Rethinking social capital in African enterprise development: insights from a Kenyan innovation hub

Purpose This paper aims to examine how entrepreneurs in Kenya mobilize social capital to develop their ventures within an evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem. It explores how social relationships within an innovation hub shape entrepreneurial collaboration, legitimacy and engagement with broader ecosystem actors. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a qualitative case study approach, the study draws on 15 in-depth interviews with founders and hub managers at Nairobi’s iHub, one of Kenya’s most prominent innovation hubs. The analysis focuses on how entrepreneurs mobilize and interpret social relationships within the hub community to support venture development and ecosystem interaction. Findings The findings identify three interconnected dimensions through which social capital is enacted within the hub community. Relational capital emerges through bonding and bridging ties that enable trust-based collaboration, peer learning and external legitimacy. Moral capital reflects shared norms of reciprocity, integrity and purpose that stabilize cooperation and shape what is perceived as legitimate entrepreneurial behavior. Developmental (co-creation) capital captures how entrepreneurs leverage linking ties to policymakers, donors and corporates to influence policy, expand digital inclusion and build ecosystem capacity. Together, these dynamics illustrate how hub-based entrepreneurial communities can translate interpersonal relationships into both venture development and broader ecosystem engagement. Originality/value The study offers a contextually grounded perspective on how relational, moral and developmental dimensions of social capital interact within a specific innovation hub environment. By highlighting how entrepreneurial communities mobilize social relationships to support both venture growth and ecosystem participation, the paper contributes to research on entrepreneurship in emerging economies and advances understanding of how social capital operates in institutionally complex settings.