[CAVIE-ACCI] Selling to Dakar, Nairobi or Kinshasa from Yaoundé is now possible on paper. With a continental market of more than 1.5 billion people, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is expanding opportunities for African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Yet opening up the market does not guarantee smooth shipments, product compliance or secure payments. The partnership signed on September 14 between the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa highlights, above all, the scale of the preparation that is still required.
Support That Reveals the Gaps
In Addis Ababa, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) participation in intra-African trade, both within regional economic communities and across the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The partnership is built around GoTrade, DHL’s programme which, since 2021, has supported more than 24,000 SMEs worldwide, including more than 8,000 in sub-Saharan Africa.
The announced training will cover customs procedures, logistics, e-commerce, regulatory compliance, market access and trade finance. Women- and youth-led businesses will be given particular attention during an initial three-year period. By prioritising these areas, the two partners acknowledge that the main obstacle to SME exports lies not only in the existence of trade barriers, but also in the ability to manage the constraints that arise once an order has been secured.
A Continental Market Does Not Eliminate Risk
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) estimates that full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could increase intra-African trade by 45% by 2045. This represents a major opportunity for African businesses. Yet it depends on their ability to move from commercial ambition to disciplined execution in markets where rules, standards, payment practices and logistics capabilities remain uneven.
For an SME, exporting is a chain in which every link affects the profitability of the transaction. Before making a sale, the company must assess its customer, verify its existence and reputation, and determine its ability to pay. It must also ensure that its product, packaging, labelling and documentation meet the requirements of the target market. A poorly worded invoice, a missing certificate or inconsistent information can sometimes hold up a shipment, generate additional costs and undermine a newly established business relationship.
Execution Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage
Transport, compliance and payment are not mere formalities. The choice of logistics provider affects delivery times, costs, traceability and the ability to handle incidents. The payment method, whether a deposit, advance payment, documentary collection, letter of credit or payment upon delivery, determines the level of financial risk assumed by the company. Returns and complaints management must also be incorporated into the initial negotiation.
Large companies can more easily absorb a customs delay, immobilised goods or an unpaid invoice. SMEs rarely have the same financial buffer. A single container held up at customs, a non-compliant delivery or an unpaid invoice can tie up their cash flow for months. In such an environment, the ability to master the export chain becomes a differentiating factor. The businesses best positioned to benefit are not simply those that find a buyer. They are those that can deliver on time, remain compliant and secure payment.
Monitor Before Deciding to Ship
Competitive Intelligence can help reduce this uncertainty upstream. It enables companies to monitor target markets, understand regulatory developments, identify competitors, assess potential partners and detect signals that could affect a commercial transaction. The African Center for Competitive Intelligence (CAVIE) supports this approach through risk and opportunity mapping, enabling businesses to make decisions based on verified information rather than on the promise of an expanded market alone.
An export-readiness assessment can identify the specific vulnerabilities of each SME: the strength of its offering, production capacity, documentary compliance, knowledge of applicable standards, logistics choices, payment terms, returns management and ability to monitor the market. Profiling buyers, distributors and logistics partners complements this approach by assessing the reliability of a potential counterpart before any financial or commercial commitment is made.
Preparing Businesses for Continental Competition
The ECA-DHL partnership provides a useful response to the capacity gap that still limits SME participation in intra-African trade. The announced training, however, needs to be complemented by work tailored to each company, its products, priority markets and partners. A general procedure cannot replace an intelligence-led commercial strategy.
The AfCFTA is opening up major opportunities, but it is also creating more direct and structured competition. The SMEs that truly benefit from the continental market will be those that prepare their operations before launching them, manage their risks before shipping and maintain continuous Competitive Intelligence after entering the market. Access is being secured. Execution capability still needs to be built.
The Editorial Staff