Digitise 5 Million SMEs Initiative
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Africa investor (Ai) launched a digitally empowered eTrade initiative to enable the digitisation of five million micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa on 6th December 2020 in support of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The initiative is supported by the AiAfricaPLC eTrade platform which provides a one-stop eTrade platform where African SMEs are listed in a Business Directory and gaining digital access to new markets, buyer or seller credit verifications, trade finance, trade documents and order delivery.
Benefits of Membership
Members are provided with a range of services, information and eTrade tools which are designed to facilitate trade growth.
Partners
- Support the attainment of the SDGs, Agenda 2063, the Paris Agreement, and implementation of the AfCFTA
- Support women and youth entrepreneurs and SMEs
- Support sustainable supply chain best practices (SDGs 8, 10, 11)
- Addresses access to finance - the trade finance deficit primarily impacting women and youth African SMEs
- Leverage digital technology to create data analytics to enable transformation strategies across multiple sectors
- Connect to an impactful and influential global and pan-African private sector network
Governments
- Formalize the informal economy and promote financial inclusion, particularly for women and youth
- Promote local production and addresses import substitution
- Attract industrial infrastructure investment to build back better and longer-term resilience
- Build socio-economic cohesion, job preservation and creation
- Support tangible implementation of the AfCFTA
- Promote gender parity and empower African youth
- Facilitate powerful private sector partnerships, to attain the SDG’s, Agenda 2063 and the Paris Agreement
Women and Youth SMEs
- Equip African SMEs to compete in the post-COVID-19 digital economy
- Open intra-African and global market trading opportunities to empower Africa’s most marginalized and vulnerable
- Increase access to finance, investment, and credit, and overall participation in the formal economy
- Offer business survival and growth opportunities, including job creation for the next generation of African women and youth
- Access to knowledge transfer and capacity building
- Deliver sustainable eTrade best practice
- Unlock access to regional and global value and supply chains
- Address global market access constraints for African goods and services
How it works
Join today and grow your business
- 1. Request the listing by completing the data form.
- 2. Receive verification code via email and confirm payment (Free for 12 months!)
- 3. Reference the listing on email signatures and marketing material to increase visibility.
- 4. Buy, sell, import, export or apply for trade finance at an approved financial institution.
