The purpose of this research is to determine the salient factors in the African business context that can support companies to be successful. This research aims to categorize the key success factors among different factors such as adaptation, efficiency, leadership and strategic positioning by using data from a survey on entrepreneurs in Burkina Faso. The approach is quantitative and founded on the onion model. The results show that entrepreneur leadership and adaptation to the African context are the main factors for business success. Thus, the suggestion is that companies should adapt to the African context realities while promoting entrepreneur leadership skills for a better management and to improve their profit, performance, and thus gain a tremendous success.