SME Support Centre launches platform showcasing ‘made in Africa’ brands

NAIROBI, Kenya, March 4 -SME Support Centre (SSC) has launched a digital solution the “SME Blue Pages”, a Pan-African access to market initiative that aims to showcase all the “made in Africa brands” and ultimately show the world the Africa’s innovation potential.

The initiative is steered by the SME Support Centre and supported key strategic partners such as the African Union and the Pan-African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI.

Through the initiative SSC also plans to work with various technology startups offer aggregated trade services such as logistics, advertising and payments by leveraging economies of scale to offer these services at a low cost.

SSC which is an aggregator of SMEs in Africa is aimed at scaling up the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa using simple, localized and sustainable solutions.

Over the last three years, the SME Support Centre has impacted over 16,000 SMEs from across Africa through our various initiatives and programs.

Linda Onyango, CEO, SME Support Centre said the SME Blue Pages addresses these challenges by providing global brand exposure and leveraging economies of scale to provided aggregated services such as logistics and advertising.

“We did a survey to analyse the top three(3) access to market challenges facing SMEs in Africa and all the SMEs conclusively said they were brand visibility, cost of advertising and logistics,this is a pan-african ecosystem initiative and we are calling on various partners including other technology startups to join us on this great mission” said

“The SME Blue Pages is a timely initiative that augments our role in enhancing trade and markets initiatives for African businesses. Together with SSC we will work with our regional economic blocs to get the African SMEs to enroll to the platform.” Said Mrs Ron Osman Omar. Officer in Charge, Trade and Industry Division, African Union.

Kebour Ghenna, Executive Director, PACC added that “The SME Blue Pages initiative fits within the mandate of the Pan-African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI) which is to stimulate trade and markets initiatives for African businesses. We will similarly work with in-country chambers of commerce to get their African SMEs to enroll to the platform.”