EMRC to introduce Marketplace at AfDB-EMRC SME Forum

20 May 2011

BELGIUM: EMRC plans to introduce the Marketplace at the AfDB-EMRC SME Forum, to be held from 6-7 June 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal, as demand grows from international and local businesses to showcase their particular services. The new feature aims to bring together companies, foundations, projects and investors to over 3,000 decision-makers attending the week-long African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings.

EMRC to introduce Marketplace at AfDB-EMRC SME Forum

EMRC's intention is to ensure that the forums and economic missions combine the analysis of particular issues facing investment in Africa and real 'live' business meetings and deals. This has led to EMRC members achieving success and ensured investor and project leader deals.

Positive developments

This is what happened when the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade) met senior officials of Vibha Seeds Group of Hyderabad, India at the AgriBusiness Forum 2010 in Kampala, Uganda. It was a coming together of minds which think alike and with the objective to achieve business growth through partnerships.

"The positive development since the AgriBusiness Forum 2010 is the exploratory visit in March 2011 by the chairman and managing director and other senior officials of Vibha Seeds Group to Tanzania. There are positive indications that Vibha Seeds Group might invest in Tanzania. When that moment eventually comes, it will be a very good piece of news to share with everyone within the EMRC community," explains Ramadhan Khalfan, director general of TanTrade.

Success was also attained by EMRC member Pamela Anyoti from Uganda, who insists that the business contacts made during the EMRC events she attended have brought her marvelous results.

"I have had a lot of press coverage to get my ideas out to all stakeholders involved. I have been able to attract financial support in view of the philosophy of my business, which is: organising a large number of poor uneducated rural people, teaching them what to do in order to produce goods that meet the consumer standards in export markets, training the poor on issues of savings, and focusing on making poor farmers look at agriculture as a business and not purely as a means of subsistence."

The same can be said for Alvine Nguimzang, an EMRC member from Cameroon, who obtained a loan from the Rabobank Foundation for her CECAW (Savings and Credit Cooperative for Artisans of Wouri): "We obtained the loan through EMDEVIA (EMRC's company which provides guidance to EMRC members for their projects and to find funding) that was assisting us in redesigning our development plan and which also introduced and monitored our application process to the Rabobank Foundation."

Creating a community

EMRC aims to act as a community for people working in Africa; investors, bankers, community leaders, project managers all come together to share their knowledge and vision for the future of the continent.

"Because EMRC events are exclusively dedicated to Africa they are more specific and focused and relevant to us. This is the big difference from other organisations; in addition to the fact that EMRC events are well organised, well attended and excellent for networking," adds Khalfan.

To register for the AfDB-EMRC SME Forum, go to www.emrc.be.

For more information on sponsorship and the program, contact Samuel Pulido, project manager, EMRC at eb.crme@ps or tel: +32 2626 1518.