SME Support Centre (SSC) is an aggregator of SMEs in Africa on one hand and a provider of business and investment advisory services to the aggregated SMEs on the other hand. The mission of SSC is to scale up the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa using simple, localized and sustainable solutions. SSC is constantly innovating and developing many web-based platforms that ensure the SMEs in Africa are able to access information, skills, finance and markets
Over the last three (3) years, the SME Support Centre has impacted over 16,000 SMEs from across Africa through our various initiatives and programs. On 03 March 2022, through a cocktail event, SSC brought together all the key players in the SME ecosystem from government, various chambers of commerce, industry associations, trade commissions and private sector for deeper interaction, engagement on all the SSC initiatives and adoption of a more ecosystem-wide approach to scale some of the innovative tech solutions they have developed.
During the event, SSC launched yet another digital solution the “SME Blue Pages” which is a Pan-African access to market initiative 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). The SME Blue Pages is a digital platform that aims to showcase all the “made in Africa brands” and ultimately show the world the Africa’s innovation potential. 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.
“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”. Our solution 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. 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 Linda Onyango, CEO, SME Support Centre
“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.
“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” said Kebour Ghenna, Executive Director, PACCI
