Afreximbank and CNNIC provide a platform for rapid growth to ten African companies with huge potential

Ten companies from across Africa are embarking on a scale-up project which offers a unique opportunity for mature, highly scaled digital ventures to further their expansion plans through an initiative with African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and CNN International Commercial (CNNIC).

Following the launch of a partnership between Afreximbank and CNNIC last year, the two organisations have identified and selected businesses from across Africa that have demonstrated an ability to alter industries with new and scalable business models and to transform them into high-growth ventures that are poised for international expansion. Representing various industry sectors including agriculture, healthcare, logistics and retail, the selected businesses are: Aerobotics, Afrikea, Apollo Agriculture, Farmcrowdy, Kobo360, MFS Africa, mPharma, Sokowatch, SunCulture and Trella.

Through the scale-up initiative, these companies are being connected by Afreximbank and CNNIC with access to new partners, markets and financing that can help drive their businesses forward, particularly with intra-Africa trade.

Afreximbank, through its trade-enabling facilities and regional reach is also working directly with the companies to unlock opportunities that facilitate growth not only for each venture but also for the network of tens of thousands of small and medium sized African businesses that are connected to and enabled by these ventures to participate in international trade.

The ten companies came together during the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) to take part in a networking event hosted by Afreximbank and CNNIC and attended a roundtable discussion about ‘Africa’s Next Billion Dollar Business’ with some of Africa’s leading business executives. Following the IATF, CNN’s in-house global brand studio Create will produce a branded content series highlighting the companies, their founders and their mission. These films, articles, and visuals will be housed on a dedicated digital page on CNN.com, which will be promoted to target audiences and on social media so that a worldwide audience can learn about African ingenuity, the ingredients for entrepreneurial success, transforming business ideas into highly scaled enterprises and the role of networks and partners like Afreximbank in driving rapid growth.

“This is such a positive initiative because it is forging valuable connections that will help ten exciting companies fuel their growth and trade across Africa. Our partners at Afreximbank have been integral in facilitating this alongside our own dedicated team. It’s a unique collaboration that combines our respective and complementary business expertise, high-quality branded content production and media amplification,” Rob Bradley, Senior Vice President, CNN International Commercial, “I’m looking forward to the stories of innovation, ambition and intent that will come from the material captured at IATF and then sharing this great branded content with CNN’s global audience.”

Professor Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, added: “African entrepreneurship is long overdue its recognition and engagement from the global audience, not only for its innovation and dynamism but also for its unmatched growth potential. I am confident that each of these businesses represents a narrative of Africa’s promise and through our partnership with CNNIC, we will see this promise truly showcased. We believe in these businesses, not only as future pan-African successes, but also as future globally recognised market leaders”.

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About CNN International Commercial

CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) is responsible for the business operations of CNN’s properties outside of the United States. All commercial activities for brands such as CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Arabic, CNN Style and CNN Business are aligned within the division. This encompasses the advertising sales, sponsorship partnerships, commercial content development, content sales, brand licensing, distribution and out-of-home operations, business development and marketing for the world’s leading international news provider. CNNIC is a recognised industry leader in international advertising sales and its use of award-winning commercial content, produced through its Create unit and driven by its advanced data usage and digital capabilities, has resulted in strong and enduring partnerships with many of the world’s most recognised brands. Its Content Sales and Licensing unit has relationships with more than 1,000 affiliates ranging from licensing the CNN brand through to content supply contracts as well as offering consultancy services. CNNIC has offices across the world, with key hubs in London, Hong Kong and Miami. For more information visit http://commercial.cnn.com