EMRC brings two parallel worlds together to achieve business success.
Marketplace initiative focuses on establishing ‘real’ business partnerships.
11th May 2011, Brussels, Belgium
EMRC is introducing the Marketplace at the AfDB-EMRC SME Forum, 6-7 June 2011 in Lisbon, as demand grows from international and local businesses to showcase their particular services. This new feature will for the first time bring together companies, foundations, projects and investors to over 3,000 decision makers attending the week-long African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings.
It has always been EMRC’s intention 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 & project leader deals.
This is precisely 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 Mr. 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: organizing 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 expert 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.”
Across all countries and all sectors, the major issue facing many African businesses and projects is finding the right partner and the correct investor. Although there are numerous potential investors and a variety of interesting business plans and projects, it is critical that they meet in an environment conducive to building trust and lasting partnerships.
EMRC acts 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 Mr. Ramadhan Khalfan.
This is essentially the added value that EMRC gives to the likes of organisations such as the AfDB. People and businesses from across Africa have become long-term EMRC Members and form a unique and diverse group who are setting the tone for the development of particular sectors throughout the continent.
To register for the AfDB-EMRC SME Forum please visit www.emrc.be
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