AfCFTA Business Readiness Training
Africa’s Trade Revolution Is Already Happening. Are You Ready to Move With It?
Eight Practical Modules. Three Flexible Entry Points. One Complete Business Readiness Plan.
Online and In-Person Across Africa and the World.
What Makes This Training Different
The Gap Is Not Awareness. It Is Readiness.
While most business leaders in Africa are aware that the AfCFTA exists, very few know how to actually utilize it for the growth and development of their businesses. They are unaware of the markets that are open for business, how to navigate the regulatory requirements, how to price products for the markets, how to utilize the digital trade protocols, and how to develop a business supply chain that can be implemented with the current infrastructure that exists in the African continent.
This training program bridges the information gap that exists between awareness and business development.
Each module that we offer has been designed with one question in mind: What do I need to know and do to actually utilize the AfCFTA for the development and growth of my business? We provide information on the AfCFTA, the economics, the markets, the digital tools, the logistics, the strategy, and the execution, and upon completion, you will be presented with your AfCFTA Business Readiness Plan. This is not a lecture series. It is a working program. You come in with your challenges and you leave with a plan.
Who Should Register
This training is for a wide range of people who share a common interest: a commitment to building a business that crosses borders on the African continent.
- Business owners/entrepreneurs looking to take their business beyond their home borders.
- Executives/management looking to grow their business markets.
- Government officials/trade policy makers looking to implement the AfCFTA.
- Women and youth entrepreneurs looking to take advantage of the AfCFTA.
- Brand/marketing executives looking to enter new markets.
- Logistics/supply chain/export executives.
- Investors/fund managers looking at cross-border business opportunities on the continent.
- Legal/compliance executives looking to advise clients on trade and market entry.
THE THREE-TIER PROGRAM STRUCTURE
LEVEL 1 — THE BWB AfCFTA BUSINESS READINESS CERTIFICATION
The Complete Program — All Eight Modules
IN-PERSON – $800 | ONLINE – $640
This is our flagship program, and it’s the most comprehensive AfCFTA business training program available on the African continent.
This is the complete program, covering all eight modules, designed as a progressive learning experience that will take you from a basic understanding of the status quo with regard to the AfCFTA, through all the stages, and finally, to the development of your personalized AfCFTA Business Readiness Plan.
Upon completion of the entire program, participants will be awarded the BWB AfCFTA Business Readiness Certificate, which demonstrates that the participant has completed the entire program and has acquired the complete body of knowledge, rather than attending just one session.
What is included: Access to all eight modules, comprehensive training materials, strategic workbooks for all modules, your personalized AfCFTA Business Readiness Plan, certificate of completion, membership to the exclusive BWB AfCFTA Business Network, post-training resource library, and one Q&A session with the instructor thirty days after the program.
Delivery Options: Intensive format — four days, four consecutive days, with two modules completed on the last day.
For Working professional format — eight weeks, one module completed every week.
- Still unsure of your country’s pricing tier? Contact us and we’ll be happy to verify your pricing.
- Pricing for groups and corporations is available. Contact us to book five or more people.
[Register for the Full Certification Program →]
LEVEL 2 — THE AfCFTA ESSENTIALS TRACK
Four Core Modules — The Strategic Foundation
IN-PERSON – $450 | ONLINE — $400
For professionals who want a solid AfCFTA foundation without the full program commitment. The Essentials Track is a curated selection of four modules that give you everything you need to know about the AfCFTA opportunity, assess your business readiness, create a basic market entry strategy, and start building your cross-border strategy. This is the perfect solution for professionals who want to try out the program before committing to the entire certification process, or who need a very specific strategic question answered right away.
The Four Essentials Modules:
Module 1 — AfCFTA in 2025 and Beyond: Where the Agreement Actually Stands
Module 2 — The Business Case: What AfCFTA Actually Means for Your Revenue
Module 5 — Market Entry Strategy: How to Actually Enter a New African Market
Module 8 — Building Your AfCFTA Readiness Plan: From Training Room to Trade Floor
Essentials Track participants can upgrade to the Full Certification at any time by paying the difference between the two tracks.
[Register for the Essentials Track →]
LEVEL 3 — INDIVIDUAL STANDALONE MODULES
One Module at a Time — Start Where You Need To
IN – PERSON $120 ONLINE – $70
For those who are an individual professional with a particular knowledge gap, or those who wish to experience the quality of the program before committing to the full track.
Every one of the modules inside the BWB AfCFTA Business Readiness Training is made accessible as an individual session. So if you are a logistics professional who particularly needs the supply chain module 6, or you are a woman entrepreneur who is particularly keen on the women and youth provisions in module 7, or you are a tech leader who is particularly focused on the AI and digital trade module 4, you can enlist for the one module you need without enrolling for the whole program.
As an individual module participant, you can stack your modules over time and use the credits you have earned on the individual modules towards the full certification or the Essentials track at any time. Nothing you have invested is wasted.
[View All Eight Modules and Register →]
Corporate and Group Bookings
For organizations with five or more participants, the following volume discount offers apply to the chosen level:
- 5-10 participants — 15 percent discount per head
- 11-25 participants — 25 percent discount per head
- 26-50 participants — 35 percent discount per head
- 50+ participants — Custom pricing, please contact us directly
Government agencies, trade organizations, chambers of commerce, regional economic communities, and development organizations are encouraged to contact us directly for our bespoke pricing and delivery options. We can bring the training to your organization, your people, and your time.
[Inquire About Group and Corporate Bookings →]
THE EIGHT TRAINING MODULES
Each module is a full-day intensive session running from 10:00am to 4:00pm GMT+1. All modules are available online and in-person.
Module 1 — AfCFTA Now and Beyond: Where the Agreement Actually Stands
AfCFTA Now and Beyond: Where the Agreement Actually Stands
Current State of Implementation and What Every Business Leader Needs to Know.
Most people think they know what AfCFTA is all about. Very few know where the current state of implementation is, which protocols are implemented, which markets are open, which sectors are moving quickly, and what the current operational timeline looks like for a business trying to operate around it.
This module will give you an accurate and current picture of the current state of affairs on the ground regarding the AfCFTA agreement now and beyond. We will cover what the AfCFTA agreement does cover and what it does not cover, what has changed since the agreement came into effect, the current state of the Guided Trade Initiative, and what every business leader needs to know before making a single move.
You will gain from this module the ability to know: The current state of AfCFTA implementation across key markets in Africa, which sectors are impacted the most and which ones are still being negotiated, what the agreement actually does versus what the press is saying, and how to honestly assess your business readiness against the current state of affairs versus where we expect it to be.
MODULE 2: The Business Case: What AfCFTA Really Means for Your Revenue & Bottom Line.
Economic Potential, Market Size, and Niche Market Opportunities
While numbers are important, it’s only when we understand the implication for your business that the figures really come alive. In this module, we bring the macro-level economics of AfCFTA into the micro-level business intelligence that can be used for business decision-making.
We analyze which sectors offer the greatest and quickest potential, which markets are growing, and how the impact of tariffs can be calculated for your business. This module translates AfCFTA from an economic treaty into a business case that can be made back in the boardroom.
What You Will Know When You Finish This Module: The position of your industry within the opportunity set defined by the AfCFTA, how to estimate the size of your addressable market across Africa’s borders, which markets offer the best near-term opportunities for your particular business model, and how to develop a business case for cross-border expansion that will withstand scrutiny from investors, partners, and even your own leadership team.
MODULE 3: Navigating Global Trade Wars.
How Africa Positions Itself and How You Position Your Business.
AfCFTA in the Context of US-China Tensions, Rising Protectionism, and Global Supply Chain Shifts. This module lives the reality of the current global trade environment in a fashion that no other AfCFTA training program does. The US-China Trade War, the shift in global supply chains, the rising protectionism in the West, and the shift in the global manufacturing landscape are not distant events for African businesses; they are creating very real, very tangible, and very lucrative opportunities for businesses that are positioned to capitalize on them.
This module will reveal exactly how the disruption in the global trade landscape is creating new investment, new manufacturing, and new supply chain activity for the continent, which sectors are benefiting the most, and how your business can capitalize on it rather than be disrupted by it.
You will leave this module knowing: The ways in which global trade wars are creating opportunities for African businesses and economies, which areas are benefiting from the resulting trade shifts and foreign direct investments, how your business can position itself as a strategic beneficiary of the global trade shifts, and what role AfCFTA can play in making Africa a viable alternative manufacturing, sourcing, and trade hub for global companies looking to reassess their global footprint.
MODULE 4: AI, Digital Trade, and the New Tools of Cross-Border Business.
Using Artificial Intelligence and Technology to Trade Smarter Across Africa
The AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol is perhaps one of the most significant and least understood aspects of the entire agreement. At the same time, artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way business is done, from market research to logistics, from cross-border regulatory compliance to customer engagement across linguistic and cultural divides, and from competing in new markets where an organization has never done business before.
This module explores all this and more. We delve into the digital trade framework and its implications for digital commerce, fintech, data flows, and digital services across Africa, and we get our hands dirty with the artificial intelligence tools that are making cross-border business faster, cheaper, and more competitive for organizations of all sizes and from anywhere on the continent.
You will be able to demonstrate your understanding that: What the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol means for your particular business model, which AI technologies are most accessible and immediately useful for your business, how technology can be harnessed for easier and less costly business operations across African borders, how digital financial systems and infrastructure are changing the face of intra-African trade, and how to stay ahead of the game with your competitors who are unaware of the benefits of the technologies.
[Register for Module 4 →]
MODULE 5: Market Entry Strategy: How to Actually Enter a New African Market
Cross-Border Business Planning, Regulatory Navigation, and First-Mover Advantage
We know the basics of the AfCFTA. But we also know that knowing the basics of the AfCFTA is a long way from knowing the specifics of how to enter a new African market under the AfCFTA. So, this module is the most practical of the entire series.
We go through the entire process of how to enter a new African market, from the process of selecting the African markets to enter to the process of navigating the regulatory landscape of those markets, the process of entering into local partnerships, the process of mapping the distribution channels, the process of adapting the prices, the process of adapting the brand.
We go through the entire process. We also go through real-life case studies of businesses that have entered African markets successfully. We go through the specifics of those case studies to see the differences between a business that entered the African market successfully and a business that entered the African market but did not succeed.
You will be able to do the following after this module: Know exactly how to evaluate and select your next African market opportunity, what the regulatory and compliance environment looks like for your industry in the key markets of focus, how to develop a practical plan to enter a new market, and how to do so quickly enough to maintain first-mover advantage without making costly mistakes that can hold so many businesses back for months or even years.
MODULE 6: Supply Chain, Logistics, and Trade Infrastructure Across Africa
Moving Goods, Services, and People Across Borders More Efficiently
One of the greatest practical challenges to intra-African trade has always been logistics: the expense, the time, the paperwork, and the unpredictability of moving goods across borders on the continent. The AfCFTA is actively addressing this through the Single African Air Transport Market, the Trans-African Highway network, port modernization schemes, and customs harmonization protocols. However, the reality of the situation is that businesses that recognize how to navigate this situation effectively possess a real and substantial competitive advantage.
This module will explore the reality of trade infrastructure on the continent at the moment, the most efficient and cost-effective way of moving goods across borders on the continent, how to construct a supply chain that works within this reality rather than waiting for the day that the trade infrastructure catches up, and how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing tracking and logistics management on the continent.
You will be leaving this module knowing: What the best cross-border logistics corridors are in terms of development, reliability, and cost-effectiveness for your industry, how to develop a supply chain strategy that works in the current African infrastructure without waiting for perfect conditions, how customs harmonization under AfCFTA is changing clearance times and reducing costs in key corridors, and how to leverage technology and logistics partnership to make cross-border supply chain operations more efficient and reliable.
MODULE 7: Women, Youth, and Inclusion: Your Specific Opportunities Under AfCFTA
Targeted Pathways, Provisions, and Funding Access for Women Entrepreneurs and Young Business Leaders
AfCFTA has been crafted with specific provisions aimed at increasing the economic participation of women and the youth across the continent, and the difference between your business having the right information and not having it could be the line between success and failure.
This module has been designed for women entrepreneurs, young business leaders, and the organizations, investors, and development programs that support them. In this module, we will be discussing the AfCFTA Women in Trade Protocol, the youth entrepreneurship provisions, the funding and grant programs, and the sectors and markets that offer the greatest opportunity for women-led and youth-led businesses.
What You Will Know: What the AfCFTA Women in Trade Protocol really means for your business, the funding instruments and institutional support that are specifically available for women and the youth under the AfCFTA, the sectors and markets that offer the greatest opportunity for women-led and youth-led businesses, and how your organization can position itself for the preferential market access provisions that the majority of businesses are unaware even exist.
MODULE 8: Building Your AfCFTA Readiness Plan: From Training Room to Trade Floor.
Your Personal and Organizational Action Plan for Cross-Border Growth.
This is the module where everything comes together – and where your real work begins. Every participant leaves this session with a completed, personalized AfCFTA Business Readiness Plan tailored to their unique business, industry, current position, and target markets. We identify what you are today, what your cross-border opportunity is, what gaps exist in your current readiness, what you need to do to bridge those gaps, and what your 90-day action plan is so you can begin executing the day after the training. This is not just the conclusion of the program; it is the beginning of everything the program has prepared you to do.
You will emerge from this module with: A realistic appraisal of just where your business currently is in terms of AfCFTA readiness, a personalized cross-border market entry strategy developed specifically for your industry and markets of interest, a 90-day plan with measurable milestones and markers of accountability, the connections, resources, and frameworks needed to assist you on your cross-border growth path forward, and the assurance that comes from knowing you’ve done the work, not just attended the training.
TRAINING DETAILS AND LOGISTICS
**Training Schedule and Format**
We offer continuous training from Monday to Friday and weekends to suit working professionals and teams. We also reach out to trainees across different geographical locations around the world.
- Online Training: We conduct our training via Zoom with full interaction and participation. 10:00am — 4:00pm WAT (GMT+1) or 6:00pm — 9:00pm WAT (GMT+1)
- In-Person Training: Lagos, Nigeria – Training takes place at our Lagos Training Facility. Contact us for venue and dates.
- Other African Cities: Yes, we conduct our training in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Accra, Nairobi, and Johannesburg upon request for group/corporate booking.
- Time: 10:00 AM – 04:00 PM GMT + 1
- What Every Participant Gets: Comprehensive Training Materials and Strategic Workbooks for all the modules covered during the Training, real-world case studies and market intelligence resources, tools and frameworks for immediate implementation, Certificate of Completion for the enrolled program or track, and Full Access to BWB AfCFTA Business Network – an exclusive group of cross-border business professionals across Africa.
THE BWB AfCFTA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Because Access Should Never Be the Barrier
Business Without Boundaries recognizes that the entrepreneurs and business leaders who need the AfCFTA readiness training the most are, in many cases, the ones with the least financial access to it. That is why we set aside a number of scholarship spots in each training program for applicants who qualify, prioritizing women entrepreneurs, young entrepreneurs, and professionals from underserved African markets. It is not a handout; it is an investment in people who are already doing the work and need the knowledge to take it to the next level.
Who Can Apply:
- Women-owned or women-led businesses at any stage of development
- Entrepreneurs and business leaders between the ages of 18 and 35
- Businesses located in Tier 3 or Tier 4 African Markets
- Social businesses with a demonstrated impact in their community or in the broader economy
- Professionals from conflict or economically disadvantaged regions of Africa
What the Scholarship Covers:
Full and partial scholarships to cover training fees for the Full AfCFTA Business Readiness Certification Program. Scholarship recipients will enjoy the same training materials, certificate, access to the network, and quality of facilitation as all other participants in the program. There are no second-class seats in this program.
How to Apply: Complete the scholarship application and tell us in no more than 300 words about your business or professional work, why AfCFTA readiness matters for your specific situation right now, and what you commit to doing with what you learn. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis for each cohort. Spots are limited and competitive.
[Apply for a Scholarship →] (Link to scholarship landing page)
Want to Sponsor a Scholar? If you are an organization, a business, or an individual who believes in expanding AfCFTA access across Africa — you can sponsor one or more scholarship participants directly. Every sponsored scholar trains under your name and you receive a full impact report on their outcomes and progress. Contact us to discuss sponsorship opportunities and available recognition packages.
[Become a Scholarship Sponsor →] (Link to sponsor inquiry)
About Your Facilitator
Olutope Olatilewa E. — Lady Topsie
Global Business Strategist | AfCFTA Trade Advocate | Founder, Business Without Boundaries
While there are people who have studied and observed the African trade environment, there are others who have spent decades living and breathing it. Lady Topsie is one of the latter. Having worked across all 54 nations of the African continent for more than two decades, Lady Topsie has spent her career working with individuals and organizations to cross borders, implement multi-market strategies, develop AfCFTA frameworks, and educate development agencies on what intra-African trade actually means.
Lady Topsie has worked with individuals trying to cross their very first border, CEOs of companies looking to implement multi-market strategies, governments looking to implement AfCFTA, and development agencies trying to understand what intra-African trade means. Lady Topsie has been an advocate for AfCFTA education long before it became part of the business conversation.
Having founded Business Without Boundaries, African ChangeMakers Initiative, and HospitalityEX and ChangeMakers Collection, Lady Topsie has developed platforms specifically designed to make African economic opportunities accessible to the very people it was designed to serve.
Her achievements have earned her recognition from the Mastercard Foundation, Ashoka Changemakers, the Equal in Tech Awards for Leadership in SME, and the WeforGood Network, which recognized her as one of the 100 African Women Creating a Better Africa. She is an Ashoka Changemaker Scholar, a Voices Fellow, and a West Africa Ampioneer for Ampion Venture.
When she teaches AfCFTA, she teaches it from twenty years of having been in the room where African business decisions are made, not from the hallway looking in. Every module in the program has that. Every framework has that. Every case study has that – from real outcomes, real markets, and real results that she has seen, shaped, or been a part of.
If you want to learn about AfCFTA from someone who has spent two decades doing the very work that the AfCFTA agreement has set out to support, you are in the right room.
REGISTRATION & CONTACT
Ready to Register?
The number of participants in each cohort is kept small to ensure the quality of the discussion, the depth of the engagement, and the value of each session. So, if you are serious about developing a cross-border business strategy under the AfCFTA, do not wait until the next round. Register now!
[Register for the Full Certification — All 8 Modules →]
[Register for the Essentials Track — 4 Modules →]
[Register for an Individual Module →]
[Apply for a Scholarship →]
[Inquire About Group and Corporate Bookings →]
email: admin@businesswithoutboundaries.org
Tel: +234 8175172160
website: businesswithoutboundaries.org
We offer multiple payment options including US dollars and local currency. We offer a payment plan for the Full Certification and the Essentials Track.
