About us
A Pan-African partner for trade, transport and integration
Headquartered in Dar es Salaam, African Desk works across the continent to make African ports, corridors and Regional Economic Communities more efficient.
Who we are
Complex solutions to complex African challenges
AFRICAN DESK is a Pan-African organization committed to providing complex solutions to complex African challenges in Trade Facilitation, Transport & Logistics supply-chain, Regional Integration, Communication & Advocacy through top-notch consultancy and advisory services; with conscious for the need to care for the planet earth. Guided by the AfCFTA frameworks and protocols, African Desk is an implementing partner for governments, international organizations, and Multilateral Organizations as well as private sector organizations.
Headquartered in Dar es Salaam, the United Republic of Tanzania, at the heart of one of the African logistical hubs, the African Desk’s goal is to cover the entire continent to promote Trade Facilitation, Regional integration to spur the continent’s economic prosperity through efficiency in African Ports, Logistics, Transport Corridors, as well as Regional economic communities.
Using high-level expertise from within the continent and beyond, African Desk provides technical advisory services through research and studies, capacity building as well as communications and advocacy. African Desk believes in African solutions to African problems and thrives to become the major and reliable source of important information and data on the African continent. The African Desk has been registered in Tanzania under Companies Act of 2002.
Our purpose
Mission, vision and values
Our Mission
To promote efficiency in the African continent’s multi-modal transport corridors and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) through jointly coordinated research, capacity buildings, and proper dissemination of best practices.
Our Vision
To see the African continent thrives through free, competitive and interactive intra-Africa trade coupled with seamless logistics & transport networks linking all regions of the continent, backed up by the AfCFTA as the leit motif of such revolution in trade.
Core Values
- Thinking and doing big
- African solutions to African problems
- Teamwork for tangible and sustainable results
- Committed to respect and embracing diversity
- Transparency and Excellence.
Our framework
We are guided by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) frameworks and protocols.
Thus the African Desk is an implementing partner for Africa’s governments, international organizations, multilateral organizations as well as the private sector business industry of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) with a view to build the growth of small, micro, and medium enterprises (SMMEs) to achieve greater endogenous economic development through trade facilitation. We are thus resolute in reaching the objectives of the African Union’s (AU) 2063 Agenda and the related United Nations (UN) 2030 Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda.
For Africa to become a driver of economic growth that can lead to job and food security, achieve industrialization, and achieve value-driven trade commodities: such actions demand workable infrastructure of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) within a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4.O/4IR) era of artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies, workable roads, railways, increased seaports (berth capacities), renewable green electricity capacity, fibre and cables on land and oceans, and building the human capital development of SMMEs and youth, as specified in Agenda 2063 Aspiration 2 Goal 2 and related UN Agenda 2030 SDG 9.
What we do
What makes us different
Trade Facilitation
- Research on RECs related matters
- Capacity building to stakeholders on matters related to implementation of the AfCFTA
- Training of Trainers of Trainers on AfCFTA
- Sensitization programmes for Regional Integration matters.
Transport and Logistics
- Research and feasibility studies for bankable projects
- Corridor management programmes
- Promote efficiency in Ports and corridor eco-systems
- Awarding Best Ports and Corridors.
Communication and Advocacy
- Communicating RECs, Ports and Corridors best practice
- Dissemination of the AfCFTA Treaty
- Communications and Advocacy of research findings from researches
- Help organisations to design and implement their Communication and Marketing strategies.
Calendar and events
Milestones
June 2022
Signing of MOU between African Desk and Egyptians Business Association in Cairo
April 2023
Attending the AfCFTA Business Forum 2023
Work with African Desk
Governments, regional bodies and businesses partner with us on trade facilitation, corridor efficiency and advocacy.