Sub-Saharan Africa

CDC Development Solutions works on a range of initiatives in Africa, with particular focus on the extractive and tourism industries. CDC Development Solutions has partnered extensively with the private and public sectors in Africa, and our clients have included multinationals such as IBM, BP, and Chevron; donor agencies such as USAID, the World Bank, and IFC; and local and national governments. Below, please find brief descriptions of the work that we do across the continent. Click here for more information about our work in Sub-Saharan Africa, or contact Amanda MacArthur.

CDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola

In Angola, CDC Development Solutions implements several initiatives that strengthen small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) and the institutions that support them. Our cornerstone program-the Supplier Training Initiative™ -provides training, technical assistance, and access to key procurement opportunities and partnerships that enable Angolan enterprises to participate more actively in oil and gas supply chains. Complementary initiatives include an intensive SME training program that builds the local supplier base in the Soyo region, as well as a training program for local consultants and business associations to develop Angolan-led services that can meet the needs of SMEs in the future. Our partners in Angola include Sonangol, BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total, Angola LNG, Bechtel, and the International Finance Corporation.

Equatorial Guinea

CDC Development Solutions is working with Equatorial Guinea Liquid Natural Gas Holdings, Ltd. (EG LNG) to develop the capacity of local firms and increase local content in the LNG industry in Equatorial Guinea. In close conjunction with EG LNG partners in government, business and finance, we provide technical assistance and training on business plan development, bidding and procurement processes, international marketing and sales techniques, introduction of internationally-accepted accounting standards and methods, increased adoption of grades and standards for quality control such as ISO 9000, and internet orientation courses to explore trade opportunities and access to multinational supply chains.

Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, CDC Development Solutions partnered with microenterprises, cooperatives, and non-governmental agencies to create sustainable livelihoods across various industries. CDS worked with the Solar Energy Foundation to bring sustainable, clean electricity to rural Ethiopians by delivering solar home systems to those living “off the grid.” In addition, MBAs Without Borders (MWB) Advisors crafted an organizational system for the Ethiopian solar franchise system, organized a pricing and incentive structure for small business interaction, and designed a multifaceted and progressive management information system. With partner Transfair USA, CDS assisted 87,000 farmers in the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union to become fair trade certified.

Ghana

CDC Development Solutions’ work in Ghana spans a variety of sectors, including agribusiness supply chains, ICT incubation, and handicraft market development. Through our MBA Enterprise Corps division and its work with the African Development Foundation, CDC Development Solutions provided business and organizational development consulting services to Ghanaian small and medium sized firms as well as to the ADF Ghana staff. CDC Development Solutions also implements IBM Corporate Service Corps activities in Ghana. CDC Development Solutions partners with the Association of Ghanaian Industries, the National Board for Small Scale Industries, the Kwame Nkrumah University for Science and Technology, the Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organization, Aid to Artisans Ghana, and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among others. CDC Development Solutions has operations in Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi.

Guinea

Working with the US African Development Foundation, CDC Development Solutions’ MBAEC Advisors served as USADF Fellows on the Business Services Enhancement Program. They provided business diagnostics and appraisal; strategic planning; business plan development; financial analysis; production and operations improvement; and marketing, management and organizational development capacity building for SMEs along the bauxite/aluminum supply chain in the country. The Fellows worked with and through the Centre Appui Development (CAD), a leading Guinean NGO providing support to locally-owned businesses and community-based organizations. The Fellows also assisted CAD in achieving significant improvements in the quality and effectiveness of its core business processes and the products and services it provided to USADF-funded businesses and enterprises.

Kenya

In Kenya, CDC Development Solutions works with the Grassroots Business Fund (GBF) to manage the Social Enterprise Fellows program. CDC Development Solutions recruits, trains, and fields MBA Enterprise Corps Advisors to provide services to GBF's investee in Kenya, the K-Rep Bank, which is a fast-growing commercial bank that targets the microfinance sector and provides a wide range of banking services. The Advisors work with K-Rep on financial management, administration, growth planning, and ICT so that the bank is able to successfully and sustainably scale its businesses. Through this program, the Social Enterprise Fellows empower and engage those at the bottom of the pyramid so that they are able to drive growth and entrepreneurship in key emerging markets.

Mali

In Mali, CDC Development Solutions works with small and medium size enterprises primarily along the tourism supply chain in Pays Dogon, a region developing its adventure tourism industry. Working as a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance, CDC Development Solutions provides services to locally-owned firms, local and regional governments, and the international NGO community that build the tourism supply chain and enable the local population to benefit from the burgeoning tourism industry. Our partners in Mali include the Academy for International Development, Solimar International, Counterpart International, and the local Malian tourism board.

Mozambique

In Mozambique, CDC Development Solutions, through the International Finance Corporation’s SME-Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (EDI), assisted businesses and NGOs from the ICT industry to participate in a competitive grant program called the Development Marketplace (DM). For this program, CDC Development Solutions provided finalists with individual mentoring and technical assistance in their proposal and business plan development and helped DM winners to launch and strengthen their implementation plans. CDC Development Solutions organized a series of workshops on key topics such as ICT systems analysis, competitiveness in rural development, market research, project finance, entrepreneurship, business plan implementation, and accessing finance.

Niger

CDC Development Solutions’ MBAs Without Borders (MWB) Advisors in Niger worked with Helen Keller International to install a new accounting software system and to improve the capacity of information sharing systems. The Advisors also trained HKI staff on the new information technology policies and procedures. MWB Advisors proudly supported Helen Keller International’s mission of combating the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition.

Nigeria

In Nigeria, CDC Development Solutions works to enhance the ability of small firms and local communities to access new opportunities for growth and education. For a program funded by USAID and the Government of Cross River State, CDS provided capacity building for the Cross River State Tourism Bureau and to local businesses, with a special focus on creating opportunities for women and at-risk youth and improving the regulatory environment for tourism. CDS continues this work through a World Bank-funded program that builds capacity among tourism operators and that utilizes our web-based Tourism Products Registry to link small firms into the value chain and to bring tourists to the state. Additionally, CDS manages IBM’s Corporate Service Corps employee volunteerism initiative in Nigeria. Through our International Corporate Volunteerism practice area, teams of employees from IBM delivered capacity building projects to a number of government agencies and NGOs in Cross River State.

Rwanda

 CDS activities in Rwanda have included support to a variety of social enterprises, organizations and businesses, providing services impacting business development, agriculture, and income-generation projects. MBAs Without Borders (MWB) Advisors worked with the Forest People Programme to support capacity building for Twa potter associations, which resulted in increased quality and breadth of products that boosted sales, earned access to higher-value markets, and increased the potters’ standards of living. MWB Advisors also assisted We-ACTx, the Women’s Equity to Access Care and Treatment initiative, to increase access to HIV testing, care, treatment, support, education and training for women and children at the grassroots level. Finally, CDS and KAGENO, a non-profit community development organization, created a business plan for an eco-tourism lodge in the Nyungwe National Park.

Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, CDS’ MBAs Without Borders (MWB) Advisors supported a $1.4 million plan for social marketing and distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets with Vestergaard Frandsen (VF) West Africa. The MWB Advisors also focused on the development of VF’s supplier-agent relationship, developing contract enforcement, market management, a distribution inventory model, and recruiting practices. Additional partners included the World Bank, Sierra Leone Ministry of Health, and the Sierra Leone Red Cross.

 South Africa

In South Africa, CDC Development Solutions manages IBM’s Corporate Service Corps program focused on empowering SMEs, reducing crime, and helping to prepare small and medium size businesses along the tourism supply chain to engage more in the industry. IBM’s Corporate Service Corps is an innovative initiative that seeks to promote economic growth in emerging markets while providing new global business and leadership opportunities for IBM employees.Additionally, CDS has partnered with Streetwires, a South African small business supporting handicraft development. MBAs Without Borders Advisors assisted Streetwires with developing a marketing strategy plan, reviewed its operational systems, and advised the business on the costing and pricing of the different product ranges.

Sudan

In Southern Sudan, CDC Development Solutions implemented the Agricultural Market and Enterprise Development (AMED) program, which was undertaken through the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA) and funded by USAID. CDC Development Solutions provided training and targeted consulting assistance to improve capacity of the Government of South Sudan ministries of finance, commerce, agriculture, labor, and transportation, in addition to a number of state-level ministries. Staff and volunteers built organizational and financial systems, designed government policies to promote investment and SME growth, and provided training to firms so that they could provide goods and services to the major multinational contractors building roads and other infrastructure in the country. CDC Development Solutions also worked to develop a recycling program in Juba and provided quarterly business skills training courses to hundreds of entrepreneurs in the country.

Swaziland

CDC Development Solutions assisted Gone Rural, a microenterprise that supports women in rural communities across Swaziland, to sell hand-crafted baskets made from locally grown sustainable natural fibers called lutindzi. MBAs Without Borders (MWB) Advisors found operational efficiencies in the supply chain, identified sales trends, and networked the company's financial and accounting histories. These improvements substantially increased the income of nearly 700 women.

Tanzania

In Tanzania, CDC Development Solutions works with private sector, NGO, and government partners to build businesses and create sustainable livelihoods that balance economic growth and conservation. Through our MBA Enterprise Corps division, CDC Development Solutions provides strategic planning and financial management services that facilitate access to credit by Tanzanian small and medium size enterprises. Through the IBM Corporate Service Corps, CDS fielded IBM employees to provide services to NGOs, universities, and small businesses. Finally, through Novartis’ Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, CDS places Novartis employees in volunteer consulting assignments with local drug dispensaries, with the aim to strengthen institutional capacity to provide life-saving medication to Tanzanians. CDC Development Solutions’ partners in Tanzania include the Grassroots Business Fund, SELFINA microleasing organization, the African Wildlife Foundation, KickStart, the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, the University of Dodoma, and the Tanzanian Medical Stores Department.

Uganda

In Uganda, CDC Development Solutions fielded MBA Enterprise Corps advisors to work with and through the Uganda Manufacturers Association to provide cutting-edge business services to its members. The Association utilized MBAEC advisors to provide expertise to its member firms, associations, and NGOs in strategic planning, management, financial management, exporting, and accessing finance so that they could contribute to the growth of the sector in the country. CDS also partnered with Barefoot Power through the MBAs Without Borders (MWB) program to deliver low-cost, affordable LED lighting to Ugandan rural villages. These MBAs evaluated existing supply chain procedures and implemented methods for better distribution of services through monitoring the chain's logistics.

Zambia

In Zambia, MBAs Without Borders (MWB) Advisors assisted SolarAid in providing consistent access to small solar products for Zambia’s rural poor. SolarAid supported access to cheaper and healthier lighting, as well as the chance to generate income for Zambian start-up micro-solar businesses. MWB Advisors supported SolarAid’s operations by conducting sales trainings and marketing campaigns with Zambian entrepreneurs. They also developed supply chains that delivered clean, renewable power and hope for the future to rural Zambia.

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