Maseru, Lesotho, 28 September 2026 - The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Business Development has called on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to strengthen their capacity and export readiness to take advantage of opportunities presented by regional trade agreements and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Officially opening the Workshop on Enhancing the Capacities of Lesotho MSMEs to Leverage Regional Trade Agreements and the AfCFTA in Maseru, Principal Secretary Mrs Palesa Matobako emphasised that access to markets alone does not guarantee success. She said Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) must be equipped to identify viable market opportunities, understand consumer demand, meet standards and certification requirements, comply with tariffs and rules of origin, and establish connections with potential buyers.
“The African market is opening up, but opportunity rewards those who are prepared,” Mrs Matobako said.
The three-day workshop, organised with the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP Lesotho), the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO) and other partners, seeks to strengthen the competitiveness and export readiness of Basotho enterprises and help them translate market opportunities into actual trade.
Addressing participants, Ms Jacqueline Olweya, Officer-in-Charge UNRCO, emphasised that preferential market access must lead to tangible business opportunities.
“Market access alone is, however, not enough. Preferential market access only becomes meaningful when it translates into actual business opportunities,” Ms Olweya said.
She highlighted the central role of MSMEs in Lesotho’s economic transformation, particularly in expanding productive capacity, diversifying exports, creating employment and supporting sustainable livelihoods. She further underscored the importance of ensuring that increased trade translates into enterprise growth, greater investment, enhanced skills development, and the creation of decent jobs, particularly for young Basotho.
“Our ambition is clear: to see more Lesotho enterprises move from potential to participation, from identifying markets to reaching buyers, from producing for local markets to supplying regional value chains, and ultimately from trade opportunities to sustainable enterprise growth and decent employment,” she said.
Providing the technical context for the workshop, Mrs Zodwa Mabuza, Regional Adviser on Trade and Regional Integration, noted that Lesotho’s export model has delivered results, but the concentration of exports creates vulnerability, highlighting the need for greater market and export diversification. Her presentation focused on strengthening MSMEs’ ability to navigate International Trade Centre (ITC) tools, identify priority markets, interpret market access conditions and translate trade data into action. The goal of Day One was to help businesses turn market information into confident and informed export choices.
The official speeches were followed by a training session delivered by ECA consultant Mr. Lira Khalala, which introduced participants to ITC trade tools - covering the analysis of tariffs, non-tariff measures, and market intelligence tools. The meeting received a presentation on the SADC SME Strategy and Competitiveness.
The workshop also brings together key regional institutions. The SADC Secretariat is represented by Mr Johansein Rutaihwa and Ms Motheba Malibeng, while the SACU Secretariat is represented by Mr Terence Mabaso, reinforcing the importance of regional cooperation in expanding trade opportunities for Lesotho enterprises.
The initiative underscores the importance of collaboration among Government, MSMEs, the private sector, development partners and regional institutions in advancing Lesotho’s trade and industrialisation agenda.
Ultimately, the workshop aims to transform market intelligence into informed export decisions, market access into active market participation, and trade opportunities into sustainable enterprise growth. Through this process, it will strengthen the visibility, competitiveness, and commercial presence of Made in Lesotho products across African markets.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org