Organization Profile

African Federation of Retail Associations

(AFRA)

Organization Profile

Introduction

The African Federation of Retail Associations (AFRA) is a regional not-for-profit organization established in 2009. AFRA brings together retail associations in African countries.

AFRA has the mission of promoting the retail industry throughout African countries and network of African retail associations. AFRA will provide members a range of services and activities designed to assist in the strategic development of the retail industry, encourage the development of national retail associations and provide a forum of sharing ideas, concerns and address mutual challenges facing the retail industry in Africa.

Mission

Support the development and strengthening of African national retail associations and foster better standards of retail policies and practices.

Vision

AFRA’s vision is based on the following objectives;

 1. To act as a principal source of advice on the Retail industry to the institutions of Africa.

2. To develop and maintain information about planning and operation of the retail industry, retail associations and chambers of commerce within which they function.

3. To advise members on matters relating to standards of provision, organization and operation of the retail industry and their respective retail associations or institutions.

4. To promote exchange and twinning programmes within Africa and elsewhere in the world.

5. To maintain links with economic professions, retail institutions and chambers of commerce in Africa and worldwide.

6. To liaise and co-operate with international bodies concerned with trade affairs, retail industry issues and other international associations of trade.

7. To engage in any other activity designed to further the best interests of the retail industry in Africa, retail associations and chambers of commerce.

8. To provide a forum of sharing ideas, concerns, issues and challenges facing the Retail Industry in Africa.

Key Strategic areas of focus are;

-          Support and promote initiatives to form new national retail associations in Africa and promote interaction between members.

-          Promote the retail industry reform in Africa.

-          Develop links and sustain strategic relationships.

-          Encourage better standards of retail services.

-          Form a planning system for the operation of the retail industry in Africa.

-          Provide a forum of sharing of ideas and discuss issues and challenges facing the retail sector in Africa.

-          Build the Institutional Capacity of AFRA.

-          Promote and sensitize African Chambers of Commerce and their respective retail Sector about    the relevance and need for a Retail Federation in Africa.

-          Organize Conferences, Workshop and Seminars.

-          Develop Programs and Services that benefit members.

AFRA requires leadership on these important strategies in order to accomplish our mission of improving the African retail industry that will allow our members to provide high quality of services in African communities.

Establish Strategic Relationships

To position AFRA to represent its members effectively and through the most efficient use of resources, it is critical that strategic alliance be established with organizations and institutions that share common purposes and agendas.

AFRA must commit to develop strategic partnership with relevant organizations to advance retail industry issues, systems and polices. AFRA will work with all partners who share our goals and will work hard to identify potential partners with common goals.

Membership

Members will include;

National Retail Associations, National Chambers of Commerce, Trade Associations, Business associations, retail service organizations, National Trade & Commerce Ministries, Business Bureaus, Bureaus of standards, Individual companies, Corporate Companies, Grocery Brand Manufacturers, Trade Organizations, Consultants and others.

Events

Conferences, workshops, exhibitions, seminars and training courses will be organized accordingly.

Publications

AFRA will support and enhance exchange of best practices in the retail industry and retail management through its journals, and electronic media. AFRA will encourage the exchange of ideas among stakeholders and the entire retail industry in Africa. 

The African Federation of Retail Associations (AFRA) is a nonprofit organization that represents the African retail industry in African countries. African national retail associations are members of AFRA, united in the effort to maintain the highest ethical conduct standards among their member companies and to build understanding and support for retail worldwide.

Mission

The AFRA supports retail associations and their member companies by:

• Developing, maintaining and promoting the highest retail standards for responsible and ethical conduct in retail;

• Advocating for the industry with governments, media and key influencers such as academic and consumer group leaders;

• Serving as a trusted regional resource for information on retail industry; and

• Facilitating interaction among retail company executives on issues of importance to the industry.

All AFRA member national retail associations have implemented the AFRA Code of Ethics for retail in their national Codes as a minimum requirement. All retail companies agree to be bound by these Codes as a condition of admission of membership and continuing in a national association. The AFRA was founded in 2009 and is based in Uganda.

Governance

Executive Council

AFRA is governed by the Executive Council. The Council is composed of chief operating

officers of leading member companies around the world. The AFRA chairman is a Council

member elected by the Council to serve a three-year term.

The Executive Council directs AFRA affairs, activities and establishes policies and priorities. The Council meets annually to address issues affecting the industry and chart the action plan. The Executive Council approves the annual operating budget and program of work prepared by the AFRA Operating Group.

Activities and Strategic Initiatives

Retail industry is a continuously growing industry that thrives on innovations by companies, retailers, wholesalers, supermarkets, groceries, independent sales representatives, consumers and suppliers. AFRA, along with its member associations and their member companies, have heavily invested in improving the quality of service by fostering trust, confidence and high standards for conduct. AFRA strategic initiatives are designed to increase public awareness, understanding

and support for the real and meaningful difference the retail industry sector makes in various economies, political systems and people’s lives around the world, every day. AFRA and the national associations work closely together to educate key regulatory, consumer and academic groups and to promote consumer protection initiatives.

Ethics Committee

The AFRA Code of Ethics states that retail companies and suppliers shall not use misleading, deceptive or unfair sales practices. The Ethics Committee administers, promotes and enforces the Retail Code of Ethics and implements programs to improve and strengthen the self-regulatory activities of AFRA, national and local associations and their member companies. The committee facilitates interaction between association Code administrators and sharing of best practices across nations. It also promotes awareness of the Code among member companies, media, regulators and consumer groups.

Retail Code of Ethics Review: To ensure the AFRA Code of Ethics is keeping pace with the business and regulatory environments, the Ethics Committee holds Code review meetings at least once per year. Potential revisions to the Code, the universal complaint handling compilation procedure and the Code’s extraterritorial provision to strengthen the Code are completed and put before the Board of Delegates for adoption.

Implementation: National associations continue to implement the Code of Ethics Initiative in their respective countries. Code administrators – the independent individuals appointed by the national Retail Associations to monitor companies’ Code compliance and resolve complaints under the Code – meet throughout the year to exchange ideas and best practices for Code implementation and provide feedback on proposed Code amendments.

Associations and their member companies are encouraged to use the Ethics Toolkit to widely promote the Code and to educate various constituencies about the best business practices and ethical standards of the retail industry.

Advocacy Committee

Advocacy initiatives develop and strengthen relationships with key industry stakeholders through third party research and communication. AFRA partners with national retail associations to study the socio-economic impact and challenging issues of their respective retail industry. Studies yield data that enables the industry to demonstrate its social and economic value in meaningful terms to the governments and other key audiences.

Retail Association - Academic Initiative:

Students of African University Business Schools learn practical retail management experience in a major academic program developed by their respective national associations, in partnership with national universities. The program supports National Skills Development frameworks, combines coursework with structured learning on the job, and enables students to gain practical retail experience. University students, academics, journalists, company representatives and representatives from the Higher Education Ministry share innovation, cross channel distribution, value co-creation, digital marketing, sales force performance and studies of potential issues facing the retail sector.

Consumer Education Conferences

Consumer education conferences are organized by national retail associations in partnership with their respective national consumer authorities and the International Confederation of Consumer Societies (CONFOP) to foster constructive public-private dialogue that result in solid outcomes and make way for stronger consumer protection efforts. High-profile speakers from policy bodies address topics such as developing trends of consumer rights protection in their countries and regional retail industry trends.

Association Services Committee

The Association Services Committee’s purpose is to guide the national associations, improve their effectiveness and help them provide overall value to their member companies.

Association Performance:

The national associations provide a first line of defense in critical matters that affect the entire industry. AFRA supports the associations by providing organized approaches to issues and concerns, working closely to continuously improve the value of the services they deliver to member companies and consumers.

• Association reviews. Periodic performance reviews are conducted to support the national associations

to continuously improve. Seminars are conducted in to facilitate associations’ preparation for performance reviews. Seminars focus on performance standards, Ethics Code recognition, online/electronic transactions, market specific issues, social media, effective communication tools and exchange of best practices.

• Performance criteria updated. AFRA benchmarks national associations’ operating and organizational characteristics to help their boards and staff continuously improves their associations’ effectiveness.

• Mentoring provisional members. The committee designs a mentoring program that pairs “provisional” and Bronze level member associations with higher level associations to help them achieve minimum standards and full AFRA membership.

Regional Expansion Initiative:

AFRA is working to help expand the retail clustering across the African continent, seeing its potential to help alleviate problems and challenges in the retail sector.

Regulatory Affairs Committee

AFRA Regulatory Affairs Committee protects the retail industry opportunity by providing proactive, strategic and tactical government and regulatory affairs support to the national associations. The Committee facilitates regional information sharing by developing best practices that are proactive and shared through education and training, and by providing consulting and advocacy assistance, when appropriate. The Committee encourages member companies to visibly promote good causes, conducts fundamental regulatory training for member companies and creates position papers on behalf of the regional retail industry.

Government Relations Toolkit:

The Committee produced a Government Relations Toolkit, including a Government Relations

Handbook, to help the national associations’ government relations personnel in several countries and regions to better understand the legislative processes. The kit presents the fundamentals of developing and executing a government affairs strategy, ethics considerations and an issues overview.

African regulatory climate:

AFRA and national retail associations in partnership with their local Chambers of Commerce and Ministries of trade, continue to work toward a clear retail sector regulatory framework for the benefit of consumers in their respective countries. Retail forums bring together high-level experts including academics, chamber representatives, consumer activists, police and retail company CEOs to discuss solutions and advance the country’s regulatory framework.

 

 African Federation of Retail Associations (AFRA)
P.O.Box 29324 Kampala, Uganda
Email: africanretail@yahoo.com , africanretail22@gmail.com
Website: www.africanretail.org , www.africanretail.blogspot.com