Strengthening Trade and Supply chain for the Informal Vendors across Zambia and Namibia for the Af…

Innovation methods

Data sources

SDG(s)

Sustainable Development Goal(s)

8Decent work and economic growth

10Reduced innequalities

16Peace, justice and strong institutions

Disclaimer:

Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.

Learnings on your challenge

What are the top key insights you generated about your learning challenge during this Action Learning Plan? (Please list a maximum of 5 key insights)

The participation of MSMEs in cross-border trade of countries in Angola, Zambia, Namibia, and Zimbabwe under the SADC Agreement is hindered by several factors, including non-tariff barriers, limited access to finance, and inadequate infrastructure. Informal cross-border trading activities have cushioned the impact of economic shocks and contributed to regional integration in Africa. However, informal entrepreneurship and cross-border trade face challenges, including limited access to resources and infrastructure, and regulatory barriers. Overall, MSMEs and the informal sector play a significant role in cross-border trade in Africa and must be supported to fully exploit the opportunities offered by digital technologies and the AfCFTA.

Considering the outcomes of this learning challenge, which of the following best describe the handover process? (Please select all that apply)

Our work has not yet scaled

Can you provide more detail on your handover process?

Namibia's cross-border trade faces both opportunities and challenges. The country has identified priority reform opportunities to enhance the role and performance of the state in addressing cross-cutting bottlenecks. The digital trade era also poses challenges for Namibia, which must adapt to the new environment and leverage international cooperation to address the challenges posed by digital technologies. As trade becomes increasingly digital, we have found that MSMEs and in particular the informal sector in Namibia are in urgent need of digital skills and infrastructure to expand across borders and compete in the global market. The informal sector, which accounts for a significant portion of Namibia's economy, also faces challenges in adopting digital technologies due to limited access to resources and infrastructure. Digitalisation therefore presents opportunities for the informal sector to formalise and access new markets. Overall, Namibia's cross-border trade must navigate the opportunities and challenges presented by digitalisation to remain competitive and grow in the global market.

Please paste any link(s) to blog(s) or publication(s) that articulate the learnings on your frontier challenge.

Data and Methods

Relating to your types of data, why did you chose these? What gaps in available data were these addressing?

It was important to test the data with informant interviews based on gaps that the last informal sector survey report highlighted.

Why was it necessary to apply the above innovation method on your frontier challenge? How did these help you to unpack the system?

Tambula (a digital trading platform for informal vendors has not been tested for use across borders yet

Partners

Please indicate what partners you have actually worked with for this learning challenge.

Please state the name of the partner:

Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade

What sector does your partner belong to?

Government (&related)

Please provide a brief description of the partnership.

Cross Lab learning tranfer

Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?

Yes

Please indicate what partners you have actually worked with for this learning challenge.

Please state the name of the partner:

Tambula

What sector does your partner belong to?

Private Sector

Please provide a brief description of the partnership.

N/A

Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?

Yes

Please indicate what partners you have actually worked with for this learning challenge.

Please state the name of the partner:

AccLab Zambia

What sector does your partner belong to?

Government (&related)

Please provide a brief description of the partnership.

N/A

Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?

End

Bonus question: How did the interplay of innovation methods, new forms of data and unusual partners enable you to learn & generate insights, that otherwise you would have not been able to achieve?

Please upload any further supporting evidence / documents / data you have produced on your frontier challenge that showcase your learnings.

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Innovation methods

Data sources

SDG(s)

Sustainable Development Goal(s)

8Decent work and economic growth

10Reduced innequalities

16Peace, justice and strong institutions

Comments

Action plan