Business plan for Yëgël Hub: Inclusive incubation in Diamniadio, Senegal

Details

Supervisors

Janssen, Frank

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enThis thesis presents a comprehensive business plan for Yëgël Hub, a bilingual (French-Wolof) nonprofit incubator to be launched in Diamniadio, Senegal. The program focuses on informal-sector entrepreneurs and artisans aged 18 to 35 who are not included in Dakar's existing incubation programs due to their lack of formal education, official status, or geographic distance from the capital. To validate the project's assumptions and shape its service offering, two expert interviews and an exploratory survey of young Senegalese respondents were conducted. The incubator combines a three-track coaching program with a paid advisory service open to the wider community, a coworking space, and long-term follow-up after graduation. A five-year operational and financial plan has been developed, showing how the program can reduce its reliance on institutional funding as its own revenue streams grow. The results suggest that a locally rooted, sector-agnostic incubator addresses a real and currently unmet need in Diamniadio.