Lesotho connects MSMEs with buyers and investors at B2B seminar

Lesotho brought 41 exhibitors together with buyers and potential business partners at a Maseru seminar, according to the Economic Commission for Africa’s original release dated 30 September 2026. The ministry-led event sought to improve market and finance access for smaller enterprises; the source does not independently establish that meetings resulted in contracts or investment. The Business-to-Business Seminar and Market Linkages Session took place on the final day of a three-day export-readiness workshop. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Business Development worked with ECA, UNDP Lesotho and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office. The wider programme addressed regional trade agreements and the African Continental Free Trade Area, in line with Lesotho’s national implementation strategy and action plan. Exhibitors represented leather and leather products, handicrafts and home décor. The release names MILCO, Woolworths, Collective Clothes, PEP Home and various Game Stores among the buyers and retailers involved. The purpose was to identify potential suppliers and develop continuing business relationships, rather than simply present products in a training setting. Principal Secretary Palesa Matobako reiterated government support for enterprise development and investment. Culture officer Paballo Monapathi described complementary assistance, including selling space at international fairs, free event stalls and help with packaging and identification of distinctive Lesotho-made products. ECA adviser Zodwa Mabuza urged participating firms to treat the workshop’s completion as the start of further commercial work. Nexus analysis Direct buyer contact makes this a more commercially focused intervention than market-awareness training alone. Nevertheless, exhibitor attendance and named retailer participation are not evidence of purchase orders. The source supports the existence and purpose of the linkage event; its expected contribution to formal supply chains, exports and employment remains prospective. Repeat orders and durable supplier relationships would be stronger indicators of delivery than the number of introductions.