ABP MARKETING RESOURCES

• Africa’s population is expected to reach around 2.3 billion by 2050, 830 Million will be Youth.
• Median age of Africa’s population is 19.5 (digital natives)
• 100% of the world’s net work force growth is expected to be created in Africa this century as it becomes the global most competitive labor force
• Africa contains natural resources essential for global competitiveness such as oil, minerals, rare and precious metals (including ⅓ of the world’s rare earth metal reserves), wood products and fisheries.
• Africa is home to 60% of the world’s arable land.
• As of April 2019 the Continental Free Trade Agreement has been ratified enabling the continent to act as a single powerful economic block (CFTA – Continental Free Trade Area)
• 16 out of 26 fastest growing economies are in Africa.
• Fastest growing digital consumer markets, with some countries experiencing over 100% mobile penetration.

AFRICA SMEs

• “Ultimately, SMEs are the only employers that can deliver Africa’s much needed demographic dividend. All stakeholders need to remain fully engaged. They should coordinate on the private sector development agenda or risk counting tomorrow the hundreds of millions of young Africans whose opportunity to make a contribution to their country goes to waste for lack of decent and productive employment opportunities. The stakes are high and require the attention of all development partners”. –European Investment Bank-Banking Africa
• “Of critical importance in his statement is that SMEs account for 90 percent of all businesses in Africa. These numbers show that the investment potential of the African continent can and will only be unlocked by financing the SME sector. This reality is underpinned by the fact that Africa’s population is predicted to double in just over 25 years, creating unprecedented market potential”. – NetBillion.Net

USA SMEs

• 5.6 million employer firms in USA – Firms with fewer than 500 workers accounted for 99.7 percent of those businesses.
• 24.8 million non employer businesses in the USA
• U.S. SMEs have access to capital and the capacity to invest.
• 97.6 percent of all identified exporters and 97.2 percent of all identified importers.”
• Among all U.S. manufacturers: “96.4 percent of manufacturing exporters were small- and medium-sized companies
• 99.1 percent of exporting wholesalers were small- and medium-sized companies; they accounted for 58.2 percent of the sector’s $297 billion in exports.
• 99.1 percent of wholesaler importers were small- and medium-sized; they contributed 55.4 percent of the sector’s $662 billion in imports.”

• For Africa – every 24 hours, nearly 33,000 youth across Africa join the search for employment. About 60% will be joining the unemployment line. Working with associations, chambers of commerce and investment promotion agencies ABP offers real opportunities to make African SMEs global.

• For the USA – disproportionate fear and ignorance have kept the US business community from effective engagement in Africa as trade and investment has declined to 40% of 2008 levels. Global competitors presence in Africa has grown geometrically on the continent threatening not only the US businesses that export but also our entire economic stability. The US has responded by passing the BUILD ACT (October 2018 Replaces OPIC and DCA and Doubles Africa) and initiating a “Prosper Africa” program.
  Still SMEs are the key to USA impact and ABP offers the best engagement platform.

• Leland W. Clegg – CEO, Founder and Partner (Arizona, USA)
• Quinton Scholes – VP Marketing and Partner (South Africa)
• Fernando Dolbeth Assunção – VP and Partner (Angola)
• +550 Advisors & Members in North America, Europe and Africa
• Nigeria: Martin Ezemma & Cross Nsofor
• Kenya: Benson Kasue & Andrew Karani
• Ghana: Wolanyo “Woody” Agudu
• Angola: Fernando Dolbeth Assunção
• South Africa: Quinton Scholes
• Uganda: Sam Gide
• Cote d’Ivoire: Matthew McLean & Aida N’Diaye

Africa Business Portal’s mission is making Africa our virtual neighbor. We do this through webinars, connecting advisors, investors and companies, providing a platform for project and event communication. We also engage African investment promotion agencies, trade associations, and chambers of commerce through our sub portal networks

Vision – Millions of problem solvers (African SMEs)
Vision – Thousand of project opportunities
Vision – Millions of potential partners and investors (U.S. & Global SMEs)

• The economic heart of both continents is SME development.
• Currently bilateral SME trade and investment between the U.S. and African countries is minimal
• Organizations exist on both continents to enable effective African trade and investment. Africa Business Portal will be announcing relationships with chambers of commerce and associations that represent millions of African SMEs in the formal sector.
• African Economic development organizations have been very supportive and we expect the announcement of large numbers of African project opportunities.
• The U.S. Commercial Service and the 60 U.S. District Export Council provide a solid capacity to qualify competent African business opportunities.
• The economic development agencies that fall under the EDA umbrella provide a great capacity to outreach to the U.S. business community and assist in negating the disproportionate Anti-Africa bias that currently exists.
• Existing organizations on both continents need to upgrade to assist SMEs in reducing trade risk to profitable levels.
• We plan to partner in creating access, educating on the Africa opportunity, enabling training and pre-qualifications.
• Upgrading and engaging existing SME organizations creates an approach with measurable impacts in months rather than several years.

Beginning May 29, 2019 – Webinar Series Introducing Problem Solving Organizations
U.S. District Export Councils (60 Councils – 1500 appointees – All U.S. States)
Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Organizations with over 500,000 member-problem solvers)
U.S. Commercial Service (Trade Support in all states and most African countries)
Kenya Council of Governors (Project opportunities representing 47 Kenya counties)
LCCI – Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (4,000+ members)
Thunderbird School of Global Management (45,000 Global Alumni – New African Hubs)
African Diaspora Alliance (Silicon Valley, USA – Based Africa Diaspora Organization)
East Africa Chamber of Commerce (Texas, USA – Based Bilateral Trade)
Many other organizations supporting more effective African trade and investment.

Create a Nucleus of Several Thousand Africa Members and 700 Projects by December 2019 to March 2020.

Invite North American SMEs and investors groups beginning June 2020.

In the upcoming weeks ABP is expecting announcements from many other chambers of commerce and associations, representing thousands of members and projects in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Angola, South Africa, Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda and many other Sub-Saharan countries.

The purpose of ABP webinars is to assist in correcting the wrong perceptions and thereby enable more effective USA-Africa trade and investment.

Here are landing pages from our two most recent webinars?
Engaging with the African Diaspora
The Case For Africa as U.S. Top Trade Priority

Webinar Series Schedule

• We will not charge the other counties to have a network profile on the Africa Business Portal platform.
• We will allow The SAMPLE association and companies to join on a 90 day trial basis. Those who elect to join will be able to do so at greatly discounted rates ($25 per company or $15 per individual ‘annual’ – versus $500 company and $200 individual on the U.S. side).
• We will offer the platform to the SAMPLE association and their chapters in each county on the same basis as the SAMPLE Association . You mentioned you would be willing to assist us in making the required connections.
• I understand that you are in agreement with us that a critical mass of over 7,000 African members and 700 projects needs to be reached by the end of August before we begin a major outreach to U.S. investors and partners in September.

• Increase organization exposure and membership potential
• Create greater value for your members
• Increase organization revenue

We are willing to discount association and chamber costs for the next 2 years to minimal or complementary levels in order to reach a critical mass of 700 projects and 7000 African member organizations. Organizations that join after this critical mass is reached may be subject to less favorable costs and benefits.

AFRICA BUSINESS PORTAL TOOLS

• SME and Project Showcasing
• Sub Portal Networks – Africa Organizations / Associations / Chamber & Members
• Event Engagement Tools
• Virtual Access to Markets
• Scalable Business Problem Solving Platform
• Webinar / Sponsorship Opportunity Promotion

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

• Africa & Worldwide access / visibility
• Private and Public communication threads / articles / blogs
• Detailed Project listings and direct applications
• Job & Event Listings
• Complimentary attendance to ABP sponsored Webinars
• Access to Advisors / Investors / Individuals / Companies / Diaspora

ABP allows associations to be compensated for reasonable administrative costs to be built into the membership fees. These fees and method of collection are to be spelled out by agreement. We also allow revenue splits on sponsorship from organization members. Contact us if you need further discussion.

1. Finalize ABP agreement
2. Finalize organization profile including sub networks
3. Upload organization member emails
4. Email invitation to join are sent to members with link to member profile form. Upon completion of the form a member profile and login are created
5. Member edits profile and uploads projects, events, articles etc
6. Member now has complimentary access to all webinars

Bulk Invitation

Individual Invitation

Each Sub Portal has the ability to create forums to communicate with all members.