OUR FOCUS IS PROMOTING TRADE AND INVESTMENTS IN AFRICA

Regal Africa Business Institute (RABI) is an institution based in Nairobi, Kenya with a focus on development through trade and investments by promoting business excellence on the Africa continent, with the understanding that business is the only sustainable way to eradicate poverty on the continent.

RABI is an institution that offers research , training, business education and consulting services to Businesses , Institutions and Goverments with a focus on the African Continent.

Regal Africa Group

4th Floor Top Plaza, Kindaruma Rd, Nairobi, Kenya

P.O. Box 40187, Nairobi 00100

Tel: +254 0714 009 065 www.regalafrica.co.ke info@regalafrica.co.ke e-commerce platforms may also overwhelm traders as they may not be confident to navigate these platforms. Made in Africa provided an option to talk to someone to ease the complexity.

Wangeci spoke of the advantage of using digital trade and technology to address various problems in agriculture. She spoke of the use of technology in awareness through the use of USSD codes that give information to leverage their practices. Technology has been used to set up call centers to permeate the masses and make them aware of solutions available in the market. Information sharing has also been used to cut out middlemen by sourcing for markets around the country. Examples of digital-based platforms are Uber, Jumia, Greenspoon, and Sendy are some models that were able to grow during COVID but are now working

“We have seen that being used in the agrispace, which was an area, especially with perishable goods was not natural, let me say that it was not the first place you would think of digital trade in fresh produce, especially in a local area,”

Wangeci Gitata-Kiriga

Joy spoke of recommending platforms through referrals from the African diaspora. Basic examples she spoke of were Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Whatsapp where entrepreneurs could connect and showcase their products. These tools could be used as free platforms to meet, discuss and create groups to get feedback. Market research, design thinking, and modeling of the market were also conducted on all these social media platforms.

“All these tools, you can use them to analyze if it’s needed. And the people will always guide you,”

Joy Zenz

Canva is another platform she encouraged as it gave attractive visuals. The platform helped with attractive branding. However, these platforms were not protected because most lacked trademarks and intellectual property. She encouraged the formalization of these products so that catalogs could be used to provide information and some semblance of ownership. Melissa also encouraged the protection of IP.

Craig then explained his business model and process of engagement. It began with the vetting process by first getting their documentation. The documents are the first vetting process which is followed by a video or visit to a warehouse or the goods that are going to be supplied. The next step is a contract outlining the agreement entered into. Trust was the underlying fact on both sides. Risks were more adverse and the exact product matches were difficult to achieve.

“B2B is such a different market to B2C…B2B is different as there is a lot more money involved, as well as the quality of the product,”

Craig Chamberlain

Other disadvantages were the trust issues where it was difficult to be sure of getting a certain product and its quality. The payment methods were also more secure as structures had been put in place to direct income specifically. Craig finished by stating that it was difficult for people to understand how digital platforms worked. Made in Africa explained how they made trade visible. Melissa commented that the rigorous vetting provided a shield of psychological security and peace of mind to both the customer and the supplier.

Wangeci spoke of the cooperatives in their role as uniters of trade. She noted that some were using their digital platforms to share information and best practices. Unfortunately, she noted that these parameters were only notable among the larger and well-managed cooperatives. The smaller ones were left out of the market. User-friendliness was the highest barrier to getting into the digital space. Accessibility and price to these platforms was the other barrier that made selection limiting to most. Integration of policies also determines which platforms are selected so that trade is possible.

Joy emphasized the importance of understanding trade in the context of scaling up and staying relevant in the market. Grassroots engagement was also needed to provide feedback to the farmer on what the market needed. She encouraged quality products as these would ease problems beyond their control like logistics. She encouraged value addition through innovation and digital trade. Melissa pointed out that it was important to understand your place in the food chain. Craig then spoke of the fear and apprehension of digital trade, with COVID forcing the digital move but creating new trust issues. He encouraged people to ask for help if they found themselves stuck in a certain limitation. Fear was discouraged as he called for more collaborations so that people could grow together beyond their excitement.

Wangeci concluded by demonstrating how Africa was advancing technologically and increasing digital connectivity. She encouraged every trader to look beyond the local market and go global to add value to the continent and globe. Wangeci’s final call was for the diaspora to be good ambassadors and provide platforms to bring the taste of home to the globe. Melissa closed by calling for everyone to embrace technology and Anne Gaitha welcomed participants to engage the brands visible in the exhibition during the short break.

Watch the panel here https://youtu.be/iu57Vv6b_DY