Panel Discussion 2: Africa Regional Economic Communities best practices

and opportunities for SMEs

Moderator: Melissa Harvey; Brand Portfolio Director- The Village Entrepreneurship

Panelists:

John Bosco Kalisa; CEO- East Africa Business Council

Teddy Yagambaram Soobramanien; CEO- Comesa Business Council

Amin Akadiri Bakin; CEO- Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry

Panel Discussion:

John Bosco began the discussion with a call to embrace the role of the private sector to steer the regional integration agenda. He then spoke of the background of the East Africa Business Council in people-centered integration and market-led integration. He tied this agenda to private-sector engagement.

John

He demonstrated how the EAC Regional Economic Community (REC) was one of the highest performing. It was able to weather the COVID season by ensuring the continuity of trade of essential goods through close ties between nations. The region was also supported by the privatization and digitalization of productive infrastructure such as the ports. Diversified agriculture is also helping the regions. Mr. Kalisa explained how the EAC has applied the above factors to the region in conjunction with the private sector.

Mr. Soobramanien brought up the aspect of producing what we need to consume. He stated that this was a starting point that would then progress to the ease of need to move these products. Exorbitant customs barriers and access to trade finance were the areas that COMESA Business Council(CBC) was seeking to address. He also pointed out the benefit of branding, distribution channels, and trade governance systems to determine security and predictability. He was keen for Africans to embrace new technologies and digital transformations so that Africa would become a leader instead of a follower within the global trade space.

Aminou Akadiri explained how his organization represents the interests of the private sector within COMESA and ECOWAS. The changes were aimed at creating an enabling business environment where traders could take up every opportunity available to them. The organization also provides relevant policies that will usher the region into productivity. They also promote partnerships through the harmonization of private sector activities and building capacity. They are also the region’s link or representation within the AfCFTA and with the other regional blocks.

The query on how CBC helps its members to access global markets was addressed by Mr. Soobramanien. He explained CBC’s role in engaging partners who will apply digital financial inclusion to lower the cost of financing. This product will also increase access to SMEs in the regions especially those with poor financial training. Another program also chose training sessions to strengthen local sourcing and compliance.

“CBC is addressing market information gaps. CBC offers tailor-made training to our SMEs within the region, and we also provide market information within the region,”

Teddy Yagambaram Soobramanien

This included programs that touch 800 SMEs that are now being engaged to build capacity. There are also other specialized and customized training to build capacity in the COMESA regions. These will act as pilot projects in 8 countries that will be replicated around the continent depending on their outcome.

Best practices to increase opportunities in regional trade that were suggested by Mr. Aminou included the encouragement of free movement. West Africa has endeavored to ease movement and lessen policies that make it difficult to move goods, services, or persons within West Africa. Protocol on community enterprises was another best practice that allowed working between all ECOWAS members. For example, a company can operate in Benin, Togo, and Nigeria in the same way. This model has seen Egyptian Airlines forming Asky Airlines to serve the entire region. The Sealink maritime project has a similar model. South Africa is also on board, while Morocco is an observer in the model.

“Let us assume that we identify 5 key projects in Africa. We say that we want to have technical partners or investors from South Africa, Morocco, and Egypt come together to work on this product. I believe such a product can easily move around Africa,”

Amin

Akadiri Bakin

The formation of a company with such ties around the continent was the best practice that Mr. Bakin suggested. This was the futuristic approach that all three panelists were working towards. Mr. Kilaka informed the panel that the EABC has implemented an SME business forum/platform called my e-Soko where cross-border traders share information. This has been used to promote instruments such as the Simplified Trading Regime. Any product less than 2000 USD can be traded without applying custom processes. This has enabled ease of trading along the border. Talks are underway to increase the limit to 5000 USD. Trade information desks along the borders have also been established to enlighten traders, especially women on the processes to apply.

Such practices are helping in data harvesting so that small traders are captured within the national trade bracket. Mastercard Foundation and Equity bank are also coming on board to develop patient/ venture capital.

Access to regional markets is a good strategy because competition is ruthless in a global market. Mr. Soobramanien was of this opinion as he advised business owners to use the regional markets as training grounds that would acclimatize the traders to business practices and competition. Mr. Aminou shared similar views as he pointed out that the local traders could not handle the scale required internationally. He suggested the amalgamation of services and goods within sectors to build capacity within the region. These groups would help in improving practices such as branding and standardization. He concluded by stating that the role of the private sector should be emphasized. Mr. Kilaka agreed with the training aspect as he referred to RECs as training platforms and capacity-building tools that would prepare the traders for global platforms. He argued that some international standards would not serve local markets, as he called for regional standards. He concluded by calling for RECs to be strengthened within the AfCFTA.

Watch the 2nd panel on RegalAfrica TV here https://youtu.be/dMpew1iVCFQ

Panel Discussion 3: Global Trade opportunities for African businesses

Moderator: Wangeci Gitata-Kiriga; Founder -Kijani Group

Panelists:

Ngozi Oyewole; Managing Director/CEO -Noxie Limited

Jaswinder (Jas) Bedi; Chairman -Kenya Export Promotion & Branding Agency.

Panel Discussion:

The session began with a warm welcome from Wangeci who introduced the panelists. Ngozi Oyewole, a manufacturing and export trader, advised listeners to be courageous and upfront while seeking business opportunities. On the opportunities in the commonwealth, Ngozi was positive about the research that the body carries out. She spoke about the benefits of the Commonwealth Connect and the Commonwealth Secretariat and working group which helps many through global and regional integration.the commonwealth's best practices were also appealing to the English-speaking countries as they gave traders a platform to take off. She gave an example of the women and youth empowerment program under Equity Bank in Kenya, as one of the Commonwealth programs to boost trade. She summarized the commonwealth advantage as 19% lower trading costs among the commonwealth nation-states.

Mr. Bedi joined the conversation by expanding his portfolio beyond the branding agency. He explained his role in cotton farming from field to fashion as he is involved in the entire production and supply chain. He noted that cotton is the number one export crop overtaking coffee and tea. He spoke about reorganizing supply chains to expand the cotton market because of the great demand and low supply. Concentration is on Europe because of the lower costs of trading. He blamed the low export rates in Kenya for the lack of value addition in cocoa, tea, coffee, and other products. He encouraged a shift to value addition to create jobs in manufacturing and generate higher-value income.

Intellectual property was also discussed as the Kenyan 'kiondo' and ‘kikoi' were brought into the conversation by Mr. Bedi. He spoke of the unique value proposition by encouraging brand visibility and awareness. He encouraged the use of conscious brand awareness and high-level advocacy. These moves have become the backbone of marketing as consumer needs are shifting to responsible consumerism and sustainability.

Jaswinder (Jas) Bedi

Ngozi advised traders to have a well-researched business plan based on the target market likely to realize the greatest value. She encouraged the use of well-harvested data that would make it possible to develop sound strategies to grow and prosper regional and global businesses. Mr. Bedi emphasized brand, buy and build, with an emphasis on pushing the brand beyond just selling the product. He called for extensive branding and identification to the extent that a certain product was identified with a certain region, culture, or country. He spoke of using solar and wind energy as green energy that will be gentler for the environment. He encouraged Africans to improve their storytelling skills by using primary pointers to highlight the advantages of green energy and sustainable organic produce. This marketing strategy was more effective beyond pricing and Bedi advocated for it as a way to gain conscious brand loyalty.

Ngozi’s parting shot called for all aspiring business people to look beyond their fear and be aggressive in all they were seeking. She encouraged people to use their voices to tell a story that would introduce them to new opportunities, markets, and partners. She especially encouraged women to look beyond their fear and take that step towards prosperity and leadership.

Ngozi Oyewole

Mr. Bedi concluded by saying that Africans have more in common than what separates them. He told a story that encouraged Africans to take advantage of any compliment to advance the continent’s agenda. He called for the continent to become the leading trading block in the world by taking advantage of our youth and technology. Wangeci then concluded with the reminder that as a continent, we can go far together. Anne Gaitha then closed the session with a call to embrace local brands such as Wangeci’s Revolutionary coffee.

Watch this inspiring panel on RegalAfrica TV here https://youtu.be/1MIuOLo-iJk www.africatradeconference.com

Panel Discussion 4: How African businesses can participate in Global Value chains sustainably

Moderator: Musa Mpofu; Project Officer – Domestic Fair Trade (Kenya and South Africa) World Fair Trade Organization, Africa & Middle East

Panelists:

Patience Chindong; Chief Executive Officer -EuroAfrica Link

Oliver Fortune Chikodzore; CEO- African Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre

Anna Jankowska; Programme Officer in Trade Information-International Trade Centre

Panel Discussion:

The discussion began with Anne introducing the moderator Musa. Musa then welcomed the panelists. Patience introduced herself as a Cameroonian based in the Netherlands. She is passionate about food law. She helps European companies who want access to African markets and vice versa. She provides a service to enlighten the traders and farmers by making them independent. Her five-year-old organization has up-to-date information and experience from many case studies. The training program is available at scheduled times of the year. Anna described herself as a person who was passionate about providing information and opportunities to SMEs in the region. Olive is a business strategist with a focus on entrepreneurs. He is passionate about engaging the youth and women as the grassroots of the community, to bring them into entrepreneurship. His focus is on overcoming challenges such as investment facilitation, creating awareness, market access, and mentorship.

Musa inquired about the global preparedness of African businesses for the global markets. Anne acknowledged that although there were some prepared SMEs, there was a gap across the board with some experiencing information gaps. Patience also pointed out that even those who were earlier prepared, have been overtaken by COVID-related regulations. She spoke of the need to have a partner to engage with information and branding. Oliver gave examples of impediments to capacity building. They included a lack of equipment, technical support, logistics, value addition, and infrastructure. Training solved such problems when it was tailored and language friendly. He also advised people to develop an awareness of profit margins and future projections of what they want from the business.

Oliver Fortune

Patience encouraged Africans to be aware of the six core elements necessary to bring products to Europe. The availability of a paper trail that would convince consumers of the source and the movement through the supply chain was essential. Most African products lack this kind of documentation to ensure the authenticity of branding claims. Patience additionally spoke of value addition and bringing awareness of what is in the continent. She advised interested participants to take advantage of their training program where all the necessary information was available. She also spoke of the added advantage of her organization representing the trader and introducing them to markets.

Anna spoke of the potential in Intra Africa trade across many sectors. Her organization gave research findings that showed that this area of trade was severely underutilized. Africa was underrepresented in global trade especially intra-Africa opportunities which only represented 14% of the 2% of exports. Anna explained how an Export Potential Map has shown that over 5000 products have potential in many sectors across Africa.

“When we look at Intra Africa trade, we estimate that there is room for an additional 22 billion in exports by 2026,”

Anna Jankowska

They include machinery, beauty products, chemicals, and motor vehicle parts among others. A study called Made by Africa, Creating value Through Integration seeks to create high-quality value chains from inputs. She explained that there are many promising value chains to produce higher value chains and the visibility to access such opportunities out there. She encouraged the use of ICT tools that can help get access to regulatory information and research on various trading practices in different regions.

Oliver spoke of resilience in the context of business community planning. This was to work in conjunction with certifications and value chains. Digitalization was part of this process that would help quicken processes and cut out corruption. Oliver called for collaboration with policymakers and law enforcement organs to help the global value chains favor the average business owner. His program tailors training to the areas that are relevant to specific traders. They base the training on the research of the specific business and community it will be located in.

Patience advised traders to structure their businesses before beginning the trade. An example was to understand each region’s food safety standards and quality with affordable pricing. Investing in oneself through learning and capacity building was also advised. Understanding the challenges was key in getting partners who would complement the business practices and make it easier and more profitable.

Patience Chindong

Anne picked up this line of thought by advising people to make use of digital tools. She encouraged the use of platforms that were created specifically for SMEs as they bring information from many different sources. Examples are the Global Trade Help Desk, Export Potential Maps, and the African Trade Advisory from the AfCFTA. These would guide a trader on the viability of a business as well as the expenses that may occur throughout the production process. The options of trade through e-commerce can be accessed through platforms like the ICT e-com Connect Platform. The best advantage is the connection with thousands of other entrepreneurs while taking advantage of digital trade. Anne explained that the WTO creates policies between countries. It also has an informal working group that liaises with SMEs to bring their concerns on board.

Oliver spoke of Fair Trade Africa and SEDA in South Africa as the bodies that help with certification. He spoke of his organization being able to help through various organizations that help in linking up with ECO SET. Patience then explained how her company connects entrepreneurs to buyers through an introduction, negotiation, and legal representation. Anne concluded by encouraging entrepreneurs to dream big even as they seek information to support their ventures. Patience advised the listeners to get started and not wait to be great to begin. Oliver finalized this by encouraging entrepreneurs to leverage the advantage of digital platforms through information. Musa closed the session by calling for more interactions on social media. The delegates also got to interact with the speakers and partners in the lobby during a short break.

Watch this panel on RegalAfrica TV here https://youtu.be/T_bgVr1NktE

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The African Online Vocalists is an online platform that was founded by Hellen Akoth Omolo also known as Hellen Mtawale. The movement was formed during the pandemic with the support of Google Meet and Zoom. The training evolved from singing training to an award movement and cultural expression of individual music. Her teaching staff has also gone international with talent like communication specialist Regina Re and Solly Mahlangu coming on board. She now networks with dancers, artists, and drama performers to provide physical platforms for them to perform. Her students range from three years old and above and she offers competitive prices. Her movement has given plenty of people a platform to present their creativity and get their names out there.

“All I can say is that there are opportunities out there for musicians. What you need to know is how to connect with us.Once you identify these skills it opens and exposes you to the world,”

Hellen Mtawale.

Vishnu Charran is from an island in the Caribbean and he is an educator. He spoke of addressing climate change solutions that encourage automation and less reliance on rainfall and nonrenewable energy.

“We have very brilliant and innovative people in our country. Rohn is one of them. I’m happy to be here to talk about what we do and what we can do for the continent of Africa and the Caribbean Islands,”

Vishnu Charran

Rohn Yearwood further described the company as one that seeks to find a more innovative way to practice agriculture. Oxanic Grow is an agriculture company dependent on innovation. The company aims to bring farming indoors so that the weeds are controlled, pests, thieves, and other outdoor factors are controlled. The model operates on hydroponics. It requires high capital costs and high skills. Conditions within the system must be controlled perfectly as imbalance spreads negative outcomes very fast. It is however advantageous as it does not depend on soil or climate conditions. Disease and pest control is much easier and water use is more controlled. Plants absorb nutrients from water solutions without interaction with the soil. It is also known as Controlled Environment Agriculture(CEA).

“The idea behind our company is to create a more innovative way of doing agriculture, especially with people who have challenges with the environment. We wanted to create a technology that can help to revolutionize the agriculture sector in that way,” Rohn Yearwood.

The hybrid system maximizes the use of space and increases productivity. Oxygen and nutrient uptake are optimized in this system. It combines the Nutrient Film Technique and Deep Water Culture. The system grows vegetative plants like lettuce and reproductive plants like botanical fruits. An example is a strawberry. The limited light eliminates algae to avoid competition as weeds would do. Most plants take 14-28 days from plant to harvest, hence a high turnover rate. Additionally, a controller reduces the managerial role in the greenhouse or indoor farm.

Watch these Global brands on RegalAfrica TV here https://youtu.be/qNhW7o3n1Ak

Panel Session 5: Global Trade as a catalyst to the Development of Africa

Moderator: Musa Mpofu; Project Officer – Domestic Fair Trade (Kenya and South Africa) World Fair Trade Organization, Africa & Middle East

Panelists:

Rachel Mwakazi Skjaerpe; Rural Development consultant- D-Dialog Norway

Dr. Ben Shepherd; Developing Trade Consultants

John Karegwa; Chief Executive Officer- Invest in Africa Summit

Hanna Norberg; Founder and Principal- TradeEconomista

The moderator began the session by allowing the panelists to introduce themselves. The team of multi-skilled individuals then explained their professional capacity and scope of work in the continent. Ben began the conversation by stating that no one country was constantly ready to tackle the global market. He called for frequent research and repositioning to align the opportunities with preparedness. He also lauded the AfCFTA for promoting regional trade which is the lowest in Africa, when compared to other continents and regional markets. Hanna shared the strategic benefit of the AfCFTA as it turned many African countries towards each other.

Trade agreements reallocate resources to areas where the most beneficial areas grow where others shrink. Ben stated this to explain the challenges that were faced in the implementation of tariffs and trade agreements. The large trade costs and facilitations were thought to be made efficient with trade agreements.

Rachel said that the grassroots would not benefit from the trade agreements immediately but they would benefit in the future. She said that most grassroots organizations were working on digital transformation and coming together to scale up production. The role of capacitation was key in making cottage industries able to compete regionally and globally. Hanna described a trade agreement as a gym membership that was useless until the work was put in. Setting up the AfCFTA was the easiest part and now the other stages such as infrastructure and digital connectivity would then need to grow accordingly. Hanna called for the growth of quality infrastructure to make the whole trade chain come together.

John spoke of the challenges facing the implementation of the AfCFTA. The main role he posed to the continent was to take up production to create value addition. He also called for the continent to trade more with each other to grow capacity. He encouraged the continent to create niches to make the continent visible and reputable for certain produce. His main concern with the AfCFTA was the ability of entrepreneurs to maintain quality standards and fulfill trade agreement parameters. He blames this for the low uptake of opportunities on a global level.

His final complaint was that connectivity and travel within the continent were more expensive than traveling between two different continents. Musa then pondered on the woes of failing within the region as the main impediment to scaling globally. ben agreed with these sentiments by seeing the challenges in terms of scale. He spoke of the international resources that could help in the context of the Asian agreements. The main challenge is how to get all these ecosystems to work for each other.

Musa felt that small businesses needed to be put online or on the government’s radar so that they could access greater markets. It would then be possible to bring together more like-minded traders who would then have a more relevant position in the trade sector. John acknowledged that Africa needs support to run their businesses and process orders. Borrowing from the bank takes too long and a potential order may be lost in the process. The lack of capital financing makes many businesses struggle to operate. Despite this, John called for diversification in food production, healthcare, fintech, renewable energy, connectivity, and affordable housing. John described that most investors want to invest in a scale-up instead of a startup. The main barrier to accessing funding from the many available investors is the lack of the ability to demonstrate the ability to scale up.

Most businesses were not investors ready and they could not make a simple business plan or offtake agreement. Rachel spoke of the complementary role that could be played by the NGOs which could train business people on business practices. She agreed with John’s sentiments on the lack of preparedness due to the lack of formalities. Many people were locked out and Rachel called for the NGOs to facilitate trade through training.

The responsibility was also passed to grassroots organizations like the Chamber of Commerce. She called for horizontal engagements. Rachel spoke of open channels of communication such as those organized by ABSA and the Chamber of Commerce in Kenya. Such a forum could prepare these traders for regional and international trade. John spoke of the importance of being investor ready and emphasized structuring being a key area in need of training. Hanna’s final remarks were for people to be bold about getting information and engaging in business. She encouraged learning and networking as a way to expand horizons beyond Africa.

Rachel then encouraged the transition from raw material to value addition so that these ready products would produce more revenue streams. She also called for NGOs to shift the mentality from fish to fish farming. This was the best way to boost trade and end dependency on aid. She called for Africa to decide what it was about and to brand beyond the poverty-stricken images given in donor narratives. Ben called for the traders to organize and come together to create structures that work. He also promoted digital marketplaces to boost connectivity and make it possible to connect in the global space. John’s parting shot to business people was to encourage them to cross the border as they would find many business opportunities that could change their s cope of thinking.

Watch the panel that closed out day 1 of the conference here on RegalAfrica TV https://youtu.be/hi8o2zdn_1E