Difficulties of Very Small Enterprises in Africa: A Bibliometric Mapping of Research (1985–2025)

Abstract

Very small enterprises constitute a fundamental pillar of African economies, both through their contribution to employment and their role in promoting economic and social inclusion. Despite their importance, these enterprises operate in environments characterized by multiple structural constraints that undermine their performance, sustainability, and long-term survival. This study proposes a bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature, drawing on VOSviewer and Bibliometrix to examine the structure and dynamics of the scientific field. The analysis focused on very small enterprises in Africa based on the Scopus database, over the period 1985–2025, with the aim of identifying the main research themes, their evolution over time, and the dominant obstacles faced by these organizations.

Based on a corpus of indexed academic articles, the study highlights a structured research field centered on key themes such as entrepreneurship, small businesses, informality, and African contexts, while driving themes emerge around sustainability, micro-enterprises, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The findings also underscore the persistence of major constraints, notably limited access to finance, managerial weaknesses, institutional barriers, and economic instability. In addition, more peripheral themes—such as supply chain management, innovation, and the use of information technologies—appear as underexplored research niches.

The study reveals a gradual shift in the literature toward greater consideration of sustainability and resilience issues among very small enterprises, although these dimensions are often addressed in a fragmented manner. By contributing to a clearer structuring of the research field, this work provides valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners involved in entrepreneurial support in Africa.

JEL Code: L26

Paper Type: Theoretical Research