Top > Regional Affairs > Africa > TICAD > Illustrative List Of Ongoing and Pipeline Projects/Programs For African Development As a Reference Document for TICAD II > II. Economic Development : Promoting Private Sector (2.1 Private Sector Development) > African Commodity Sector Diversification through South-South Cooperation

African Commodity Sector Diversification through South-South Cooperation

I.Basic data

Sector(s): Private Sector Development
Title: African Commodity Sector Diversification through South-South Cooperation
Donor country /organization: Government of Japan
Other donors / organizations involved: Government of Thailand and the private sector of Indonesia (in kind only)
Beneficiary countries / regions: 16 Sub-Saharan African developing countries
Implementing agencies in beneficiary countries / regions:
Duration: 3 years
Starting Date: July 1996
Project / Program budget: US$450,000
Finance / Type of cooperation: technical cooperation

II.Project / program description

  1. Objectives
    (1) Long-term: To foster commodity-sector development and diversification in Africa -- with a special focus on trade and investment opportunities in high-value, income-elastic commodities-based production and processing.
    (2) Immediate: (a) To promote the sharing of practical business development experiences among Asian and African entrepreneurs; (b) to facilitate the identification of possible areas for Asian-African joint ventures in trade and trade-driven investment, with an emphasis on high-value, income-elastic products.
  1. Activities
    (1) Two-week study visits to Indonesia and Thailand for 25 for selected entrepreneurs from 13 Sub-Saharan African countries during 30 November - 15 December 1996.
    (2) One subregional workshop on Asia-Africa Trade and Investment Diversification and Networking convened in Harare during 24-28 November 1997 -- with 66 business participants from Africa (60) persons and Southeast Asia (6 persons).
    (3) One further project activity to be organized during 1998.
  2. Expected outcomes / impacts
    (1) Some 100 African entrepreneurs could establish the networks with 200 Indonesian and Thai business executives.
    (2) Business interaction and discussions on 150-200 trade and investment proposals, with a small number of them put in operation or receiving serious consideration. (subregional workshop?)
    (3) Some 50 African entrepreneurs will gain fist-hand knowledge of business operations and organization in 3 Southeast Asian countries, (1998 activity?)
  3. Features in line with the Agenda for Action
    (1) Approach and emphasis: (a) Regional cooperation; (b) South-South cooperation; and (c) capacity building.
    (2) Area of cooperation: Private sector development: (a) promoting improved, cross-border collaboration and partnership among the African and Asian the private sectors; (b) sharing of African and Asian experienced; and (c) promoting inter-firm cooperation.

III.Contact point:

Division on Investment, Technology and Enterprise Development, UNCTAD,
Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

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