The survey notes that women business owners in Egypt have a stronger appetite for digital disruption than their male counterparts
Entrepreneurial spirit is high among women in Egypt, who aspire to pursue their dreams, gain financial independence and make a difference in the world, according to Mastercard’s latest research, released ahead of International Women’s Day 2025.
As part of its commitment to advancing financial inclusion, Mastercard has launched this report across its Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) region, including Egypt. The initiative is designed to champion women entrepreneurs, provide key business insights and drive tangible solutions to break down systemic barriers.
“Our research highlights the remarkable entrepreneurial spirit among women across the EEMEA region. While progress has been made, challenges remain, reinforcing the need for stronger support. At Mastercard, we are dedicated to nurturing the next generation of small business leaders and equipping them with the tools they need to grow and thrive,” said Selin Bahadirli, executive vice president, Services, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard.
Egypt’s entrepreneurial landscape
In Egypt, a significant proportion of men (41%) and women (38%) identify as entrepreneurs, reflecting the country’s evolving business landscape. In contrast to the rest of EEMEA, older generations, especially Gen X (54% of men and 51% of women) are more likely to consider themselves entrepreneurs than millennials and Gen Z.
77% of women in Egypt have considered starting or running their own business. This increases to 83% among Gen Z women. However, more than half (56%) of Egyptian women are yet to do so.
As well as formal business ventures, half of Egyptian women have a side hustle to make money outside of their main job, rising to 59% among Gen X women. For many women, the entrepreneurial spirit is inspired by an appetite to earn more money (60%), save for a specific goal (52%) and gain financial independence (45%).
The most commonly cited reasons for starting their business among women founders in Egypt are that they wanted to pursue their dream (48%) or had a brilliant idea that they needed to see through (39%). 37% of women said they desired freedom from traditional working structures, the same number wanted a better work-life balance, an equal number felt the time was right in their life, and the same percentage believed their idea could improve people’s lives. The last number is far higher than the global average, where 20% of women cited this as a motivation for starting their business.
Top sectors in which Egyptian women would like to start a business include education (24%), cosmetics (20%) and marketing/advertising/PR/market research (17%).
In an encouraging finding, 98% of women business owners in Egypt are optimistic about revenue growth over the next five years. This number is higher than in the rest of EEMEA (89%).
Unlocking new opportunities
Despite the evident appetite for entrepreneurship, the research shows that for many women, including current business owners, there are challenges. The risk of failure (30%) and getting the capital to launch (25%) are reported as the biggest challenges preventing women from starting a business. Meanwhile, women are more likely than men to view lack of confidence as a hurdle (8% vs. 6%).
Among women who have already founded a business, 37% say the biggest challenge when starting out was assessing critical digital infrastructure, such as payment systems, and 35% were struggling to find funding. A third say the biggest challenge was knowing which technology was right for their business. More than a quarter (26%) of women want to build a sustainable business but do not know how – this is similar to all women across EEMEA (31%).
Training on how to develop a business plan (38%), access to AI tools to solve business challenges (34%) and having a business partner (33%) would make Egyptian women feel more confident in starting their own business. The research notes that women in the country are more open to embracing advanced technologies to help them do business than their male counterparts. 73% of Egyptian founders (men and women) regularly use AI in their business, and 87% say it has delivered significant cost and/or time savings for their business.
In terms of cybersecurity, 81% of men and 80% for women feel the need to better educate themselves about how to protect their business from a potential cyberattack. However, men (41%) are more likely than women (24%) to admit they are unsure how to protect their business from a cyberattack. These findings highlight the key role of secure digital transactions in business success.
Mastercard’s survey sends a clear message that Egyptian women have the ambition to shape the future of business yet are facing significant challenges. As International Women’s Day 2025 approaches, the company remains committed to fostering an inclusive digital economy where women entrepreneurs are not just supported but celebrated as key drivers of economic progress.