What problem or need did the project address?
Small enterprises provide vital employment opportunities for poor producers in Malawi. However, many such enterprises struggle to export their products as they cannot compete with the larger players in the market, and government policies do not support their needs.
What did the project do?
The project established two local organisations – a provider of business services and a fair trade trading company – to support the growth of Malawian enterprise.
It also established a National Action Group for Private Sector Development which includes as its members key government ministers, Chief Executives of key Malawian businesses and representatives from key donors. The purpose of this group is facilitate high level policy debate and interaction between stakeholders in order to bring about a more enabling policy environment.
What impact has the project had?
The two Malawian organisations established by the project have gone from strength to strength and are now operating completely independently of external support:
Business Consult Africa (BCA) was established as a provider of business development services to Malawian enterprises. Its services include:
- Market led business consulting/counselling to small and medium enterprises, aimed at assisting them to improve their performance and succeed in existing and new markets
- Corporate Social Responsibility consulting, aimed at assisting businesses to operate in a more socially responsible way and monitor/assess performance against their social objectives
BCA has established itself as a credible and competent service provider, and has also been facilitating dialogue between the private sector and government policy makers in order to foster a more enabling policy environment for small and medium enterprises.
Development Trading Limited (DTL was established as a fair trade trading company in Malawi. It buys products from Malawian producers and sells into local and export markets.
The National Action Group continues to make valuable contributions to the development of private sector policy.
How was this project funded?
The project was funded by the UK’s Department for International Development.
