Toward a Framework for University-Based Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Human Capital Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Most research on entrepreneurial ecosystems employ static models which oversee its dynamic evolution. Additionally, empirical studies tend to be confined to developed regions that possess well-established ecosystems with existing structures and well-defined actors. Such an approach can often neglect the understanding of the ecosystem as an emergent phenomenon from the embryonic phase to maturity, especially when considered in the context of an underdeveloped region. The aim of this article is to serve as a conceptual basis for the development of university-based entrepreneurial ecosystems in the Sub-Saharan African context. We propose a dynamic framework that highlights the role of universities in enabling human capital for entrepreneurship, especially in places with insufficient top-down planning and established mechanisms that would normally drive such an ecosystem. The case study illustrates on a practical level how a nascent entrepreneurial HUB is enabling the development of human capital in the city of Maxixe, Mozambique, thereby serving as a catalyst for a nascent entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region. Emulating the HUB itself, the article brings together theory and praxis, believing that optimal practical action is that which is rooted in analysis and conceptual understanding, transforming academic research into the means from which to solve real-world needs.