Maseru, Lesotho, 30 September 2026 (ECA) - The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Business Development (MTIBD), with support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP Lesotho) and the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office (UNRCO), today hosted a Business-to-Business (B2B) Seminar and Market Linkages Session. The event connected Lesotho's emerging enterprises with buyers, investors and potential business partners, and responded to two of the most persistent challenges facing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs): access to markets and access to finance.
The seminar was held on the third day of a three-day workshop on Enhancing the Capacities of Lesotho MSMEs to Leverage Regional Trade Agreements and the AfCFTA. The workshop aims to strengthen the ability of Lesotho's MSMEs to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by improving export readiness, strengthening compliance with trade requirements, and supporting integration into regional and continental value chains, in line with Lesotho's AfCFTA National Implementation Strategy and Action Plan.
Opening the seminar, the Principal Secretary of the MTIBD, Mrs. Palesa Matobako, reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to creating an enabling environment for business growth and investment. "We have undertaken concrete measures to support enterprise development and create opportunities for both local businesses and investors. Our goal is to ensure that Basotho enterprises are equipped to compete effectively and participate meaningfully in local, regional and international markets," she said.
The event brought together 41 exhibitors from the leather and leather products, handicrafts, and home décor sectors. They were linked with prominent buyers and retailers, including MILCO, Woolworths, Collective Clothes, PEP Home and various Game Stores, with the aim of identifying potential suppliers and establishing sustainable business partnerships.
The seminar is part of broader efforts to strengthen market linkages, enhance competitiveness and promote business growth among local enterprises. By facilitating direct engagement between producers and buyers, the initiative is expected to open new commercial opportunities and increase MSME participation in formal value chains. The MTIBD also invited sister ministries, including the Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Arts and Culture, to ensure a coordinated approach to training MSMEs in product promotion.
In a one-on-one interview, Mrs. Paballo Monapathi, Culture Officer at the Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Arts and Culture, outlined her Ministry's contribution to supporting MSMEs. "This is part of the government's commitment to MSMEs," she said, citing the provision of selling spaces at international trade fairs and Indabas, free stalls at events, and support through the National Committee, which helps MSMEs package their products and identifies Lesotho-made signature products that can be recognised in regional and international markets.
The event was closed by Mrs Zodwa Mabuza, Regional Adviser on Trade and Regional Integration at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), speaking on behalf of the United Nations in Lesotho. She thanked the MSMEs for their active participation and urged them to see the workshop's close "not as the end of a training programme, but as the beginning of the next stage." Noting that the AfCFTA opens up a much larger continental market, she stressed that it is ultimately enterprises that will determine whether this opportunity translates into increased trade, investment and jobs.
Ultimately, the workshop seeks to translate market intelligence into informed export decisions, market access into active market participation, and trade opportunities into sustainable enterprise growth. Through these efforts, the Ministry and its partners aim to enhance the visibility, competitiveness and commercial presence of Made in Lesotho products across African and international markets.
Media Contact
Lavender Degre
Communications Officer
ECA Subregional Office for Southern Africa
Email: lavender.degre@un.org