About Us

Our Vision

Invest in Africa (IIA) is a not-for-profit organisation with the vision to create prospering African economies

When Invest in Africa (IIA) was created in 2012, our goal was to coordinate the private sector’s desire to source locally, build capacity and create jobs, so we are proud to announce we passed the milestone of connecting small local businesses in Ghana and Kenya with over 100 tenders from large businesses as of April 2018. We have also helped SME access over $1 million worth of financing to grow their business. Through IIA’s African Partner Pool (APP) platform (which connects large business to credible, independently validated small local businesses) many small local businesses have won new contracts with new business partners.

What we do

in partnership with leading companies from across the continent, IIA does three main things:

1. Connects multinationals and larger businesses to credible local suppliers (SMEs);

2. Improves these SMEs access to skills, contracts and finance to build long term capacity; and

3. Helps improve the investment climate and quality of policy discussions in the country.

Who we are

We are a collaboration of private companies, public bodies and donor organisations that support local African businesses by creating access to markets, skills and finance.

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Where we work

IIA has offices in the UK, Ghana and Kenya, Senegal and Mauritania with other operations in Zambia and Guinea. The APP was launched in Ghana in late 2014, while the BLP began training with the first group of SMEs in September 2015.

IIA Kenya opened in October 2015 with plans to launch the APP and BLP initiatives later on in 2016.

IIA Senegal opened it’s offices in 2018 with plans to launch the APP and BLP initiatives later in 2020.

Our Initiatives

IIA is focused on job creation and improving the business environment for both investors and local SMEs. Our priority is to increase the linkages between large international and domestic companies and smaller local business and increase access to skills, markets and finance.

The African Partner Pool (APP)

is IIA’s 'Access to Markets' pillar. The APP is an online marketplace that allows SMEs to promote the products and services they can deliver and the standards they can deliver to. This makes it easier for big companies to find the right local suppliers to work with.

The Business Linkage Programme (BLP)

is IIA's 'Access to Skills' pillar. This programme, part-funded by the African Development Bank, gives members of the APP training and coaching to raise their standards, improve governance and drive competitiveness.

Our Values

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Partnerships

Continuously creating partnerships with corporate partners, local enterprise, government bodies/figures, donor agencies and other strategic partners is key to the companies’ growth and success. Through partnerships IIA is able to create more value, market our work to new clients and markets and create prospering African economies.

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Innovation

Continuously looking to form and implement new ideas into IIA’s work. Actively seeking new ways to enhance existing services to become more efficient for better productivity and performance. Creating ideas that grow the success of the business, and help IIA to adapt and grow in the marketplace.

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Value people

Valueing people at IIA means respecting values and beliefs. Clients and staff members’ beliefs are listened to, respected and considered in the planning and delivery of support. Dignity and respect are promoted in the working environment. As an international company it is paramount that IIA appreciate individual cultural issues around communication.
 

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Integrity

Integrity is the foundation on which IIA builds its business. All employees must demonstrate a commitment to integrity, ethics, honesty, honour and trust while doing business on behalf of IIA.

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