The Dawn of Digital Entrepreneurship: Joint SDG Fund forges new paths for sustainability

The world today has been profoundly shaped by the meteoric rise of digital technology. Connecting local communities to larger global shifts, innovation and investments in digital transformation have raced ahead in the last few decades. Yet several roadblocks have emerged.  
 
Inequalities in the “offline” world have only manifested and in some cases, even intensified on digital platforms. Digital divides continue to fracture societies, with differing accessibility for women and men, high income and low income users, least developed countries and developed economies and more. As of 2023, 2.6 billion people are still not connected to the Internet and many more lack the reliable and affordable access needed for its meaningful use.  
 
The UN’s Joint SDG Fund with the Resident Coordinators’ Offices and implementing UN entities is partnering with private sector and development partners to foster a thriving digital ecosystem, directing investments towards technologies that can expand jobs, prioritize inclusion, safeguard the well-being of and unlock new opportunities for communities around the world. 
 
Entrepreneurship offers a tangible window of opportunity to channel digital transformation for good, driving entire economies and pulling people out of poverty. 
 
Here is a glimpse into how the Fund is leveraging digital transformation to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals:  

Kenya: Nurturing Digital Entrepreneurship 

DigiKen is a transformative initiative, led by UNESCO together with the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), UN Women, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and supported by the Joint SDG Fund, that is making it possible for marginalized communities to fully participate in the digital economy. By engaging women and girls, youth, people in urban informal settlements and communities in arid regions, the initiative is supporting home-grown digital enterprises and nurturing a new generation of digital entrepreneurs with the necessary expertise and resources to thrive. 
 
With the Fund’s Support, DigiKen is establishing 15 digital innovation hubs aimed at empowering communities with digital literacy tools and training on entrepreneurship and sustainable AI technologies. Further, it is working with nearly 20,000 government officials, equipping them with the skills to continue leading digital transformation while considering human rights, from the policy side. 
 
The initiative is expected to reach an estimated 2 million users, creating 4500 direct jobs and approximately 20,000 indirect jobs by 2027. 150 Kenyan micro, small and medium enterprises are being supported to access financing so they can develop digital platforms to improve their business. 

Philippines: Making Digital Public Infrastructure work for Entrepreneurship 

 In the Philippines, the Fund is spearheading an ambitious initiative to close the significant digital divide affecting the country’s Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). These enterprises, which generate 65% of employment and 25% of export revenue, are crucial to the nation’s economy but face challenges related to low productivity and limited integration into global value chains. 
 
The initiative aims to enhance the digital capacities of enterprises, improving access to e-government services and fostering a supportive policy environment for inclusive digitalization. The initiative addresses systemic barriers to digital inclusion, with a focus on engaging enterprises in marginalized remote regions and boosting investment in digital public infrastructure. Public services, especially in rural areas in the Philippines, often remain analog, making them less efficient and transparent. 
 
Efforts like this can help catapult the Philippines’ economy and leverage in the ASEAN region. By empowering entrepreneurs with the right tools, the initiative can help bridge digital divides, but also drive greater resilience and sustainable economic growth.  

Rwanda: Amplifying Digital Opportunities for Small-Scale Cross-Border Trade 

For Rwanda, cross-border trade is a key engine driving its economy, in particular through exports to neighbouring countries. Yet, small-scale cross-border traders run the risk of falling through the cracks. Held back by the lack of knowledge about laws and procedures, lack of financial support, literacy, and difficulties joining the cross-border trade associations, many of these traders face day-to-day challenges in running their businesses. Leveraging digital platforms and transformation can be a game-changer for these traders.  
 
This UN Joint SDG Fund's investment in Rwanda aims to expanded digital and financial 
inclusion, particularly targeting small-scale cross-border traders and fostering an enriched digital trade environment with stronger policies and regulations. The Fund’s work will target those at the lowest skill and income levels, using digitalization as a lever to formalize and improve the resilience, competitiveness and inclusion of traders, particularly for women and marginalized groups. 
 
Along with partners UNCDF, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the initiative will aim to align policies with regional best practices, build capacity of among service providers tailored to the needs of 
small-scale traders to fully capitalize on the digital economy's potential. 
 
By empowering communities, bridging divides, and fostering sustainable development through digital transformation, these initiatives are setting the stage for a world where technology not only secures progress, inclusion, and prosperity, but also sustains it for decades to come. 

Note:

All joint programs of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. The Fund receives generous contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and private sector funding partners to help achieve the SDGs by 2030.