Family businesses constitute 93% of Moroccan enterprises, facing significant succession challenges
via Le Matin5 min read
A new study, "The Family Business in Morocco in Figures," conducted by the Institute of Family Business of Morocco IEF-Maroc with support from the International Finance Corporation IFC, reveals that 92.9% of active businesses in Morocco are family-owned. These enterprises employ approximately 6.3 million people, representing 65% of the private sector workforce, and contribute 60.5% to the national added value. The study, presented at a conference in Casablanca, highlighted the critical role of family businesses while also exposing a major challenge: only one in twenty family businesses survives beyond two intergenerational transfers. This fragility is evident in governance structures, with three-quarters of family businesses managed exclusively by family members, and a third having a board composed solely of relatives. Kacem Bennani-Smires, President of IEF-Maroc, emphasized the importance of preparing for succession to preserve family legacies and national heritage. Cheick-Oumar Sylla, IFC Regional Director for North Africa and the Horn of Africa, echoed this sentiment, stating that failed transmissions erase a part of family and Moroccan history. Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Commerce, urged family business leaders to embrace technological advancement and international expansion to create new value. The conference also saw the signing of an agreement between IEF-Maroc and Maroc PME to deploy a specific support mechanism for family business succession, marking a fir
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Matin.
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