AJW Africa Foundation - AJW Africa

AJW Africa Foundation

From Nano to Corporate

Growing Businesses. Building Africa.

AJW Africa Foundation’s Vision for Small Businesses. From Nano to Corporate: We envision a future where every small business has the opportunity to grow, scale and thrive — progressing from a Nano, then Micro and Small enterprise into a sustainable, competitive and impactful large business that creates jobs, generates wealth and contributes to Africa’s economic growth.

From Nano to Corporate: Growing Businesses, Building Africa — a universe of 7.5 million MSMEs in Kenya, from Nano through Micro, Small, Medium to Corporate.

A universe of 7.5 million MSMEs in Kenya — 5.9 million unlicensed and informal, 1.6 million licensed but not necessarily formal. Source: KNBS, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Basic Report 2016.

AJW Africa’s Pathway to Change

Our model channels talent from Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and universities into Apprentice → Job → Work pathways, while feeding Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises through Capacity Building, Business Development Services (BDS) and Growth — converging on one vision: to create sustainable, decent, meaningful employment for the youth of Africa through MSMEs.

AJW Africa's Pathway to Change: TVET and university talent feeding Apprentice, Job, Work pathways into MSME Capacity Building, BDS and Growth, converging on AJW Africa's vision.

Business Advancement and Growth Services

The BAGS Programme

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises are the engine of Kenya’s economy — making up roughly 98% of all businesses and contributing close to 40% of national GDP. Yet the vast majority operate informally, cut off from the very structures, markets, and financing that would let them grow. At AJW Africa, we believe that unlocking the potential of this sector isn’t about isolated interventions — it’s about connecting the dots between talent, capital, and enterprise.

Our Business Advancement and Growth Services (BAGS) program exists to do exactly that. We work directly with MSMEs to formalize their internal structures, strengthen their business records, grow revenues, and expand their market footprint — while positioning them to access the expansion funding they need, whether through debt, grants, or equity. Every engagement begins with a capacity needs assessment, giving us a clear picture of a business’s goals, achievements, and gaps before we design a path forward.

The Trio of Consultants

At the heart of BAGS is our Trio of Consultants — a Lawyer, an Accountant, and a Marketer — working side by side with business owners to deliver practical legal, accounting, and marketing support. This multidisciplinary approach means businesses don’t just receive advice in isolation; they get a coordinated team addressing compliance, financial management, and visibility all at once, so that growth is sustainable rather than superficial.

By de-risking and professionalizing these enterprises, BAGS doesn’t just benefit individual businesses — it builds a stronger bridge between Kenya’s MSME sector and the financial institutions, markets, and partners that can fuel its next stage of growth.

We invite partners, funders, and collaborators who share this vision to join us in scaling access to opportunity for the businesses that power Kenya’s economy.