Egypt’s Hala El-Said says youth-led entrepreneurship key to jobs, growth across Africa
Egypt’s Economic Advisor to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Hala El-Said, said on Saturday that entrepreneurship would be critical to transforming Africa’s young population into an engine for economic growth and job creation, as Cairo prepares to host the 2026 Global Entrepreneurship Festival.
Speaking at a press conference announcing the event, El-Said said entrepreneurship was one of the most effective tools for converting the continent’s demographic strength into sustainable development.
“Africa has enormous demographic wealth, with more than 60 per cent of its population under the age of 30. This human capital creates a major opportunity to build startups capable of driving growth and tackling one of the continent’s greatest challenges — employment,” she said.
El-Said said entrepreneurship and innovation play a growing role in boosting competitiveness, increasing productivity and adding value to businesses, particularly as startups increasingly adopt fast-evolving technologies.
She added that entrepreneurship also strengthens critical thinking, negotiation skills and resilience among young people.
“Failure is a natural part of any entrepreneurial journey. What matters is learning from failure and treating it as a step toward greater success,” she said.
El-Said said Egypt’s hosting of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival was more than a logistical exercise, arguing it would place Cairo among the world’s leading entrepreneurship platforms and connect Egyptian startups with thousands of investors, founders and venture capital funds.
“The true value of this conference lies not only in its convening, but in the outcomes it can deliver,” she said.
She also highlighted the shared challenges facing African economies, saying they created opportunities for cooperation, knowledge exchange and joint innovation.
El-Said said the Egyptian government, alongside the central bank and financial regulators, had launched a range of legislative and regulatory initiatives to support entrepreneurship, including incubators, regulatory sandboxes and training programs.
“Supporting entrepreneurship is no longer a choice — it is a necessity for achieving sustainable development. Real investment is in creative people who can transform ideas into achievements,” she said.
Egypt will host the third edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival in Cairo from 6-8 Nov., bringing together entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers as part of its efforts to strengthen its role as a regional hub for innovation and startup growth.