The Africa SME Champions Forum will be hosted in Uganda for the first time in its 7 year history. The event which is taking place at the Speke Resort Munyonyo, in Kampala, Uganda will be co-hosted by the Arab Bank for Development in Africa (BADEA) and empowered by AfricSearch.
The forum aims to bring together 300 of Africa’s top SMEs, institutional funding organisations, venture capitalists, angel investors, and ecosystem builders.
With Africa moving towards recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Forum is set to reconnect African SMEs for enhanced cooperation, alliance building, and partnerships for accelerated growth. Attending SMEs will also engage with opportunities for regional expansion, working capital access, and capacity building. In addition to the core program, delegates will benefit from capacity building in masterclasses including investment readiness, business management, e-Commerce, financing, growth, and gender inclusion.
“SMEs play an important role in Africa’s economic development. They provide 70% of jobs created, and over 60% of the continent’s GDP and they are an engine for transformation and innovation. Therefore, investing in them means we are investing in Africa’s future. Our partnership with the Arab Bank for Development in Africa (BADEA) will be a catalyst in accelerating the development of the SMEs across Africa,” said Mr. Didier Acouetey, Chairman of the Forum and Group President of AfricSearch.
The event will also see the launch of the Africa SME Growth Fund and the Africa SME Growth Initiative. In addition to that various awards will be given for the SME of the year, the female Entrepreneur of the Year, Startup of the year, Financial Institution of the Year (that has supported the most SMEs), A Special Recognition Award, and the MSME Coalition Award.
The Africa SME Champions Forum is the foremost gathering dedicated to supporting the growth of African SMEs. It has been running since 2014 with the objective of improving the SME landscape and providing growth support to SMEs – the engine of the African economies. The forum brings practical and operational solutions to the financing and growth challenges faced by SMEs in Africa.
THE 2022 FORUM AT A GLANCE
High Level Round Tables
Ministers, Leaders of International and African Institutions, and Experts will discuss and present the latest reforms on the continent in supporting SMEs’ development.
Masterclasses
High- level Master Classes given by recognized Experts will provide operational and strategic tools to SMEs leaders.
Get the Money
Financial institutions will provide funding to SMEs after pitching sessions and BtoB meetings
B2B Meetings
B-to-B meetings between SME Leaders, Financial Institutions, and Experts will allow expertise sharing and fundraising.
Tailor Made Consulting Space for SME’s
Dedicated areas will bring together Experts in several fields that will provide individualized 30 minutes session responses.
Start-Up Corner
An incubation center will provide specific support to Startups in various fields.
Awards Ceremony
The ceremony will recognize various categories of Champions.
For more information you can watch this video or contact: garikai@africa-smechampions.com
