From 2019 we have been working with networks that play a role in impacting their rural entrepreneurial ecosystems across East and West Africa. Our work together, commencing with a short, evidence based programme designed to walk through every aspect of current networks practice, has introduced a networks approach and supported implementation to meet the unique needs of these diverse and vibrant networks with the ultimate aim of accelerating their network impact. Navigate through the page to meet the networks.
Pan Africa. Established 1977. AFRACA is a leading pan-African network promoting rural and agricultural finance through policy and advocacy, training and capacity building, knowledge and information sharing, and facilitating partnerships amongst members and key industry players. Members comprise of central banks, agricultural and development banks, commercial banks, microfinance institutions, farmer associations, learning and research institutions and development partners.
East Africa. Established 2009. ANDE East Africa is a regional chapter convening and connecting intermediaries, providing knowledge and advice, and influencing across the ecosystem. ANDE East Africa is implementing a comprehensive strategy to develop Uganda’s entrepreneurial ecosystem as part of the Uganda Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Initiative (UEEI). Membership includes 297 intermediaries supporting small and growing businesses in East Africa.
Kenya. Established 2015. Invest in Africa is a pan-African network of diverse stakeholders empowering enterprises to create sustainable jobs by providing better access to skills, markets and finance. The network accelerates trade and investment with small and growing businesses (SGBs) in Africa, by creating viable linkages between the SGBs and large corporates via its flagship online Platform Biashara.Now which has over 5,000 registered members.
West Africa. Established 2005. Fairtrade is a global movement which addressees the injustices of conventional trade by supporting smallholder farmers and workers to secure better terms of trade. Fairtrade Africa, a member of the wider International Fairtrade movement represents Fairtrade certified producers in Africa and the Middle East.
Nigeria. Established 2000. FATE Foundation is Nigeria’s foremost business incubator and accelerator programme with a goal to enabling aspiring and emerging Nigerian entrepreneurs to start, grow and scale their businesses. Founded in 2000 by Fola Adeola to harness the high potential entrepreneurship culture of Nigerians to spur job creation, economic development and social impact.
Uganda. Established 2014. UAA is a private sector led, multi-stakeholder network, working with its membership to grow a more organised, strong, well coordinated and inclusive agribusiness industry. This is characterised by higher productivity, efficiency, profitability, competitiveness, sustainability and resilience, that creates wealth and jobs, while alleviating poverty in Uganda. Membership is 32 agribusinesses, as well as other institutions and agribusiness related apex organisations, across multiple agricultural value chains.
Ghana. Established 2016. Social Enterprise Ghana (SE Ghana) is the national network for high impact social entrepreneurs, hubs, accelerators, impact investors and enterprise support organisations in Ghana. SE Ghana has a current membership of about 800 organisations operating in diverse sectors of climate smart agribusiness, circular economy, health services, inclusive financial services, TVET and education. SE Ghana advocates for business friendly policies for social enterprises and supports members with training, research, access to skills, access to market, access to technology and access to finance. SE Ghana has a goal of facilitating funding to social enterprises by catalysing $1billion dollars for social enterprises in Ghana by 2030.
Nigeria. Established 2015. Welcome2Africa International is a trade and investment facilitation company with a special focus on Nigeria’s agricultural sector. They support investors, multinationals, and key stakeholders within and outside Africa to advance their trade and investment goals, by providing an array of services such as: investment and trade facilitation, project/programmes management, stakeholder engagement and events, market research and entry services, trade missions and entry services.
Ghana. Established 2012. IIA is a non-profit that seeks to create prospering African economies through building sustainability of businesses. IIA is growing to have a pan-African footprint to support SMEs in Africa. IIA Ghana is the flagship office and has been operating since 2014. IIA Ghana and works to connect multinationals and larger businesses to credible local suppliers, improve access to skills, contracts and finance to build long term capacity and help improve the investment climate and quality of policy discussions in the country.