The Empower Africa Business Platform is Now Live !!!
Pan-African fintech startup Zazu has entered a new phase of its expansion with the launch of a fully digital business banking solution in Morocco, developed in partnership with global payments company Visa.
The funding will be used to implement a regional project designed to improve the competitiveness of businesses operating within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).
The bloc brings together eight countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo, which share a common currency and trade framework.
According to the African Development Bank, the initiative is aligned with broader continental efforts to boost intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a flagship African Union project that aims to create a single market for goods and services across the continent.
By strengthening production capacity and improving trade systems, the project is expected to help businesses in WAEMU better access opportunities within the AfCFTA market.
A key part of the program will involve consultations at the national level. These discussions will bring together local AfCFTA committees to review how far the agreement has been implemented and identify gaps.
The outcomes will feed into a regional workshop, where stakeholders will agree on a coordinated system to track progress, improve accountability, and support smoother execution of the trade agreement across member states.
The project also places a strong focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly those preparing to enter export markets.
Around 80 businesses, many led by women and young entrepreneurs, will receive targeted support. This will include training on export processes, compliance with international standards, access to financing, adoption of digital tools, and environmentally sustainable production methods.
Lamin Barrow, Director General for West Africa at the African Development Bank Group, said the initiative is designed to bring greater alignment across national trade strategies.
“The project aims to establish a framework for harmonising and aligning national strategies, and leverages the complementarities and synergies of national efforts, whilst strengthening the effectiveness of existing instruments for promoting sub-regional integration,” he said.
Barrow added that the Bank has built significant experience in advancing regional integration through investments in infrastructure, trade facilitation, and export diversification.
The program is expected to directly benefit public institutions responsible for implementing the AfCFTA, as well as private sector players across the region.
More broadly, it could impact the livelihoods of an estimated 147 million people living within WAEMU by lowering trade barriers and opening new economic opportunities.
In addition, the initiative will support the WAEMU Regional Chamber of Commerce, strengthening its role as a bridge between policymakers and businesses in the region’s integration agenda.
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