The executive director of the Moroccan Observatory of Very Small and Medium Enterprises (OMTPME), Amal Idrissi, indicated on Monday in Casablanca that only 15% of companies in Morocco are led by women, a figure that has remained stable since 2020.
Speaking during a press briefing dedicated to the presentation of the OMTPME report for the 2022-2023 period, Ms. Idrissi stressed that the study conducted, which compared data from 2023 (373,835 companies) to those of 2022 (344,563 companies), highlights persistent gender inequalities, particularly in terms of access to bank credit.
She specified, in this wake, that only 14.6% of companies led by women access bank credit, and that their share in the total outstanding bank loans does not exceed 11.3%.
At the regional level, she noted that 17.6% of companies are led by women in the Marrakech-Safi region, compared to 16.6% in Rabat-Salé-Kenitra and 15.6% in Casablanca-Settat, rates that slightly exceed the national average. Conversely, the regions of Béni Mellal-Khénifra and the Oriental show shares around 10%, she said.
And to note that female entrepreneurship occupies a notable place in certain sectors, with a strong presence in human health and social action (40%), as well as in services, notably hairdressing and beauty care (30%), and education (30%), reports the MAP.
On the other hand, the transport and storage, extractive industries, and construction sectors show lower rates, below 10%, according to Ms. Idrissi. Regarding the evolution of company creations and dissolutions between 2017 and 2023, she reveals, according to her, a contrasted dynamic in the Moroccan entrepreneurial landscape, marked in particular by a significant increase in the number of company creations, reaching 96,442 in 2023, an increase of 20% compared to 2017.
Ms. Idrissi also pointed out that this growth is distinguished in particular by a preponderance of micro-enterprises, which represent 99% of creations, continuing that the information, communication, real estate activities, human health, and social action sectors recorded creation levels higher than those observed before the pandemic.
And to continue that the impact of the health crisis and the economic recovery affected the different sizes of companies unequally, notably small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which were particularly affected, and their resilience was put to the test by an unfavourable market environment, with a higher dissolution rate in certain regions such as Souss-Massa, Fez-Meknès, and Marrakech-Safi.
These regions observed a more pronounced evolution of dissolutions, contrasting with areas like Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, where company creations progressed remarkably (74% in this region).
At the sectoral level, certain fields recorded exceptional performance, with sectors such as specialised, scientific, and technical activities showing an impressive annual progression of their value added (VA), exceeding 50% between 2017 and 2023, she said.
Furthermore, she continued, the trade, manufacturing, and construction sectors remain the most dominant in terms of turnover (CA), representing nearly 72% of the total turnover of companies.
She cited, to this effect, the trade sector which experienced a slight drop in its market share, going from 35.2% in 2017 to 34.1% in 2023, while the manufacturing industry saw its share increase, albeit at a moderate pace.
In terms of employment, TPMEs, representing 73% of employees, saw their employment growth rate go from 8.7% before the pandemic to 6% after the health crisis, Ms. Idrissi specified, adding that certain regions, such as Souss-Massa, Marrakech-Safi, and the Oriental, recorded an increase in staff, while Casablanca-Settat experienced a slowdown, despite its share of 32.1% of TPMEs and 38.3% of the total workforce in 2023.
In this sense, she mentioned the tertiary sector which continued to grow, representing 66.5% of total company employment, compared to 62.2% in 2017.
The annual report of the OMTPME presents the demographic, economic, and financial situation of the Moroccan entrepreneurial fabric.
This edition particularly focuses on the evolution of employment in a post-Covid context, includes indicators on self-entrepreneurs, and presents the results of a study on female entrepreneurship.
Speaking during a press briefing dedicated to the presentation of the OMTPME report for the 2022-2023 period, Ms. Idrissi stressed that the study conducted, which compared data from 2023 (373,835 companies) to those of 2022 (344,563 companies), highlights persistent gender inequalities, particularly in terms of access to bank credit.
She specified, in this wake, that only 14.6% of companies led by women access bank credit, and that their share in the total outstanding bank loans does not exceed 11.3%.
At the regional level, she noted that 17.6% of companies are led by women in the Marrakech-Safi region, compared to 16.6% in Rabat-Salé-Kenitra and 15.6% in Casablanca-Settat, rates that slightly exceed the national average. Conversely, the regions of Béni Mellal-Khénifra and the Oriental show shares around 10%, she said.
And to note that female entrepreneurship occupies a notable place in certain sectors, with a strong presence in human health and social action (40%), as well as in services, notably hairdressing and beauty care (30%), and education (30%), reports the MAP.
On the other hand, the transport and storage, extractive industries, and construction sectors show lower rates, below 10%, according to Ms. Idrissi. Regarding the evolution of company creations and dissolutions between 2017 and 2023, she reveals, according to her, a contrasted dynamic in the Moroccan entrepreneurial landscape, marked in particular by a significant increase in the number of company creations, reaching 96,442 in 2023, an increase of 20% compared to 2017.
Ms. Idrissi also pointed out that this growth is distinguished in particular by a preponderance of micro-enterprises, which represent 99% of creations, continuing that the information, communication, real estate activities, human health, and social action sectors recorded creation levels higher than those observed before the pandemic.
And to continue that the impact of the health crisis and the economic recovery affected the different sizes of companies unequally, notably small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which were particularly affected, and their resilience was put to the test by an unfavourable market environment, with a higher dissolution rate in certain regions such as Souss-Massa, Fez-Meknès, and Marrakech-Safi.
These regions observed a more pronounced evolution of dissolutions, contrasting with areas like Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, where company creations progressed remarkably (74% in this region).
At the sectoral level, certain fields recorded exceptional performance, with sectors such as specialised, scientific, and technical activities showing an impressive annual progression of their value added (VA), exceeding 50% between 2017 and 2023, she said.
Furthermore, she continued, the trade, manufacturing, and construction sectors remain the most dominant in terms of turnover (CA), representing nearly 72% of the total turnover of companies.
She cited, to this effect, the trade sector which experienced a slight drop in its market share, going from 35.2% in 2017 to 34.1% in 2023, while the manufacturing industry saw its share increase, albeit at a moderate pace.
In terms of employment, TPMEs, representing 73% of employees, saw their employment growth rate go from 8.7% before the pandemic to 6% after the health crisis, Ms. Idrissi specified, adding that certain regions, such as Souss-Massa, Marrakech-Safi, and the Oriental, recorded an increase in staff, while Casablanca-Settat experienced a slowdown, despite its share of 32.1% of TPMEs and 38.3% of the total workforce in 2023.
In this sense, she mentioned the tertiary sector which continued to grow, representing 66.5% of total company employment, compared to 62.2% in 2017.
The annual report of the OMTPME presents the demographic, economic, and financial situation of the Moroccan entrepreneurial fabric.
This edition particularly focuses on the evolution of employment in a post-Covid context, includes indicators on self-entrepreneurs, and presents the results of a study on female entrepreneurship.
