Marketing Skills Training and Youth Entrepreneurship in Tanzania

Policy Context

Young adults in sub-Saharan Africa face high unemployment rates, with an estimated only three out of ten million youth able to secure employment once entering the job market. As a result, many youth turn to entrepreneurship but still face challenges due to a lack of essential skills. While the rapid growth of digital marketing and the proliferation of social media platforms present opportunities to enhance business profitability within youth-led enterprises, relatively few young entrepreneurs engage in digital marketing. This study supplements existing research on the impact of traditional training models on business profitability. This study seeks to better understand if the provision of digital skills training and access to credit significantly enhances the sales and profitability of youth-led businesses in Tanzania.

Study Design

The research team and its implementing partners, Smartcore and Exim Bank, will conduct a weekly, in-person training on digital marketing over four weeks and provide credit to youth-led businesses in Dar es Salaam.  The team will recruit 75 youth-led businesses to participate, of which 25 randomly selected participants will only undergo training on digital marketing, 25 participants will undergo training and receive access to $250 credit to be repaid within 6 months, and 25 participants will form the control group. Pre- and post-intervention interviews will be conducted to ascertain participants’ perceptions, challenges, and successes to determine the overall sales growth and profitability of youth-led businesses.

Results and Policy Lessons

Results forthcoming.