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Origin Africa Takes Center Stage

On April 22, COMPETE took its innovative Origin Africa campaign to New York. COMPETE’s message: Africa is the New Frontier for Business.

Held in the famed Paramount Theatre at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square, the event brought together African designers, manufacturers, exporters and U.S.-based buyers and retailers for a panel discussion on how to increase commercial engagement with Africa.

From the emerging designer/entrepreneur to the large capacity exporter to the niche brand in the U.S., Africa presents huge, untapped potential.  But how does one translate that opportunity to meaningful, transformational business?  The answer from the panel: start small; allow the business relationships to develop; be mindful of the challenges faced in Africa (and yes, incorporate some flexibility in business planning), but with an eye to the rewards.  For every large apparel factory in Kenya that is selling in volume to the U.S. under AGOA, there is a small-scale entrepreneur who is demonstrating the design capabilities and creativity of the new Africa.  And these entrepreneurs are increasingly attracting the attention of U.S. brands.

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Joint Border Committees on the Northern Corridor Help Traders Save Millions

Malaba is not unlike many borders in East Africa; chaotic, disorganized and slow moving with long queues at every agency window and office. If you arrive at the Malaba border in Kenya at 9:30am, you will be met with a line of over 250 semi-trucks, with license plates from half-a-dozen countries. The line extends for nearly seven kilometers. Guest houses, retail shops, hair salons, and restaurants line the streets and hawkers make their way through the congestion of double-parked trucks, overloaded motorcycles, and carts pulled by bicycles to sell flip-flops, sunglasses, t-shirts and electronics to those waiting to cross the border. It is tense and hectic as truckers scream at each other, fighting for their spot in line. 

One of East Africa’s busiest borders, over 1000 trucks cross between Kenya and Uganda via Malaba each day handling roughly 40 percent of transit cargo en route to and from Mombasa from Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, South Sudan and Uganda. Deficiencies in Malaba’s soft and hard infrastructure cause complicated and uncoordinated clearance formalities that delay cargo and therefore trade. Since 2009, COMPETE has worked with the public and private sector to reduce trade time and cost through the establishment and support of Joint Border Committees (JBCs) at 16 border posts in East Africa.

JBCs are working groups made up of government agencies and private sector stakeholders involved in cross-border trade. JBCs have successfully reduced trade time and cost by promoting cooperation and transparency among border agencies, instituting joint cargo verification and promoting 24/7 operations at borders. As a result of this work in Malaba, border-crossing time has reduced from several days to several hours allowing for almost twice as many trucks to pass through the border daily. This time savings amounts to an estimated $69 million per year for transporters and traders.

Click  here to read a case study that answers the how and why JBCs were created and summarizes the impact they have had.

Looking for Quality Footwear? Try Ethiopia

Join the Conversation!

Growing Your Business 
Thursday, March 21, 2013
10:00 EDT (14:00 UTC)
URL:  https://conx.state.gov/entrepreneurship/
 
Description:  Studies have shown that the more women participate in their local economy, the more likely overall economic productivity of the country will rise and development outcomes will improve. Participate in a webchat with this live Q&A to learn how women can break through economic glass ceilings and become successful business owners.Join Elizabeth Vazquez,  CEO and Founder of WeConnect International, a corporate-led non-profit working to build sustainable communities and spur economic growth by empowering women entrepreneurs to succeed in global markets.

Format: This program will be a video webchat in English.  Please click on the URL above and enter the room as a ‘Guest’ to participate. To join the conversation on Twitter use @CONX and the hastags #entrepreneurship and #startup. 

100 Weavers Trained for Export

On February 7, 2013, the Center for African Women Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) celebrated the graduation of 100 traditional weavers now equipped with advanced skills in fabric design and production. All 50 of the first class of trainees found placement in export-focused companies, 90 percent of which are owned and managed by women. CAWEE expects similar placement for the next class of 50. By working for export companies, CAWEE estimates that traditional weavers can increase their income by as much as 75 percent.

Export companies are grateful for the program. “Getting trained and skilled weavers is instrumental for exporting companies to be able to continuously supply to the export market and meet demands of international buyers,” said Sara Abera, owner of SGDM and Muya Abyssinian Crafts. Ms. Abera also stated that “trained weavers contribute 95 percent to the growth of companies.”

In his remarks at the event, U.S. Ambassador Donald Booth (pictured on left) stated, “With this women-led initiative, Ethiopian companies can meet the growing U.S. demand for high-quality, traditionally-made Ethiopian crafts.  Everyone benefits – U.S. customers, Ethiopian business owners, and traditional weavers.”

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