Social entrepreneurship in Morocco is as trendy in certain circles as it is unknown to the vast majority of people. Despite this trendiness, the sector severely lacks documentation.

To remedy this, and to help stakeholders make better decisions, the Moroccan Center for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (MCISE) is publishing the first report on social entrepreneurship in Morocco.

Defining social enterprises as those aiming to address social needs and improve communities, while creating economic growth and jobs, MCISE cofounder Adnane Addioui – also the Morocco country manager for the non-profit Enactus Maroc – reminds us that social entrepreneurship is not simply a concept or a trend. Rather, it is a movement for positive change, offering new solutions for Morocco’s development and economic challenges.

He draws a few conclusions from his research:

• Awareness of social enterprise is extremely low in Morocco, and those who have heard the term ‘social enterprise’ are likely to have first come across the term for sometime in the past four years.

• Social entrepreneurship is being driven by a relatively small circle of people who share common characteristics: those with advanced degrees and exposure to international ideas and experiences.

• Social enterprises most often work to improve or support a community, usually women, or the poorly educated or trained. The dominance of the co-operative sector in Morocco contributes to this prevalence.

• Personal funds, membership fees, and government funding are the three most common sources of funding for the surveyed organizations.

• Other challenges other than the lack of funding are the lack of appropriate technical support, lack of finance and funding, the limitations of the legal framework, the lack of an enterprise culture and mindset, and issues around language.

The report highlights the work and experience of some socially conscious companies such as Looly's, CARE, and The Anou, about which Wamda has already written, as well as Maroc Taswiq and Anarouz.

Download the report to dig into these points and read the MCISE’s recommendations.