On the 8th March,2022, The Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce mobilizes 20 start up entrepreneurs to travel to Senegal, on a 5 days business exchange program aimed creating partnership corporation and business opportunities for Gambian Start up businesses, thus enabling them to grow and become successful enterprises
The African Union Agenda 2063 ‘The Africa We Want’ which is the blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the feature has one of its flagship projects the establishment of Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). AfCFTA is expected to increase net real income by between $2.8 billion and $100 billion, depending on the degree of liberalization, and lead to more domestic investment, particularly in infrastructure (African Economic Outlook 2019). The realization of these objectives was brought closer following the signature of the AfCFTA’s agreement by 44 African Countries on 21st March 2018, the agreement entry into force on 30th May, 2019 and the launching of the operational phase of AfCFTA on 7th July, 2019.
Therefore, there is need for the Gambia to start preparing its entrepreneurs to be competitive in the regional markets through awareness raising, training and coaching and most important expose them with regional markets and networks to enable them grow and reap the AFCFTA agreement.
Exchange visits and programs are part of the federal republic of Germany foreign policy engagement for students and start up enterprise, equally this exchange educational program is also part of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation support programs for socio-economical and political support for African start up businesses to explore opportunities in other countries, share experience and lend a political and economical discuss to create good leaders and more importantly, exchange trip and shared learning programs are core of what GYCC does in providing market linkages to our members and start up entrepreneurs to growth.
During the 5 days visits, GYCC and KAS were able to visit industries, companies and individual businesses in the Agricultural Value chain, the fashion and textile sector such as the Dakar Design Hub and association of SME networks and as well chamber of commerce in Dakar, senegal. The journey also took us to visit to interesting sites such the African renaissance monument, main markets like sandaga amongst others
for more information click on these links
https://www.google.com/search?q=gycc+start+up+exchange+program&rlz=1C1CHBD_enGM848GM862&oq=gycc+start+up+exchange+program&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60j69i61l2.15591j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 