Who We Are?
ABOUT US
The Africa Agribusiness Academy (AAA) is an entrepreneurship network seeking to foster innovation and growth of small and medium scale agribusiness firms in Africa, with the ultimate aim to contribute to economic growth and improvement of rural income and food security in Africa. It was founded in 2010 by a group of innovative agri-food entrepreneurs from Eastern Africa.
We are currently active in five countries: Kenya Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Each country
has its own Country Chapter governed by a Board
and each chapter is composed of a number of Busi-
ness Clubs located at important commercial hubs
across the country. When fully established, AAA
business clubs will have between 20-25 members. A
country coordinator facilitates the work of the chap-
ter and the business clubs, whereas each business
club has a leader responsible for the organization of
activities at the level of the business club.
Our MissioN
We are an entrepreneur platform seeking to foster innovation and growth of small and medium scale agribusiness firms in Africa with the ultimate aim to contribute economic growth and improvement of rural income and food security in Africa.
Our VISION
Stimulating Entrepreneurship to increase food security in Africa.
Our APPROACH
AAA Kenya has a unique approach whereby the coordination of activities is done by use of business clubs which are classified as per the regions. We have Nairobi Central Region, Lower Eastern Region, Upper Eastern Region, Western Region and Nyanza Region. The business clubs meet on a monthly basis and they benefit from sharing experiences on how to grow their businesses, learning through mentorship and coaching, using AAA and other networks to arrange business deals both at regional and international markets, in-house training activities, as well as linkage to business services providers.
Further, we also have Sector-specific and thematic collaboration which is achieved through the five ‘Sector Desks’ i.e. Dairy, Poultry, Honey, Fruits and Vegetables and Agro-Inputs.
- Support customers and suppliers to develop a sustainable business.
- Be a role model for other entrepreneurs and adapt best business practices.
OUR CODE OF CONDUCT
AAA is committed to the following code of conduct at all times.
- Cooperate with respect for each other .
- Confidentiality between members is respected.
- Apply open and transparent communication, sharing knowledge, be collaborative working in a team .
- Feel ownership for AAA and care for the reputation of AAA.
- Act according to the country laws and regulations
- Behave in a non-discriminatory manner, both inside and outside the organization.
- Act as a fair player in the market, having an open eye for the interest of all parties.
- Show leadership through integrity, trust and transparency in the business network.
how to become a member.
AAA MEMBERSHIP
You can become an aspirant AAA member only upon invitation from an existing member. You may contact AAA by mail indicating your interest in becoming a member. You have to fulfil the following criteria to be eligible in becoming a member:
- Operates according to AAA business standards (As stated in our Code of Conduct)
- Owner- entrepreneur of a company with 5- 100 employees.
- Turnover between US$ 50,000 - 1,000,000.
- Willing to share knowledge and ideas.
- Link small farmers to markets.
- Willing to coach others.
- Have audited accounts for at least two years.
MEMBERSHIP fees & contributions
- One-time registration fee of US$100
- Annual membership fee of US$100
AAA Business clubs what’s in it for you?
As AAA member you actively participate in and belong
to one of the business clubs of the country chapter.
Here, on a monthly basis, you meet other members,
link, learn, support & make business deals. In joining a
business club you benefi t from:
• sharing experiences on how to grow your busi-
ness, enhance profi ts and make a contribution to
country’s development;
• learning through mentorship and coaching by
other entrepreneurs and through events with
guest speakers;
• using AAA and other networks to arrange busi-
ness deals within country and at the regional and
international markets;
• acquiring skills through in-house training activities
as well as mentoring and coaching on items such
as the elaboration of bankable business plans.
• participating in company visits;
• linkages to business service providers (e.g. techni-
cal, fi nancial)
• preferential access to the AAA Resource Portal
Being an AAA member also implies that you actively
contribute in making the above benefi ts work in prac-
tice. Members are expected to share their experienc-
es, knowledge and market intelligence and are willing
to coach other members in business development and
entrepreneurship
AAA Communities of Practice (CoPs)
CoPs are at the heart of the AAA. They are think
tanks, by members and for members, drawing on the
resources across country chapters and linking them
aimed at fostering experiences and ideas for strength-
ening entrepreneurship and sustainable business de-
velopment. They feed into the business clubs through
thematic sessions and guest speakers. A CoP:
• provides you with a forum to share information,
stories, and experiences in a way that builds your
business understanding and in sight.
• enables you to explore together with other en-
trepreneurs new business possibilities and create
new, mutually benefi cial opportunities.
• stimulates your learning through mentoring,
coaching, and self-re ection.
• improves your business practices by providing a
forum to identify solutions to common problems
and assess best practices
There are two types of CoPs: thematic CoPs focusing
on generic business issues like fi nance, productivity
and entrepreneurship and sector CoPs bringing to-
gether entrepreneurs of a specifi c sector such honey,
seeds or dairy. Outputs from the CoPs form the ba-
sis for the development of an AAA Resource Centre
on agrifood SME development in Africa. This centre
will be accessible through a web-based portal to AAA
members.
