Executive Summary

In an increasingly interconnected and digitalized global community, entrepreneurship has been posited by many as an avenue for young people in the Mekong countries of Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam to capitalize on new technologies and supply chains, and to contribute to their countries’ fast-growing economies. This report explores a number of the recent social and economic shifts that have led to these claims, and makes recommendations for how they can be realized in a manner that supports both financial and human progress.

A dynamic site of innovation and development, the Mekong subregion is also part of the larger booming region of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), contributing to its capacity to expand and nurture entrepreneurial ecosystems. ASEAN is currently the 5th largest economy in the world and a key trading partner for the US.7 In the last 10 years, trade between ASEAN and the United States (US) has risen by almost 30 percent, and annual exports of goods and services from the US to ASEAN now sit at over USD 105 billion.7

Cambodia, specifically, shows unique potential to benefit from the lessons learned by the digital progress of its more advanced neighbors of Thailand and Vietnam, thanks to its high economic growth, its predominantly dollarized economy, and its young and tech-savvy population. 63.5 percent of Cambodians are under the age of 30 years, and the country ranks in the top 10 globally for mobile phone penetration. Throughout this report, Cambodia receives specific focus, but remains contextualized by its position within the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Mekong youth are digitally connected. With the accessibility of communications technologies and digital platforms skyrocketing across the region, the ways in which young people interact with each other and learn about the world are radically different from their parents’ generation. Between 2010 and 2018, the proportion of Cambodians online grew from 1.6 percent to 40 percent. Smartphone adoption rates have seen a similarly sharp rise and, throughout ASEAN nations, people are averaging 3.6 hours per day connected to the internet via their phone. Social media have gained popularity just as rapidly, with Cambodia exhibiting the highest annual growth rate in the Mekong, at 43 percent. As digital technologies increasingly dictate the way that young people communicate and receive information, the commercial world has been quick to adapt; the vast majority of businesses in Cambodia are opting for Facebook pages over traditional websites, and social media influencers have begun emerging, shaping the opinions of their followers in both for-profit and social justice spaces.

Lifestyle preferences in Cambodia are increasingly influenced by international trends, particularly in urban areas. Global and regional connectivity have helped expand visibility within Cambodia of foreign products, past times, and sources of creative inspiration. Vibrant modern arts scenes are evolving, with cutting-edge young filmmakers putting Cambodian cinema on the international screen, and new, original singer-songwriters defining a contemporary Cambodian sound.

In Phnom Penh, food and drink preferences among middle-class youth are increasingly influenced by global and regional brands and trends, including an explosion of café culture pioneered by local success story, Brown Coffee and Bakery. In many cases, international products and ideas are being fused with Cambodian tastes and cultural norms to create something unique and celebrate a sense of national pride.

The interplay between globalization and digital technologies is changing the employment landscape. New models of global business have emerged, different types of skills are in demand, and entire sectors that were previously non-existent are growing fast.20 Online platforms, such as Cambodia’s Tinh Tinh e-commerce app, mean that small retailers in developing countries can now have access to global markets, and fintech innovations, including PiPay and Wing, are providing new ways to purchase goods, make online payments, and transfer money locally and internationally, as well as opportunities for digital innovators. Global supply chains have also led to the creation of a vast number of industrial jobs in Mekong countries over the past 3 decades, and between 1991 and 2017, Vietnam’s share of industrial employment increased from 9 percent to 25 percent, while in Lao PDR it rose from 3 percent to 10 percent.

Complex social and economic challenges are also affecting today’s youth. Recent data from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) demonstrate that while globalization has had positive impacts in terms of economic growth, this is most pronounced in high income countries, while less developed countries carry the burden of significantly increased income inequality.24 Youth unemployment and underemployment are issues across the region, with 26.2 percent of youth in Southeast Asia working for less than USD 3.10 per day (adjusted for purchasing power parity). In Cambodia, 300,000 young people are joining the labor force annually, and most are finding themselves in unskilled and low paid work. While manufacturing jobs in the garment industry have provided a significant source of employment, working conditions have been the subject of much scrutiny, and questions regarding the impacts of automation loom large.

 

Fostering innovative entrepreneurship among young Cambodians can help generate new opportunities. Supporting start-up ventures can provide immediate livelihood prospects for young people while Cambodia is still in the process of establishing its broader formal business and employment sector, and the development of a conducive ecosystem - including policy and infrastructure - is already underway. A number of important foundations for tech innovation already exist in Cambodia, including high levels of digital literacy, widespread penetration of smartphones, Internet, and social media, and increasingly positive perceptions of start-ups among young people. Furthermore, equipping young people with entrepreneurial, cognitive, and sociobehavioral skills can help them to remain nimble and generally competitive in the changing job landscape of the digital age.

Special attention is needed in a number of key areas to ensure that young Cambodian entrepreneurs are properly supported and that the start-up ecosystem is an inclusive environment that promotes broad benefit, rather than reinforcing inequities. Specific skills shortages need to be addressed in areas of software design and programming, market analysis, business plan development, management, and financial literacy. Ensuring access to financing options is also essential; 78 percent of Cambodia’s population is unbanked, and the youth gap in access to formal financial services is 20 percent – the highest in the Mekong region.1 Fintech innovations, blockchain technologies, and alternative credit scoring systems all present promising opportunities for greater financial inclusion. Programs and structures to support new businesses to sustain themselves and grow beyond the initial start-up phase have also been found to be lacking in Cambodia and in need of greater attention. Emphasis on equitable inclusion is also essential; there is currently a gender gap in terms of the number of women start-up founders and women’s confidence in their entrepreneurial abilities, as well as divides along rural-urban and socio-economic lines. The result is that the majority of the emerging tech solutions in Cambodia are aimed at middle-income, English-speaking, urban markets – despite the fact that 80 percent of the country still lives in rural areas. Finally, care should also be taken to protect against broadening inequality associated with global integration. Specific focus on regional integration has been proposed by the ADB to reduce poverty and help build economic resilience.

Promising examples of regional and global engagement that are helping to address some of these issues include USAID’s Development Innovations project, the Mekong Business Initiative funded by ADB and Australian Aid, and the International Visitor Leadership Program by the US Department of State. These programs are seeking to bridge important gaps around the skilling and inclusion of women and girls, building the capacity of local investment mechanisms, and fostering regional integration.

Key recommendations to build on existing opportunities and fill essential gaps in Cambodia, based on the research in this report, are summarized below. Full recommendations can be found at the end of the report.

To private sector, government, multilateral, and non-governmental actors:

  •   Offer and support programs in Khmer language and in locations other than Phnom Penh

  • Offer and support rapid skills training programs on: software design and programming, market analysis, business plan development, management, and financial literacy

  • Invest in regional mentorship and peer-learning opportunities between Mekong countries

  • Support entrepreneurs that require assistance with business growth

  • Invest in programs that target women and girls, incorporate diversity and inclusion messaging within training programs for men, and promote narratives that normalize women in the business sector

  • Promote wider sharing of stories of failure in addition to success stories

To investors in Cambodian start-ups:

  • Provide mentorship and ongoing support to assist with company growth beyond the start-up phase

  • Support ventures that add value to broader swathes of the population, not just middle-to-upper class Phnom Penh residents

  • Consider opportunities to provide mentorship and support to Cambodian investors

To the Royal Government of Cambodia:

  • Provide incentives to investors to support the training and mentorship of start-up entrepreneurs

  • Support policies and agreements that foster regional integration

  • Support higher education institutions to incorporate the demand for entrepreneurial skills within their curricula

  • Collaborate with financial service providers to better understand the financial inclusion barriers faced by young Cambodians

  • Support financial literacy education among youth

  • Participate in trade facilitation missions to US and EU countries to identify opportunities for trade reforms that can help improve the global competitiveness of Cambodian start-ups

  • Continue to prioritize national social protection mechanisms pertaining to public health, education, protection of women and children, and inclusion of people with disabilities, as outlined in the National Social Protection Policy Framework 2016-2025

To financial service providers:

  • Collaborate with the government to better understand the financial inclusion barriers faced by young Cambodians

  • Promote financial inclusion of youth by cooperating with government and education sector actors to improve financial literacy among youth and awareness of digital and mobile financing products

  • Consider mechanisms for alternative credit scoring of young entrepreneurs peer-learning opportunities between Mekong countries support to assist with company prowth beyond the start-up phase