‘Made in Africa’: Certification Scheme Nears Launch to Propel African Products onto Global Stage

After years of policy debates and technical groundwork, the vision for a unified “Made in Africa” (MiA) certification system is on the verge of becoming a reality.

Industry leaders and trade officials hope the MiA mark will transform the fortunes of African producers by building trust with consumers and unlocking the doors of both regional and global markets.

Across Africa’s vibrant markets and manufacturing hubs, producers have long contended with both pride and frustration. While African-made products, from Ghanaian cacao to Ethiopian textiles and Kenyan electronics, have grown in quality and innovation, they still face a stubborn challenge: perception.

“In too many cases, the label ‘African-made’ is met with scepticism at home and abroad,” said Amadou Toure, a Nairobi-based export manager. “The talent and quality exist. What we need is consumer confidence and market access.”

This challenge isn’t mere conjecture; surveys reveal that local consumers often perceive imported products as superior, and retailers cite difficulties sourcing large-scale, consistent quality from local producers. Globally, African products oftenstruggle to break through the imposed ceilings of limited branding, fragmented standards, and a lack of harmonised certification across the continent’s 54 countries.

The MiA Scheme: From Blueprint to Reality

The African Union’s Made in Africa scheme is designed to change that narrative. Developed as a pillar of the Niamey Action Plan for Industrialisation and Economic Diversification, the MiA initiative aims to provide a harmonised, continent-wide mark of quality assurance, trust, and African origin.

It will build on earlier national and regional labelling efforts, anchoring certification on the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) rules of origin and intellectual property provisions, and aligning with standards on technical barriers to trade and food safety.

After years of discussions, July saw a major breakthrough in Nairobi. The African Union Commission (AUC), the Pan African Quality Infrastructure (PAQI), and a host of technical, private sector, and consumer groups, with support from the International Trade Centre (ITC) and international partners, finalised the MiA implementation guide. At the two-day Ad-hoc Committee meeting, participants agreed on governance structures, brand concepts, and oversight frameworks for the new label.

“We are now closer than ever to launching a practical, reliable, and African-led branding solution,” emphasised Dr. Salifou Ouedraogo of PAQI. “The MiA certification will be a passport, opening new opportunities for African enterprise while holding us to a common, high standard.”

Putting African Products on Global Shelves

The significance of MiA extends well beyond boosting exports. For African small businesses, the backbone of the continent’s economies, a recognisable certification mark will ease compliance with export requirements, reduce redundant testing, and position their products more competitively against imports and established international brands.

The scheme dovetails with AfCFTA’s aspirations to increase intra-African trade, which hovers at less than 15% of total African exports (compared to over 60% in the EU). The MiA mark, if successfully implemented, could play a pivotal role in reducing non-tariff barriers, harmonising standards, and helping African goods move more freely across borders.

IV ZEAL VITAMIN

“Certification is about much more than stickers,” explained Florence Manjewa, a Zambian food producer. “It’s access to new supply chains, better pricing, and a brand identity that places us, proudly, in the global market.”

For African consumers, the MiA label may gradually shift perceptions. As quality standards are unified and enforced, shoppers from Lagos to Luanda may one day feel the same confidence picking up a “Made in Africa” product as they do a European or Chinese import.

The label aims to consolidate and build on existing national schemes like “Proudly South African” or “Made in Rwanda” but operate at a pan-African and, eventually, global level.

The ITC’s work, funded by the EU’s Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme, underscores the international community’s support for an African-led solution that enhances credibility, quality, and market outlook for African goods.

Remaining Challenges

Concept testing, branding pilots, and benchmarking studies will begin in the coming months, with ITC providing technical input and analysis. Implementation will require buy-in from national governments, harmonisation of standards, rigorous oversight, and public information campaigns.

The MiA scheme will also face big hurdles from regulatory fragmentation to differing consumer habits, from meeting SPS and TBT (food safety and technical) standards to possible trade tension with global partners who may view a rising African brand as increased competition.

Still, participants in Nairobi left with a sense of optimism. “With more than 1.3 billion consumers across Africa and a growing global appetite for African creativity, food, and manufacturing, the stage is set,” noted Mona Hassan, an international trade law expert. “If MiA succeeds, it could become a model for other regions seeking to build their own, grassroots ‘brand sovereignty.’”

As Africa prepares to launch the MiA Scheme, all eyes are on the practical rollout and the impact on the everyday African entrepreneur, from the cocoa farmer in Côte d’Ivoire hoping for new export destinations, to the Kenyan tech start-up seeking credibility with global investors.

“We want a future where Made in Africa is a mark of excellence, not an afterthought, at home and everywhere,” said Toure.

The first “Made in Africa” certified products are expected to reach shelves by 2026, marking a milestone in the continent’s journey to claim its place, with confidence, in the global marketplace.