Positioning Your Business for the African Market: A Workshop on Exporting Under AfCFTA

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – July 12, 2023 – The Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(PACCI) in collaboration with the Ethiopia Chamber of Commerce Sectorial Association
(ECCSA), Initiative Africa (IA) and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) on 12th
July 2023 announced the launch of a new course on the African Continental Free Trade Area
Agreement (AfCFTA). The Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI) organized
the two-day event, with the first day dedicated to the launch of the AfCFTA course and the second
day featuring a branding for export competitiveness workshop led by HKLM, a prestigious
branding agency from South Africa with over 20yrs experience serving clients from different
sectors in Africa. The course, which will be offered on the online platform of the Ethiopian
Chamber Academy (ECA), is designed to provide Ethiopian exporters with a basic understanding
of AfCFTA and how to take advantage of the opportunities it presents. The course is made possible
with the kind support of the Embassy of Sweden through the EMEA program, pillar on capacity
development, to equip the Ethiopian exporters with a basic understanding of AfCFTA to take
maximum advantage of intra-African trade.

 

The AfCFTA is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. It is the
continent’s most ambitious integration initiative. The main objectives of the AfCFTA are to
create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of businesspersons
and investments, expand intra-Africa trade across the regional economic communities and the
continent in general and enhance competitiveness and support economic transformation. The
agreement came in operation as on January1 ,2021.

The objective of this course is to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the
African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) and equip them with the knowledge
and skills necessary to become export-ready in the era of AfCFTA. The course aims to empower
individuals and businesses by providing insights into the opportunities, benefits, and challenges
presented by AfCFTA while emphasizing the practical steps required to establish a strong export
readiness foundation, particulary toward the African Market. Through the learning modules,
participants will gain a deep understanding of AfCFTA and assess if they are export ready. By
the end of the course, participants will learn how to leverage AfCFTA benefits and understand
what it takes to thrive in the dynamic and competitive international market.
“The business environment is changing with dynamics that has never been seen before. It wasn’t
long ago that it would be enough to streamline work based on understanding and addressing local
needs. Today, multinational companionate born with the intent on satisfying similar needs all over
the world, partially because of economic and trade alliance and integrations.,” said Dr. Degela,
Deputy secretary general of Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association. “When
fully operational, the African continental free trade area would impact millions all over the
continent. it is expected to relieve 30 million people out of poverty with network capable of
connecting 1.3 billion people. in addition, it will contribute to the development of trade relations
between Africa countries. intra Africa’s trade is among the lowest with only 17 percent.”
The course curriculum consists of two modules.
Under Module One: What is AfCFTA,
Lesson 1: Journey of AFCFTA
Lesson 2: BOOSTING INTRA‐AFRICAN TRADE
Lesson 3: The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Objectives
Lesson 4: AFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA RULES OF ORIGIN
Lesson 5: The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Tariff Offers
Lesson 6: AfCFTA Trade in Services
Lesson 7: Pan-African Payment and Settlement System
Lesson 8: Ethiopia: Where is Ethiopia’s stage is on AfCFTA
And in Module Two: How to Be Export Ready?
Lesson 1: Exporting: what’s in it for you
Lesson 2: Foundation: your business plan
Lesson 3: Setting out: identifying your target market
Lesson 4: Reaching the customer: developing your export marketing strategy
Lesson 5: Opening the door: entering your target market
Lesson 6: Understanding the legal side of international trade
The two-day event was a great success. The AfCFTA course was well-received by participants,
and the branding workshop provided participants with valuable insights into how to develop a
strong brand identity for their businesses. The event also helped to raise awareness of the AfCFTA
agreement and its potential benefits for businesses in Africa.

The AfCFTA course will be available for the business community on the Ethiopian Chamber
Academy online platform for free.
For more information, please visit the website of the Ethiopian Chamber Academy.

Source: The Pan-African Chamber of Commerce and Industry