Publications

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Botswana are engines of job creation with significant potential to foster economic diversification.Drawing on data from the SME Competitiveness Survey, this report shows that improved access to skilled labour has strengthened Botswana companies,...

One in three companies in French-speaking Africa is in a difficult financial position, according to ITC research. While it is evident that their financial situation is closely tied to their economic performance, evidence shows that their growth rests on access to finance. Yet one fourth of...

Thanks to a more services-based economy and the prestige associated with women’s entrepreneurship, new opportunities allow Nigerian women to play a more active role in business.Nigerian businesswomen need support for registration and certification, banking, skills development and flexible work...

Small and medium-sized enterprises in Kenya are an underexploited resource with significant potential to boost inclusive growth.Drawing on data from the SME Competitiveness Survey, this report finds that even though Kenyan companies organize their production processes professionally and have a...

Increasing annual investments in small and medium-sized enterprises by $1 trillion would yield disproportionate dividends in terms of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. These investments also have the potential to deliver healthy returns for investors.To boost investment in...

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Zambia play a key role in boosting growth and job creation.Data from the SME Competitiveness Survey shows that: SMEs in the agri-food sector have good capacity to deliver products on time; manufacturing firms are content with the skillset of their...

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa can tackle e-commerce barriers such as formalization, e-payments and delivery by joining forces through collaborative business models. This paper examines the pros and cons of three models – associations, consortiums and cooperatives – and...

Private investment from China into Africa is significant but its potential for increasing local productivity largely underestimated. The main challenge for investors is finding information on the availability and quality of local suppliers. This new ITC report aims to address this challenge. It uses...