Salimata Blanche Djité
Self-Made woman

At 26, she is leading her career brilliantly and does not lack ambition.

​​​​​​​Salimata runs a mini-market in Cocody-Angré, where she sells fresh local produce. She also organises events, and created the Journées de l'opportunité et de motivation de la jeunesse (Youth Opportunity and Motivation Days), aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and youth inclusion in the workplace. And she opened a clothing store in Treichville. The young woman is proud of her achievements as a self-made woman. Her businesses are doing well.

After graduating with a degree in journalism, she had planned to work in the media, but found it hard to break into the industry. So she went into what she already knew: business. Was it difficult to make the transition from the informal to the formal sector? “Not at all”, she says, ‘my legal adviser took care of everything, and all I had to do was pay. It was a logical step to achieve my goals.’ In January the entrepreneur won a contract to set up stalls selling drinks and food in the Félix Houphouët-Boigny and Ebimpé stadiums during the African Cup of Nations. “It was very well attended”, she somewhat shyly admits.

Today, Salimata employs eleven full-time staff. There are also five freelancers to manage the online platforms and canvass for new contracts. And every year, she recruits a team for three to six months to organise her event. Is recruiting a challenge? Not really, in her case, but the question of qualifications does arise. “Finding employees is easy. A lot of people are looking for work. But finding the right people is difficult.” This is an observation shared by many other entrepreneurs. The government says it has heard them and has launched a programme to upgrade technical and vocational training.