Africa is opening up, is your business ready?

 An opportunity beyond Kenya becomes meaningful when the business at home can respond. [iStockphoto]

Picture this: a food processor in Nairobi opens a message from a retailer in Kampala: “Can you supply 200 jars next month?” For a moment, she imagines her products on shelves beyond Kenya. Then, she reaches for her calculator. What will delivery cost? Can she finance production before payment? Can she fulfil this order without disappointing her regular customers?

Suddenly, regional trade is no longer a conversation about agreements. It is an order she must price, finance and deliver. That is the challenge this series has explored. An opportunity beyond Kenya becomes meaningful when the business at home can respond.

We began with readiness, then explored visibility, trust, buying processes, digital trading, market selection and growth. Together, these are a set of everyday disciplines that make the dream of a regional expansion become realistic.

The starting point must not be a new office in another country. A food processor might begin with one retailer, a consultant with one assignment, or a technology firm with one client. The question is whether the business can serve that customer well enough to earn the next order.

Not every obstacle sits at the border. Even when a customer is interested, a late quotation, confusing payment instructions or an unanswered complaint can derail the sale. These are weaknesses the owner need to address when entering a new market.

Before looking outward, therefore, look closely at the business.

Can we deliver consistently? Take a realistic order and work through it. Check stock, production time, quality and delivery arrangements. Can you handle the additional work without letting existing customers down? 

Can customers find us? Ask someone outside your usual network to search for your business and its products. Can they quickly understand what you sell and reach the person responsible for enquiries?

Can they trust us? Make your business verifiable through registration, relevant licences and genuine customer references. You do not need an impressive export history. A dependable record with Kenyan customers can help reassure your first regional buyer.

Can they buy without confusion? Prepare a sample quotation showing quantities, currency, payment terms and what delivery costs are included. Ask someone unfamiliar with your business to read it. Their questions will reveal what a distant customer might struggle to understand.

Can we handle the transaction professionally? Check whether agreed terms, invoices, payment confirmations and delivery records can be retrieved easily. Protect customer information. 

Have we chosen a realistic first market? Identify who would buy, what they currently use and why they would switch to you. Calculate whether your price still works after delivery and other costs. 

Can we do it again? After a successful order, record what it actually cost, what went wrong and whether the customer would reorder. Give someone responsibility for follow-up. Growth should strengthen the business, not turn every transaction into another emergency for the founder.

An uncertain answer is not a reason to abandon regional ambitions. It identifies the next improvement to make. Start with one market and a manageable transaction, then use what you learn to improve the next.

You need not work alone. Ask your business association for introductions, your logistics provider for a delivery estimate and your bank about payment arrangements. Seek specific answers to a real transaction rather than general encouragement to export.

Trade arrangements under the EAC, COMESA and AfCFTA aim to ease cross-border commerce, but businesses must still check the requirements for their product and destination. 

So this week, set aside one hour to test your readiness. Search for your business online, prepare that sample quotation and identify the weakness most likely to stop an order. Give someone responsibility for fixing it and set a deadline.

Then contact one potential buyer or distributor in your chosen market. Ask what they buy, what matters to them and what would persuade them to try your offer.

Do not finish this series with a plan to expand someday. Finish the week with one improvement under way and one real conversation with a potential regional customer.

 The author writes at the intersection of the Trust Economy, Digital Growth and Transformation in Emerging Markets