Innovative Business Models and Women's Leadership in Burundi: A Study of Entrepreneurial Adaptation, 2010–2025

This original research article investigates the innovative business models developed by women entrepreneurs in Burundi and analyses their influence on leadership practices within the challenging socio-economic context of Sub-Saharan Africa. The study addresses a critical gap in understanding how adaptive entrepreneurial strategies, particularly those led by women, foster resilience and redefine leadership paradigms in post-conflict economies. Employing a rigorous qualitative, multiple-case study methodology, the research engaged with 25 women-led enterprises in Bujumbura and Gitega between 2018 and 2023. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory observation, with thematic analysis used to capture and interpret nuanced narratives of adaptation. Key findings reveal that Burundian women leaders have pioneered distinctive models centred on communal resource pooling, digital mobile integration for informal trade, and hybrid social enterprises that blend profit with community nutrition or education goals. These innovations are not merely survival mechanisms but constitute a form of situated leadership characterised by collective agency, adaptive flexibility, and embedded social governance. The study contends that these business practices represent a significant, yet under-documented, African contribution to leadership theory, demonstrating how contextual constraints can catalyse ingenuity. The implications suggest that supporting such indigenous, women-led models is crucial for fostering sustainable economic development and inclusive governance frameworks across the region.