Black entrepreneurs command over 60 percent of businesses in Distrito Federal

More than 215,000 businesses in the Distrito Federal are led by Black people, according to data from the Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas (Sebrae).

These entrepreneurs make up approximately 60.6 percent of the total 356,600 enterprises in the region. The data comes from the Empreendedorismo Negro panel for the second quarter of 2026. Despite their high participation in the local economy, Black entrepreneurs face systemic barriers to growth.

Nationally, Sebrae data shows that while Black people own 52.3 percent of small businesses, they earn only 56 percent of the average income received by white entrepreneurs. Black women face even narrower margins, with a reported average monthly income of R$ 2,090. To address these disparities, the Instituto Palco Cultura and Candangos Produções are launching the first Feira de Empreendedorismo Negro (FEN).

The initiative provides free training sessions on brand identity, digital presence, financial management, and credit access for Black and Indigenous entrepreneurs, particularly women and youth in peripheral areas. The program concludes with a business fair on November 28 at Birosca in the Conic region of Brasília.