-
Partnership aims to strengthen the capacity of African SMEs to participate in cross-border trade
-
Collaboration will equip entrepreneurs with practical skills in logistics, digital trade, customs and market access
-
Special focus on supporting women- and youth-led businesses across Africa
Addis Ababa, 14 September 2026 - The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the participation of African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in intra-African trade regionally through Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as well as continentally through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The collaboration will be delivered through DHL's GoTrade programme and aims to equip SMEs with the knowledge, tools and capabilities needed to expand across borders and access new regional market opportunities.
The partnership establishes a framework for cooperation between ECA and DHL in areas including capacity building for women- and youth-owned businesses, digital transformation and innovation in trade, research and analysis, and knowledge sharing on cross-border commerce across Africa.
As part of the collaboration, ECA and DHL will jointly develop and deliver a virtual training programme designed to help African SMEs better understand and leverage opportunities created by the regional integration initiatives, including the AfCFTA. The programme will focus on practical topics including customs procedures, logistics, e-commerce, digital trade, regulatory compliance, market access and trade finance. It will also support the inclusion of women and young entrepreneurs in cross-border trade.
The initiative builds on a shared commitment to enabling private-sector-led growth and ensuring that African businesses are equipped to take advantage of the world's largest free trade area by number of participating countries. With the AfCFTA creating a single market of more than 1.5 billion people, SMEs are expected to play a central role in driving intra-African trade and economic development.
"Many African businesses have the ambition to grow beyond their local markets, but they often face practical barriers, whether that's understanding customs requirements, accessing reliable logistics solutions or navigating new markets," said Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa.
"Regional integration efforts, including most recently, the AfCFTA, have created an incredible opportunity to strengthen trade across the continent, but opportunities only translate into growth when businesses have the knowledge, confidence and tools to act on them. Through this partnership with ECA, we want to help our SMEs to build the capabilities they need to expand across borders, reach new customers and contribute to more inclusive economic growth across Africa.”
The collaboration builds on DHL's GoTrade programme, a global initiative designed to help small businesses participate more effectively in international trade. Since 2021, GoTrade has launched projects in more than 50 countries, supporting over 24,000 SMEs globally, including more than 8,000 women-owned businesses. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 8,000 SMEs have participated in GoTrade programmes and capacity-building initiatives, helping entrepreneurs develop the skills and confidence needed to access regional and international markets.
The AfCFTA is one of the continent's most transformative development initiatives, with the potential to accelerate industrialization, strengthen regional value chains, expand intra-African trade, and deepen economic integration across the continent. ECA projects that full implementation of the Agreement could boost intra-African trade by 45% by 2045. ECA is committed to forging strategic partnerships with stakeholders towards transforming the continent’s economic landscape to a more connected, competitive, inclusive and prosperous African economy.
The MoU establishes a non-exclusive framework for cooperation over an initial three-year period and provides a platform for both organisations to identify and implement initiatives that help African SMEs unlock new regional trade opportunities and expand across borders.
The first engagement under this collaboration is a virtual training series aimed at enhancing MSMEs participation in intra-African trade.
Please see the details in the link below:
-ENDS-
Media Contacts:
Sophia Denekew, ECA Media Relations
denekews.uneca@un.org
Media Contact
Lerato Moeletsi-Banda, Head of Communications, SSA
Lerato.moeletsi-banda@dhl.com
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org