CAVIE Open Universities
Competitive intelligence and market conquest strategies for the AfCFTA
A program designed for action
30 hours of intensive training, spread over five days, to master the critical dimensions of cross-border performance in the context of the AfCFTA.
Program objectives
- Train leaders on the legal, customs, and commercial challenges of the AfCFTA
- Equip companies with practical competitive intelligence methodologies
- Develop skills in international financing and e-commerce
- Introduce participants to the use of artificial intelligence for competitiveness
Target skills
- Expansion strategy in the AfCFTA
- OHADA legal and accounting compliance
- Competitive intelligence and strategic watch
- Foreign trade financing
- Digital transformation and artificial intelligence
The ten certifying workshops
Ten practical and certifying workshops, divided into five fundamental pillars.
Mastery of the legal and accounting framework of the OHADA space to secure the cross-border activities of SMEs and SMIs.
Workshop 1: Business rights and obligations in the OHADA space
Objective: understand the business legal framework in the OHADA space and secure the company's commercial operations.
Securing commercial contracts, mastery of legal statuses, and protection of SME assets.
At the end of this workshop: participants will be able to draft and analyze commercial contracts, choose the most suitable legal status, and effectively protect their company's assets.
Workshop 2: Practice of rules and procedures of the OHADA accounting system
Objective: master the revised OHADA accounting standards to optimize the company's financial management.
Optimization of financial statements, management of financial transparency, and compliance with revised standards.
At the end of this workshop: participants will be able to produce compliant financial statements, improve accounting transparency, and meet the requirements of financial partners.
In-depth knowledge of rules of origin, preferential tariffs, and commercial dispute resolution mechanisms.
Workshop 3: Customs compliance and mastery of AfCFTA rules of origin
Objective: master the customs procedures of the AfCFTA to benefit from preferential tariffs.
Eligibility for preferential tariffs, origin certification process, and accelerated customs clearance techniques.
At the end of this workshop: participants will know how to certify the origin of their products, access preferential tariffs, and accelerate their customs clearance operations.
Workshop 4: Litigation management and resolution of cross-border commercial disputes
Objective: master the mechanisms for resolving commercial disputes in the AfCFTA space.
Use of arbitration and mediation mechanisms, and proactive management of non-tariff barriers.
At the end of this workshop: participants will be able to anticipate disputes, resort to arbitration or mediation, and bypass non-tariff barriers.
Deployment of a capacity for strategic watch, competitive analysis, and mapping of regional markets.
Workshop 5: due diligence, compliance, and auditing of business partners in the OHADA zone
Objective: evaluate the reliability of business partners and prevent fraud risks.
Evaluation of supplier reliability, solvency verification, and fraud risk prevention.
At the end of this workshop: participants will have a due diligence methodology applicable to their African business partners.
Workshop 6: Methods, tools, and practices of competitive intelligence in the AfCFTA
Objective: structure a competitive intelligence approach within the company.
Implementation of an internal watch unit, ethical information collection, and strategic influence.
At the end of this workshop: participants will be able to create and manage a watch unit, collect information ethically, and exercise strategic influence on their environment.
Workshop 7: commercial intelligence, sector watch, and regional market mapping
Objective: identify business opportunities and promising market segments in the AfCFTA.
Competitor analysis, identification of promising market segments, and commercial penetration techniques.
At the end of this workshop: participants will know how to map regional markets, analyze competition, and deploy adapted commercial penetration strategies.
Mastery of modern foreign trade financing mechanisms and best practices in cross-border e-commerce.
Workshop 8: Foreign trade financing and cross-border payment solutions
Objective: master the financing mechanisms of international trade and Pan-African payment solutions.
Documentary credit mechanisms, use of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, and currency arbitrages.
At the end of this workshop: participants will be able to mobilize foreign trade financing instruments and use PAPSS for their cross-border transactions.
Workshop 9: Process digitalization and cross-border e-commerce
Objective: deploy an e-commerce strategy adapted to the continental market.
Deployment of merchant platforms, last-mile international logistics, and regional digital marketing strategies.
At the end of this workshop: participants will be able to design and deploy an e-commerce platform, optimize cross-border logistics, and implement digital marketing campaigns.
Concrete applications of artificial intelligence in management, marketing, customer relations, and strategic decision-making.
Workshop 10: contribution of artificial intelligence to the overall competitiveness of the company
Objective: integrate artificial intelligence tools into company processes to gain competitiveness.
Automation of administrative processes, predictive sales analysis, and use of generative AI tools for marketing.
At the end of this workshop: participants will know how to identify AI use cases in their company, automate repetitive processes, and leverage generative AI for marketing and customer relations.
Operational skills developed
At the end of this intensive course, your team will have acquired the key skills to:
- Identify and exploit new commercial opportunities in the AfCFTA.
- Secure contracts and reduce risks in cross-border operations.
- Develop regional presence through solid strategic partnerships.
- Master financing instruments and competitive intelligence tools.
- Accelerate digital transformation via artificial intelligence for competitiveness.
