Afriways: A New Platform for Understanding African Markets
Recently launched in Tunis, Afriways presents itself as a platform dedicated to knowledge and understanding of African markets. This initiative is supported by the Qawafel project, funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and implemented by Expertise France, and is part of a dynamic to support the internationalization of Tunisian companies towards African markets.
A Platform for Entrepreneurs
Imagined and carried by the team of the communication agency Beyond Pictures, under the direction of its founder and CEO Manel Letaief Kanzari, Afriways aims to inform, explain, and inspire entrepreneurs on the continent. Through dynamic content and concrete testimonials, it makes economic information accessible and encourages a new generation of curious and ambitious entrepreneurs to better understand African dynamics.
A Launch Based on Exchange and Collective Intelligence
For its launch, Afriways inaugurated a new format: Afriways Podcast Event, a series of four cross-conversations exploring the major challenges and opportunities of African markets. Around Wafa Makhlouf, moderator of the event, eight speakers from the business, finance, and innovation worlds exchanged on four major themes:
- Why do donors invest in Africa?
- Rethinking our relationship with Africa
- African markets in motion
- How to succeed... but also how to fail on the continent?
Wafa Makhlouf recalled that Africa "is not a distant promise, but a real terrain of co-construction," emphasizing that "what changes today is our way of approaching it: no longer as a market to be conquered, but as an ecosystem to be understood."
Informing, Explaining, and Motivating
In her opening speech, Manel Letaief Kanzari presented the philosophy of the project: "Whoever masters information, masters the market. Afriways wants to make this information clear, useful, and accessible, so that every African entrepreneur can transform their ambition into success."
The platform is organized around four sections:
- Articles and news to decipher the economic challenges of the continent
- Podcasts highlighting inspiring entrepreneurs' journeys
- Training videos to simplify norms and processes
- Business opportunities to connect companies to African markets
In the long term, Afriways will integrate analysis and artificial intelligence tools to help decision-makers act more informed on the continent.
Committed Partners: AFD and Qawafel
Mazen AL KASSEM, technical expert and project manager of the Qawafel program, explains: "With Afriways, we support an initiative that puts knowledge and cooperation at the heart of African economic transformation."
For his part, Abdou Samba, head of the AFD pole, specifies: "For AFD, the challenge is not only to finance, but also to strengthen understanding of markets and trust between actors."
Crossed Views: Understanding to Better Undertake
During the conversation "Rethinking our relationship with Africa," the speakers emphasized the need to go beyond clichés and build real bridges between actors.
According to Dr. Sofiene Darmoul, founder of the startup Inaya Santé, "On the ground, I discovered a connected, energetic, and willing youth. Understanding these realities is essential before investing."
For his part, Mohamed Amine Zaghbib, director of African operations at Exscape, observes that "Young Africans want to be actors of innovation, not just consumers. We share more common points than we imagine."
A Community Under Construction
Afriways is aimed at SMEs, innovative startups, and women entrepreneurs, as well as institutions and donors partners of the Qawafel program. Its objective is to inform, train, and support companies in their international development.
As Manel Letaief Kanzari recalls, "This was only a first look at a subject as vast as it is promising. The adventure has just begun."
Afriways now intends to federate a community of entrepreneurs around a shared vision: understanding before undertaking, undertaking before conquering.
