The SGB Sector in 2017

2017 Trends in East & Southeast Asia

1. The challenges in this region vary widely from one country to the next. A ‘one-size fits all’ approach is unlikely to be effective in the region due to extreme variations between countries. Keeping the local context in mind will be critical to effectively moving the sector forward in all countries in the region.
2. Increasing need for cross-sector collaboration and knowledge sharing. The shared goal of fostering entrepreneurship overlaps with many sectors. Sharing best practices and lessons learned could foster accelerated learning and growth in the region.
3. Most intermediaries are relying heavily on donor funding. ANDE members noted that NGOs dominate the SGB sector in the region, with few examples of self-sustaining organizations. Expanding the types of organizations in the sector will result in diversified funding sources, a key to sustainability in the region.
4. Gender lens investing and programming showing early signs of success in the region. ANDE members that operate in the region are increasingly including a gendered approach in their programming and investing strategies. The global ratio of the percentage of females who are either a nascent entrepreneur or owner-manager of a new business to males is .88 in the region, compared to .76 five years ago, according to the GEM’s 2017 Adult Population Survey (APS). The global average is .68, so East and Southeast Asia appears to have a more woman-friendly business environment relative to other regions [22].