SSE in Sénégal

Community work is a way of life in Senegalese society (Fall and Guèye 2003). Work is seen as a means of individual fulfillment and identity acquisition. In 2020, Senegal’s population was estimated at 16,705,608 inhabitants, 50.2% of whom are women and 49.8% men, and more than half of whom live in rural areas (53.5%) compared to 46.5% city-dwellers (ANSD S.d.).

As part of the Plan for an Emerging Senegal (economic and social policy reference document for 2035), the Senegalese government has set the SSE as a fundamental priority, by placing it second among its five major initiatives in the Liguéyeul Elleuk 1 program for the current five-year period. This shows the government’s determination to promote and develop the SSE sector, with the strong conviction that it can help strengthen a democratic society and fully contribute to creating added-value in the formal and informal sectors through the redistribution of wealth, by promoting enterprises and organizations based on solidarity and the importance of social issues.

In 2017, a Ministry of Microfinance and SSE (MMSSE) was created, supporting the government’s decision to assist poor and low-income households and increase opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs to succeed.

In 2021, the National Assembly adopted the Framework Law of SSE and its implementation decree was promulgated by the President of the Republic. The SSE was defined as “a set of economic activities with social and/or environmental objectives carried out by individual entrepreneurs or led by groups of associated persons”.

With this, Senegal has entered the small circle of nations that have a legal framework for this strategic sector. This highly innovative legal mechanism is currently becoming more widespread and operational, in particular through the deployment of a digital platform called “SEN LABEL ESS CII LA BOKK”. This system was created to digitalize the process of obtaining SSE approval, which grants applicants the status of SSE actor.

This instrument also serves to facilitate the identification, structuring, supervision and financing of SSE actors, such as cooperatives or mutual societies, enterprising and responsible associations, social enterprises and stakeholders in the informal sector.

As part of this law’s implementation, a national strategy to encourage CSR development is planned in the immediate future, in order to stimulate and diversify the sources of funding for SSE stakeholders. In terms of international involvement, Senegal was among the first nations to sign the Paris Manifesto for international recognition of the SSE and to join the small group of countries working on the draft UN resolution on SSE, which is currently being created.