreneurship, and enhance inter-African synergies.
As Mr. Oyono Loic, Deputy Director of the Kufanya-African Business Leaders incubator, declared, "This event illustrates our ambition to strengthen ties between North and West Africa, offering startups a framework for cooperation that stimulates innovation and encourages their expansion into new markets.
