Africa Business Directory: Getting African Businesses Online

Africa Business Pages has launched a new program of providing free listings for African businesses

AThe latest quarterly statistics from the Communications Commission of Kenya, indicate that the number of Kenyans accessing the Internet daily stands at 10.2 million people, 18 percent above the previous quarter’s numbers. It is this growth in digital usage that one of the world’s leading African B2B portals, Africa Business Pages, has launched a digital platform for Africa’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), dubbed ‘Getting African Businesses Online’.
The unveiling of this initiative means African businesses will have the opportunity to create their own websites and develop an online presence, for free, under the sub domain http://directory.africa-business.com.

Naved Hasan, Associate Editor and founder of Africa Business Pages notes that the project is hugely successful and has helped many African businesses get an online presence and interact with their business counterparts from across the world.

“We believe that the power of the Internet will help small businesses in Africa to thrive, by bringing more information online, and making it more accessible and useful to the public. Whether you sell shoes, electronics, cars, transport services or even mama mbogas, the African Business Directory tools will help you reach new customers,” says Naved.

In addition, savvy web developers will likely be able to benefit from the initiative by providing complementary I.T. services to support the businesses. It is likely that in the coming years, there will be many more African businesses built around supporting the burgeoning Internet ecosystem in Africa by providing web consulting services ranging from site design to search engine optimization services. Currently, this market is nascent in Africa.

Dr Bitange Ndemo, PS in Kenya’s Ministry of Information and Communication said “the Africa Business Directory is an initiative which will transform the African SME landscape and have a real impact on the African economy, contributing towards Africa’s Vision 2030. The number of Internet users in Africa is growing rapidly and the Africa Business Pages will certainly be a useful tool in promoting B2B contact African companies and global businesses. Despite the rising usage of the internet, many African businesses are not yet online because they see it as costly or complicated. At a time when being online is an essential part of economic growth, having a directory listing is as important as having a telephone.

Africa Business Pages is giving SMEs a head start by making it quick and easy to have an online presence – that too free of cost.

The Africa Business Directory developed by the Africa Business Pages is mobile and desktop compatible allowing African SMEs to personally manage the site and update business information in real time. Resources available include uploading upto 10 product pictures, posting a complete company profile as well as receiving email alerts when a new company joins and an internal messaging system to interact with other members of the directory.

According to a recent study, one in three mobile Internet searches in the African region pertain to local information. With digital marketing coming up as a lucrative landscape for promotion of products, the Africa Business Pages hopes to rope in at least 20,000 African SME’s into the new platform over the next one year.

The program will is likely to prove to be a boon for the African Internet ecosystem on a long term basis by getting more and more African businesses online and providing much needed local content in the African marketplace.

It is a simple procedure to register your African business online at the Africa Business Pages:
1) Log on and register at http://directory.africa-business.com.

2) Log in with your username and password.

3) On the left panel click on ‘Add A Listing...’

4) Post your company profile enumerating the products you deal in and the markets your company caters to as well as your company’s main activities.

5) Upload upto 10 product images and company logo.

Once you submit your company listing, your entry will be screened by the Online Editor and approved with 2 days.

A live RSS feed is also displayed on the Facebook Page of Africa Business Pages to let subscribers know that a new company has joined the Africa Business Directory.

Your potential customers and business partners can contact you directly from the Africa Business Directory using the specially designed internal messaging system operational on the Africa Business Directory. You can even use this address on your stationery.