In a continent ripe with entrepreneurial talent, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent the backbone of economic growth. However, navigating the complexities of cross-border trade often poses significant challenges for these businesses. Enter JamiiTrade: a digital community platform poised to revolutionize the landscape of intra-African trade. In this exclusive interview, we delve into the vision, mission, and impact of JamiiTrade as it seeks to empower African SMEs and drive economic prosperity across the continent.
Who is JamiiTrade and what is the idea behind the concept?
“JamiiTrade is a digital community platform developed for SME/SMMEs that require
information to seamlessly trade across borders in Africa. It will be launched in July 2023,
through an initial beta testing round, and followed by broad promotion to entrepreneurs
across Africa. It will be the go-to community for SME/SMMEs looking to expand their
markets through import and export, as well as accessing information to help them achieve
these goals as well as connecting to peers across the continent.”
Who is developing JamiiTrade?
“JamiiTrade is an entity owned by Shift Impact Africa Group and AnalyticsX and supported by
the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry. All these companies have a united
purpose of driving economic growth in Africa and believe that accelerating cross-border
trade will be crucial for this growth.”
What impact is JamiiTrade going to have in Africa?
“With the intention to strengthen the readiness of small businesses to participate in AfCFTA
marketplaces and contribute to Africa’s growth and their own sustainability, JamiiTrade is
firstly an information sharing, capacity building and community connection platform and the
vision is that it will grow to be the go-to trading platform for all SME/SMMEs on the Africa
continent.
The biggest impact will be the transformation and sustainability of Africa’s economy growth
through increased intra-African trade as a result of their understanding of AfCFTA benefits
and opportunities. In addition, economic diversification and inclusion, through the creation of
new markets as well as data to ensure that entrepreneurs make informed decisions when
entering these markets. Finally, by sharing best practice and access to other tech platforms
and services, JamiiTrade will also facilitate economic enablement and progress.”
How is JamiiTrade different from other trade platforms?
“Every aspect of JamiiTrade is designed to serve the small and medium sized enterprises of
Africa – easy to access information, formatted in a way that is easy to understand, and on a
platform that is easy and instinctual for entrepreneurs needing to use it on the go.
It’s will also pull content from various sources so that it is a one-stop-shop when needed
information, but also needing to connect with peers across Africa, who are on the same
journey.”
Who will JamiiTrade partner with?
“Essentially, this platform is to build the capacity of enterprises, and so opportunities to
partner in that regard will be available for educational institutions, accelerators and
incubators and trade institutions.”
What is JamiiTrade’s biggest challenge right now?
“Funding, and growing our network. There is no doubt as to the relevance of this JamiiTrade
for Africa’s growth right now. It speaks to specific gaps in the current offering where
entrepreneurs are not holistically addressed – and does so in the best way possible (we
have research to confirm this). But we need funding to do so – and in due course,
sponsorship and private sector participation to keep it growing. Our model is to make sure
that it is self-sustaining, for the long term.”
How can local businesses partner with JamiiTrade today?
“Speak to us! Whether you’re an investor, a grant funder, looking to sponsor or want to be
part of JamiiTrade, we are ready to talk and to share our offering with you. And if you’re an
SME/SMME looking to join the JamiiTrade community, you can register here to be kept up to
date on developments and launch date of the platform.”
Register on JamiiTrade – https://www.jamiitrade.africa
Follow on Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/jamiitrade/