When the World Economic Forum speaks of stewardship, it challenges businesses to think beyond today’s profits and instead build legacies that serve generations to come. For Africa, this vision could not be more timely. The African Union’s Agenda 2063, with its 15 flagship projects, provides a roadmap for turning the continent’s potential into tangible progress.

The question is: How can African entrepreneurs rise to this challenge?

First, by embracing infrastructure as opportunity. Projects like the Integrated High-Speed Train Network or the Continental Free Trade Area need more than government buy-in they require private businesses to innovate in logistics, digital platforms, and regional supply chains. An entrepreneur who finds a way to cut transport costs across borders isn’t just building a company they’re building continental unity.

Second, by embedding technology and innovation into African solutions. Flagships like the Pan-African e-University or the African Outer Space Strategy remind us that Africa’s future is digital. Entrepreneurs can align by investing in edtech platforms, fintech solutions, and AI-driven tools that are affordable and locally relevant. Here, stewardship means ensuring Africa doesn’t remain a consumer of global technology but emerges as a producer.

Third, by nurturing inclusive growth. Agenda 2063 emphasizes youth and women as central to Africa’s transformation. Entrepreneurs who prioritize inclusive hiring, invest in skills development, and open doors for marginalized communities are not just building companies they are planting seeds for sustainable prosperity.

Finally, by thinking beyond borders. Too often, African businesses are born in one country but hesitate to scale regionally. Agenda 2063 envisions “The Africa We Want” one integrated market where goods, services, and ideas flow freely. Stewardship means having the courage to build pan-African brands that can compete globally while staying rooted in local realities.

The truth is, achieving the dreams of Agenda 2063 is not solely the responsibility of governments or development partners. It is also the responsibility of African entrepreneurs who are willing to see their ventures not just as sources of income, but as vehicles of transformation.

Stewardship, in the African context, is about building businesses that last, that uplift communities, and that ensure our children inherit not just companies, but a continent that thrives. The world is waiting to see what Africa will contribute to global development. With Agenda 2063 as the compass, African entrepreneurs hold the power to lead the way.