The initiative focuses on sustainable economic development by fostering entrepreneurship and innovation among students and entrepreneurs in Africa.
In many African countries the number of young people gaining access to higher education is growing rapidly, while the growth of quality jobs is lagging. Every year, 12 million young Africans enter the workforce, while only 3 million jobs are created. These labour market pressures create a growing need for practical, locally relevant education that prepares students to be entrepreneurial and create opportunities for themselves and their communities.
EFEA sees its role as supporting efforts to narrow the increasing gap between the number of young people entering African labour markets and the limited number of formal, high-quality jobs. By establishing the fund, ECE and founding donor Van Berkel are making a conscious choice to focus on multi-annual, locally driven projects such as the development of entrepreneurship education curricula, teacher training, and incubation programmes co-funded by ECE’s existing and new partners, which include UNESCO and UNIDO. The first projects are expected to begin in late 2026, with the involvement of ECE, RSM, UNESCO, and an independent advisory committee.
The fund will be administered by the Erasmus Trust Fund and aims to work with African partners to sustainably strengthen entrepreneurship education and broader ecosystems in the coming years, reaching thousands of students, staff, and entrepreneurs.
The initiative builds on ECE’s decade of experience with entrepreneurship education in various African countries, including Ghana, Mozambique, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In the DRC, a programme with Université de Kinshasa led to the development of an entrepreneurship curriculum that is expected to receive nationwide accreditation this year. Through these collaborations, ECE observed that while many international collaborations yield valuable results and networks, they often fail to achieve sustainable (institutional) change, nor do they provide space for robust impact measurement and concrete follow-up actions. As a result, momentum is often lost and a lasting dependence on grants and subsidies is created.
EFEA deliberately takes a different approach. The fund supports multi-annual partnerships in which local partners are central. Projects are developed according to the needs and ambitions of the institutions involved and may focus on the development of new curricula, teacher trainings, incubation programmes and the strengthening of links between education institutions, entrepreneurs, investors and civil society.
Thanks to EFEA’s blended finance approach, donations to the fund are strategically combined with other international types of financing. This significantly increases the scope and potential impact of projects. Local partners also contribute through co-financing or in-kind contributions of facilities, personnel, and networks, which further strengthens local ownership and sustainability of projects.
"By combining local knowledge with international experience, we support educational institutions embed entrepreneurship in their local communities. This creates a sustainable impact that is aligned with and driven from local context," says Farshida Zafar, Director of ECE.
“Through the fund, we are investing in institutions, ecosystems and students able to shape their own entrepreneurial future. I hope inspires entrepreneurs, alumni and investors to join, not only by providing capital, but by contributing their knowledge and networks. It is this combination that makes all the difference,” says co-initiator Sjoerd van Berkel, entrepreneur and RSM alumnus, who has committed to be the founding donor of the fund.
Due to its embedding within the Erasmus Trust Fund, the fund is linked to the wider network of Erasmus University Rotterdam, including Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). “RSM aims to be a driving force for positive change. EFEA not only contributes to the sustainable exchange of knowledge between Africa and Europe, but also to the creation of excellent learning environments that foster entrepreneurship and mutual understanding. This is exactly what is needed to prepare future leaders who will act as true global citizens,” said RSM’s Dean, Prof. Aukje Hassoldt.
An independent advisory committee has been established to evaluate and approve projects. Committee members are Sjoerd van Berkel, Martha Mghendi-Fisher, Emmie van Halder, and RSM’s Prof. Justin Jansen and Dr Taslim Alade. They are entrepreneurs, investors, and academics with expertise in entrepreneurship, innovation, and development in Africa.
Donations to EFEA
ECE and the Erasmus Trust Fund have invited entrepreneurs, alumni, investors, researchers, and other stakeholders to contribute to EFEA’s mission, either through financial support, but also by sharing expertise, experience, and networks.
About Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship
Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE) is a leading centre for entrepreneurship education and research. Based in Rotterdam, ECE empowers people to create positive social impact through insights, skills, and connections related to entrepreneurship and innovation. For more information contact Jip Dresia dresia@ece.nl or (010) 7402336
