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Find the right partner
in Africa, and set them
up to sell.

Most market entries fail on the partner, not the product. We find, verify and reference-check local distributors, importers and resellers, then help you structure the partnership so it starts well. You choose with evidence, before you commit stock, exclusivity or your brand.

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P23 Africa consultant in a partner verification meeting
P23 Africa consultant meeting a prospective distributor

Stage 1: Find and verify

How it works

Stage 1: Find and verify

We source candidates from
several channels

Our local teams find distributors and importers already active in your market, including companies that sell adjacent, non-competing products. This can also include any inbound leads you have.

We deliver a shortlist with a
recommendation

For each candidate: capacity assessment, reference check summary, red flags, and a fit rating against your requirements (exclusivity expectations, minimum order volumes, payment terms). You can decide from the document without another round of research.

We screen on hard criteria
before any relationship-building

  • Registration and track record: status and years in operation, checked against the local corporate registry
  • Warehousing and storage: photos, video walkthrough and site visit.
  • Product lines: what they carry, and whether it complements or conflicts with yours
  • Financial strength: working capital indicators, using references from other suppliers they represent
  • Team and reach: sales team size and geographic coverage

We check references with
their existing suppliers

We ask each candidate for 2 to 3 brands they represent, then speak to those brands about payment reliability, order consistency, and whether the distributor has ever gone quiet or missed obligations.

Payment and cash-flow check

For each country, we check how you’ll actually get paid:

  • Payment infrastructure: the methods partners and buyers use, and how reliable they are
  • Bank regulation: what local banks require to pay a foreign supplier
  • Foreign exchange compliance: access to hard currency, official versus parallel rates, repatriation rules and paperwork
  • The payment route: how money is converted, transferred and received, in which currency, and the fees and FX margin involved
  • Time to cash: how long it typically takes from a completed sale to funds you can use
  • Payment terms: what’s normal, what you can safely accept, and ways to reduce exposure

You get a one-page payment route summary per country, rated straightforward, workable with conditions, or high risk.

Stage 2: Structure and activate

Structure and activate

Choosing a partner is the start. Once you’ve chosen, we help the partnership begin properly:

  • Terms and expectations: a clear brief on territory, exclusivity, minimum orders, targets and payment terms, so both sides start aligned
  • Introductions and first contact: we make the introduction and run early conversations through our local team
  • Activation plan: first-90-day priorities, including product training, initial target accounts and a first-order plan
  • Early performance check: a review at 60 to 90 days of whether the partner is doing what was agreed, with a clear view on whether to continue, adjust or replace

What you get

Discover the features, benefits and value
you’ll receive.

  • A sourced, screened longlist
  • Verified registration and capacity checks
  • Supplier reference calls, summarised
  • A decision-ready shortlist with a recommendation per candidate
  • With Stage 2: a partnership brief, an activation plan and an early performance review
Stage 1: Find & Verify

We identify, assess and verify potential distributors, importers and commercial partners in your target African market.

What's included;

  • Sourcing and screening of potential distributors and importers.
  • Shortlisting of 3 suitable distributor candidates against your agreed commercial requirements.
  • Company registration, operating history and product portfolio checks.
  • Assessment of operational capacity, sales coverage and relevant infrastructure.
  • Up to 6 site visits to assess shortlisted candidates and verify their operating facilities, where appropriate.
  • Supplier reference checks to assess payment reliability, order consistency and commercial track record.
  • Review of working-capital indicators and available evidence of financial capability.
  • A country-specific payment route and cash-flow risk assessment.
  • A comparative report covering candidate suitability, verification findings, identified risks and our recommendation.

You’ll have a clear basis for deciding which distributor to pursue, what concerns need resolving and what to confirm before signing an agreement or committing stock.

£5,000 per market
Stage 2: Structure & Activate

Once you’ve selected your preferred distributor, we help establish the commercial relationship and prepare them to start selling.

What's included;

  • Partnership brief covering territory, exclusivity, minimum orders, sales targets and payment terms.
  • Facilitated introductions and initial commercial discussions.
  • Alignment on responsibilities and performance expectations.
  • A practical 90-day activation plan.
  • Initial target-account priorities and first-order planning.
  • Product onboarding and training coordination, where required.
  • A performance review at 60–90 days, with recommendations to continue, adjust or replace the partner.
£2,890 per partner
Additional markets
£3,500 per additional market

Extend the sourcing and verification process into another African country, with market-specific research, screening and partner assessments.

Who This Is For

  • Global Equipment and machinery manufacturers looking for distributors or importers
  • Software and infrastructure companies building a reseller or channel network

If you’re asking “who should we sell through, and can we trust them?”, this is where we start.

Why Partners
Decide The Outcome

A distributor is hard to undo. Exclusivity, stock on credit and your brand reputation are all in their hands, and many “distribution companies” are one-person operations. A few weeks of checking costs far less than a year with the wrong partner.

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