Rabat – Morocco and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have launched a new results-focused program designed to support entrepreneurs and expand employment opportunities.
The Entrepreneurship Support and Financing Program for Job Creation (PAFE-Emplois) seeks to transform the potential of very small and medium-sized enterprises (VSEs and SMEs) into concrete job opportunities.
The program combines financial support, incentives, and innovative operational approaches to empower entrepreneurs while promoting results that can be measured in employment outcomes.
By focusing on practical support, the initiative hopes to instill a culture where business growth and job creation go hand in hand.
The program aligns with Morocco’s Employment Roadmap and the National Financial Inclusion Strategy, both designed to boost sustainable and inclusive job growth.
It also benefits from a grant provided through the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative under the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), giving women entrepreneurs the resources to finalize their projects and secure further funding.
“By tying financial support directly to job creation objectives, PAFE-Emplois turns entrepreneurial potential into real impact,” said Achraf Tarsim, head of the AfDB Country Office in Morocco.
“This approach strengthens project effectiveness and offers young Moroccans and entrepreneurs the tools to shape their own economic futures.”
Abdeljalil El Hafre, Deputy Director of the Treasury and External Finance, emphasized that the program “places entrepreneurship and SMEs at the heart of efforts to generate formal, lasting employment.”
The launch workshop detailed the program’s governance, financing mechanisms, and environmental and social standards. Stakeholders discussed priorities for the program’s early stages and agreed on a shared roadmap to guide implementation.
PAFE-Emplois also receives support from the Ministry of Investment, Convergence, and Evaluation of Public Policies, as well as Tamwilcom, alongside technical and financial partners such as Germany’s KfW Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank.
Since 1978, the African Development Bank has invested nearly €15 billion in Morocco, supporting more than 150 projects across sectors such as transport, social protection, energy, agriculture, water, and governance.
The new program reflects a continuation of that long-standing partnership, now focused on turning entrepreneurial ambition into tangible jobs.
