I hold capital.
Tell us precisely what you seek, and we will show you only what fits.
Submit a Mandate Profile
The Elevate Africa Trade Desk
Connecting capital
with opportunity.
A neutral bridge, convenor and trust-builder for intra-African trade and investment. The Desk verifies participants against one published standard, introduces them to one another, and then steps out of the way.
Launched in Accra · October 2026Trade across borders. Connections built on trust.
01 / The purpose
Two kinds of introduction.
One standard.
Capital to credible opportunity. Business to business across African borders.
Behind every introduction sits the Readiness Standard, a public document that sets out what a business, an investor or a country needs in place at each of four steps. The Desk confirms identity, ownership, standing and records against that Standard.
Investors and trading partners then make every commercial judgement themselves, with the first weeks of document-chasing already done.
Launched in Accra in October 2026 at the Elevate Africa Convening, the Desk turns the promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area into prepared, verified businesses and real introductions.
02 / Find your door
Which door is yours?
I hold an opportunity.
Meet the Standard and we will put you in front of people who have been looking for exactly what you hold.
Submit a Trade ProfileI trade.
Tell us what you sell or seek, and we will introduce a verified counterparty across the border.
Submit a Trade ProfileI govern.
Open a Country Lane. Bring a pipeline and a focal point, and we will bring you a market.
Talk to the DeskPreparing to apply? Take the Standard. It is published, it is free, and it is the same one everyone is held to. Explore the Standard →
03 / How readiness works
Four steps, one path.
Preparing
Free and open to all. Prepare against the published Standard, with templates, worked examples and the Desk Clinic. Community membership and the Readiness Cohorts support you here.
Registered
Identity, jurisdiction, sector and a named contact are on record. You can attend convenings and receive market intelligence.
Verified
Ownership, financials, standing and screening are checked. You appear in the Desk’s pipeline, visible to verified counterparties.
Desk-Ready
Your profile is complete, coherent and dated within six months. Direct introductions happen here.
A prepared company moves from registration to introduction in 30 to 45 days. A country’s journey to a live Country Lane is typically 120 to 180 days.
Elevate Africa confirms that this information was provided and checked for completeness. Commercial viability, and the decision to transact, rest entirely with the parties.
04 / A shared foundation
The Readiness Standard
One published standard. A clear path to being ready.
The Standard sets out, for individuals, companies and countries, what needs to be in place at each step: the documents, the grade of evidence and how each is checked. It is written for business owners to read in one sitting.
Download the public Standard (PDF)05 / Choose your support
Membership
Membership buys service around the Desk.
Every member is verified to the same Readiness Standard and matched on fit. Fees are annual, set in US dollars and invoiced in local currency. Online payment is in US dollars.
Community
US$200per year
Micro and small businesses, founders and individuals preparing for the Desk
- What it does: Helps you get ready
- Contact at the Desk: The Desk team, through the Desk Clinic
- Reply time: 5 working days
- Desk Clinic: Monthly, online
- Readiness toolkit: Templates, worked examples and guides to the Mandate Profile, Trade Profile and Country Trade Profile
- Review before submitting: One written review of your file
- Peer circle: Quarterly, by sector or trade route, with monthly member-led meetings
- Readiness Cohorts: A place in the sponsored cohorts, by application. A business a sponsor selects receives Community membership as a gift
- Reviews with the Desk: Through the Desk Clinic
- Follow-up after introductions: At 60 and 180 days
- Finance partners: What lenders look for, taught through the Desk Clinic
- Roundtables and briefings: Member sessions
- Missions: Open calls
- Convenings: Member rates
- Visibility: Directory listing
Business
US$2,500per year
Established businesses, usually Verified or Desk-Ready
- What it does: Turns introductions into business
- Contact at the Desk: A named relationship manager
- Reply time: 3 working days
- Desk Clinic: Monthly, online
- Readiness toolkit: Included
- Review before submitting: One written review of your file
- Peer circle: Quarterly
- Readiness Cohorts: A place in the sponsored cohorts, by application
- Reviews with the Desk: One-to-one review each quarter
- Follow-up after introductions: At 30, 60, 90 and 180 days
- Finance partners: Referral to the Desk's partner banks and factoring providers once you are Verified, with your checked file ready to share
- Roundtables and briefings: Two to three business roundtables a year, plus cross-border trade briefings
- Missions: Invitations to trade and investment missions
- Convenings: Member rates
- Visibility: Featured profile and one showcase spotlight a year
Institutional
US$5,000per year
Banks, funds, corporates and other institutions
- What it does: Builds an institutional relationship with the Desk
- Contact at the Desk: Dedicated relationship management led by the Trade Desk Lead
- Reply time: 2 working days
- Desk Clinic: Monthly, online
- Readiness toolkit: Included
- Review before submitting: One written review of your file
- Peer circle: Quarterly
- Readiness Cohorts: Invitation to sponsor or co-host a cohort
- Reviews with the Desk: Monthly check-in and an institutional review twice a year
- Follow-up after introductions: At 30, 60, 90 and 180 days
- Finance partners: As Business, with the option to join the Desk's finance partners if you lend
- Roundtables and briefings: Institutional roundtables and briefings on Trade Desk activity and market developments, with the option to host one on your sector
- Missions: Invitations to trade and investment missions
- Convenings: Two seats at Trade Desk convenings, including the Power Room
- Visibility: Logo recognition on member platforms and an institutional feature each year
Every participant is assessed against the same published Standard. Membership buys service around the Desk.
On an investment that closes through the Desk, a participation fee of 1%, reducing to 0.5% on larger investments, is paid equally by both sides. Trade matches are free.
Compare every benefit
| Benefit | Community | Business | Institutional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | US$200 | US$2,500 | US$5,000 |
| Best suited to | Micro and small businesses, founders and individuals preparing for the Desk | Established businesses, usually Verified or Desk-Ready | Banks, funds, corporates and other institutions |
| What it does | Helps you get ready | Turns introductions into business | Builds an institutional relationship with the Desk |
| Contact at the Desk | The Desk team, through the Desk Clinic | A named relationship manager | Dedicated relationship management led by the Trade Desk Lead |
| Reply time | 5 working days | 3 working days | 2 working days |
| Desk Clinic | Monthly, online | Monthly, online | Monthly, online |
| Readiness toolkit | Templates, worked examples and guides to the Mandate Profile, Trade Profile and Country Trade Profile | Included | Included |
| Review before submitting | One written review of your file | One written review of your file | One written review of your file |
| Peer circle | Quarterly, by sector or trade route, with monthly member-led meetings | Quarterly | Quarterly |
| Readiness Cohorts | A place in the sponsored cohorts, by application. A business a sponsor selects receives Community membership as a gift | A place in the sponsored cohorts, by application | Invitation to sponsor or co-host a cohort |
| Reviews with the Desk | Through the Desk Clinic | One-to-one review each quarter | Monthly check-in and an institutional review twice a year |
| Follow-up after introductions | At 60 and 180 days | At 30, 60, 90 and 180 days | At 30, 60, 90 and 180 days |
| Finance partners | What lenders look for, taught through the Desk Clinic | Referral to the Desk's partner banks and factoring providers once you are Verified, with your checked file ready to share | As Business, with the option to join the Desk's finance partners if you lend |
| Roundtables and briefings | Member sessions | Two to three business roundtables a year, plus cross-border trade briefings | Institutional roundtables and briefings on Trade Desk activity and market developments, with the option to host one on your sector |
| Missions | Open calls | Invitations to trade and investment missions | Invitations to trade and investment missions |
| Convenings | Member rates | Member rates | Two seats at Trade Desk convenings, including the Power Room |
| Visibility | Directory listing | Featured profile and one showcase spotlight a year | Logo recognition on member platforms and an institutional feature each year |
Download Membership Benefits by Tier (PDF) ↓
Members move up a tier at any point in the year. The fee already paid counts towards the new tier, so a Community member who moves up pays only the difference, for the months remaining. Contact the Desk to arrange an upgrade.
06 / Prepare together
Readiness Cohorts 2027
Eight weeks. A stronger file.
A clearer path forward.
An online programme that takes a business through the Standard one part at a time: identity and legal standing, ownership, good standing, financial records, evidence of real trade, bringing the file together, trade corridors and paying across borders through PAPSS, and a personal plan to close any gaps.
Cohorts of 18 to 20 businesses, grouped with peers at a similar stage. At least half of all places go to women-led businesses. Every place is free to the business through sponsorship.
The 2027 pilot runs in Nigeria and Ghana. Applications open in January 2027.
07 / Trust by design
How the Desk stays neutral
Verification is independent.
The people who verify a file had no part in preparing it, and verification is funded and staffed separately from any sponsor.
Membership buys service, not position.
Members and non-members meet the same Standard and are matched on fit.
Your data stays yours.
Profiles are shared only with a specific counterparty, only with your consent.
Everything is published.
An annual transparency report sets out participants, introductions, outcomes, funding mix and removals.
Complaints are answered.
Contact tradedesk@weelevateafrica.org with a complaint. Response within 30 days.
Advice stays at arm’s length.
Participants who need specialist support are referred to an Adviser Panel under published rules: three names or none, with the participant contracting the adviser directly.
First transparency report: December 2027
08 / Good questions
A little clarity, before you begin.
Does joining guarantee an introduction?
Membership and verification get you ready and make you findable. Introductions happen when a verified counterparty’s needs match yours.
What does Verified mean?
The Desk has confirmed that your identity, ownership, standing and records are complete and checkable against the Standard. Each counterparty makes its own commercial judgement.
How long does verification take?
It depends on how complete your file is. Businesses that work through the Standard first usually reach Verified in one cycle.
Can I apply from outside Nigeria and Ghana?
Yes. Membership and profiles are open across Africa. The 2027 cohorts run in Nigeria and Ghana, with further countries to follow.
What does it cost?
Community membership is US$200 a year, Business US$2,500 and Institutional US$5,000. Cohort places are free to the business. On an investment deal that closes, a participation fee of 1% on the first US$50 million and 0.5% on the amount above it is paid equally by both sides. A trade match carries no fee.
