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African entrepreneurs participating in trade and market access training

Programmes

Practical pathways for different stages of trade readiness.

Choose your pathway

Support for Different Starting Points

Businesses, young entrepreneurs, women in trade and diaspora participants do not all face the same barriers.

Asanda Africa's programmes provide practical routes into trade, capability building and export readiness. Each pathway responds to a different starting point, while the ACD™ provides a common evidence base for understanding business competitiveness.

African SME manufacturing business assessing export readiness
Programme 01

SME Trade Capacity

Know exactly what is standing between your business and its next export.

A practical, research-backed pathway that helps SMEs understand their current readiness, identify the next capability gap to close and connect with appropriate support.

01

The Challenge

AfCFTA has expanded the market available to African businesses, but market access alone does not make a business export-ready. SMEs still need to navigate certification, buyers, documentation, production capability, finance and logistics. The challenge is often knowing which gap to close first.

02

How Asanda Africa Helps

  • Export Readiness Diagnostic: use the ACD™ to understand where the business stands across five dimensions of competitiveness.
  • SME Export Toolkit: follow a practical route matched to the business's current stage.
  • Relevant referrals: connect specific needs with certification bodies, banks, trade promotion organisations and other support institutions.
  • Ongoing reassessment: revisit readiness as capabilities develop and priorities change.
03

What You'll Get

  • A personalised picture of current export readiness.
  • A prioritised action plan rather than a generic export checklist.
  • Relevant institutional referrals where appropriate.
  • A framework that can be revisited as the business develops.
04

Questions

How long does the diagnostic take?

About 15 to 20 minutes.

Do I need to already export?

No. The pathway is also designed for SMEs preparing for their first export activity.

What happens after my score?

You receive a breakdown across the five pillars and a clearer view of what to prioritise next.

Is this a generic checklist?

No. The pathway is designed around the business's own competitiveness profile.

Programme 02

Youth in Trade

Your first export does not have to wait for someday.

Mentorship, training and a practical entry point into continental trade for young entrepreneurs starting from where they are today.

Apply to the Programme ↗
Young African entrepreneurs collaborating on trade opportunities
01

The Challenge

Young entrepreneurs face the same trade barriers as other businesses, often with less capital, thinner networks and fewer practical entry points into institutions designed around more established enterprises.

02

How Asanda Africa Helps

  • Incubation-style pathway: a structured, low-barrier route into first export activity.
  • Mentorship matching: connection with relevant practical export experience.
  • University and TVET links: access to suitable training, short courses and applied research.
  • Peer community: connection with other young entrepreneurs building trade capability at a similar stage.
03

What You'll Get

  • A mentor matched to your sector or market interest.
  • A step-by-step starter pathway.
  • Access to relevant training and short courses.
  • A community of peers building export businesses.
04

Questions

Do I need a registered business?

No. Serious early-stage ventures can also participate.

Is there a cost?

The core programme is free. Any paid training or certification should be communicated upfront.

What age group is it for?

The primary audience is approximately 18 to 35.

Do I need prior export experience?

No. The programme is designed to provide a practical first route into trade.

African women entrepreneurs participating in a trade workshop
Programme 03

Women in Trade

Trade was never just for someone else.

Targeted support, stronger networks and a clearer route into regional trade for women-led and women-owned businesses.

Join the Network ↗ Explore AfCFTA Resources →
01

The Challenge

Women-led businesses often face additional barriers in trade finance, collateral, professional networks and access to practical information about trade mechanisms and support.

02

How Asanda Africa Helps

  • Dedicated programme support: focus on barriers that specifically affect women-led SMEs.
  • Protocol guidance: plain-language interpretation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade.
  • Finance connections: links to relevant gender-focused finance and support pathways.
  • Network building: connection with women exporters and business owners across the region.
03

What You'll Get

  • Practical guidance on how the AfCFTA Protocol relates to your business.
  • Introductions to relevant finance and support pathways.
  • Opportunities for visibility through future case studies and role-model content.
  • A genuine peer network focused on trade and business growth.
04

Questions

Who is the programme for?

It is designed around women-led and women-owned businesses.

Do I need to be export-ready?

No. Businesses can join while still building readiness.

What does the AfCFTA Protocol cover?

It addresses trade barriers that disproportionately affect women and young people.

Does the programme include finance?

The programme can connect participants with relevant finance and support pathways.

Programme 04

Diaspora Bridge

However far you have travelled, your role at home is not over.

A practical route for African diaspora participants to invest, mentor or trade with African businesses from wherever they are in the world.

Find Your Way to Contribute ↗
African diaspora participant joining a business partnership discussion by video
01

The Opportunity

Diaspora communities contribute substantial financial, professional and commercial value to the continent. Diaspora Bridge creates a clearer route for turning skills, networks and capital into practical business connections.

02

Three Ways to Contribute

  • Invest: contribute capital to relevant businesses or programmes.
  • Mentor: share skills and professional experience with entrepreneurs building their businesses.
  • Trade: buy from, sell to or help distribute African SME products in your market.
03

How the Pathway Works

  • A short intake process captures residence, origin and preferred form of contribution.
  • Participants can be matched with relevant businesses or programmes.
  • The pathway explains how contributions connect to practical business needs.
  • Participants can connect with other diaspora members following similar routes.
04

Questions

I am not sure how I want to contribute.

Start with the intake route so your interests can be matched with relevant options.

Who can participate?

People of African heritage or origin living abroad.

How are businesses assessed?

The ACD™ provides a common readiness framework that can support assessment.

Do I need to invest money?

No. Mentoring and trade connections are also part of the pathway.

Business competitiveness and export readiness data analysis
Programme 05

Asanda Competitiveness Diagnostic

See exactly where your business stands and what to fix first.

The ACD™ is Asanda Africa's research-backed diagnostic for assessing business competitiveness and export capability across five interconnected pillars.

Start Your Diagnostic ↗ Institutional Access →
01

The Five Pillars

01Industrial Strength

Production capacity, quality systems and cost efficiency.

02Export Skills

Knowledge required to execute export activity.

03Export Readiness

Certification, finance access and logistics infrastructure.

04Strategic Capability

Ability to sustain and grow export activity over time.

05Market Performance

Trading activity and the surrounding support environment.

02

How It Helps

The ACD™ creates a structured picture of business strengths and capability gaps. Instead of returning generic advice, it helps identify which area should be prioritised next.

03

For Institutions

Trade promotion organisations, chambers and development partners can use the ACD™ across groups of SMEs to create a more comparable view of readiness and capability gaps across a portfolio or programme.

04

Questions

Is business data private?

Individual business results are confidential.

Are formal documents required?

No formal documents are required to complete the diagnostic.

How long does it take?

Approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

How is it different from a generic checklist?

It is grounded in structured research and is designed to identify a specific priority rather than provide generic export tips.

Institutional stakeholders discussing SME competitiveness and trade support
For institutions

Supporting a Portfolio of Businesses?

Government institutions, trade promotion organisations, chambers, universities and development partners can explore institutional diagnostics, research collaboration and programme-level applications.

Explore Institutional Support ↗ Discuss a Collaboration →