Cameroonian consulting firm Shekina Invest has launched a programme to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access markets across Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), aiming to strengthen regional trade and expand export opportunities for local businesses.
Announced on 8 October 2026, the initiative was introduced during a virtual conference attended by 99 companies, according to the organisers. It will use the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG), a digital platform developed by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to facilitate trade between African countries.
The programme will guide businesses through awareness-building on AfCFTA opportunities, practical training, business formalisation and organisational support to prepare them for cross-border trade. Companies that demonstrate sufficient readiness may also receive assistance in securing financing from banks.
Shekina Invest chief executive Laure Djoukam said the strategy includes organising SMEs into regional value chains. The firm wants to encourage the creation of trading companies that consolidate products from multiple businesses, allowing smaller producers to fulfil larger orders while maintaining consistent quality and supply.
The approach is designed to address challenges faced by SMEs that lack the capacity to export independently. However, details about participant selection, training schedules and potential programme fees have not yet been disclosed.
Launched in June 2023, Africa Trade Gateway provides services to help businesses identify buyers and suppliers, assess potential trading partners and access payment, compliance, financing and logistics solutions. The platform also connects users to Afreximbank-backed systems, including the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), Africa Trade Exchange (ATEX) and MANSA, which provides verified business information.
Figures released by Afreximbank in October 2026 indicate that the ATG ecosystem covers more than 45 African countries and connects 110 commercial banks, 45 trade support institutions and 25,000 verified businesses. It also lists a pipeline of trade opportunities valued at $4.5 billion, although this represents identified business opportunities rather than financing specifically allocated to Cameroonian companies.
Shekina Invest’s latest initiative builds on earlier efforts to promote AfCFTA and Africa Trade Gateway in Cameroon. In December 2025, the firm participated alongside the American Chamber of Commerce in Cameroon in a business event highlighting opportunities available through the continental trade agreement.
The programme comes ahead of the next Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), scheduled for 5–11 November 2027 in Lagos, Nigeria. Afreximbank is targeting 100,000 visitors, 2,500 exhibitors, participation from more than 100 countries and over $50 billion in trade and investment deals.
Cameroonian companies have already recorded commercial transactions using AfCFTA opportunities. According to the Cameroon National Shippers’ Council (CNCC), the export of four containers of aluminium ingots produced by Alucam to Algeria in July 2024 resulted from negotiations initiated at the 2023 IATF in Cairo.
Other businesses began using AfCFTA tariff preferences in 2022. GIC Afatex exported processed agricultural products to Ghana in October that year, followed by tea shipments from Cameroon Tea Estate and Ndawara Tea Estate. In July 2023, Inoda Industries imported resin from Tunisia under the preferential trade regime.
Despite these developments, intra-African trade remains a relatively small part of Cameroon’s international commerce. According to the country’s National Institute of Statistics, African countries accounted for 12.7% of Cameroon’s exports in 2023, valued at CFA379 billion, while imports from the continent represented 9.5% of the total, worth CFA476.2 billion. These figures include all trade with African countries, not only transactions conducted under AfCFTA preferences.
Administrative barriers also continue to affect cross-border commerce. In June 2024, an AfCFTA trade facilitation subcommittee hosted by the CNCC identified administrative delays among the difficulties businesses encountered when conducting transactions across African borders.
Shekina Invest’s programme seeks to help local businesses overcome some of these challenges by improving their export readiness, encouraging cooperation between producers and connecting them with regional trading opportunities. Its effectiveness will depend on how the initiative is implemented and whether participating SMEs can translate the support into sustained trade across the continent.