Turning an AI vision into opportunities for SMEsWhen Malawian entrepreneur Taonga Nyirenda founded Afro Ubuntu TradeNet in the United Kingdom, she was driven by a conviction that Africa’s small businesses deserve better digital tools to compete in an increasingly technology-driven economy. Nyirenda says the initiative seeks to solve one of the biggest challenges facing SMEs across Malawi and the continent: operating without reliable business data. To support the rollout, Afro Ubuntu TradeNet has begun building partnerships with organisations that share its vision of strengthening the country’s SME ecosystem. “The greatest opportunity lies in reducing the everyday friction informal businesses face while preserving the flexibility that makes them resilient,” she says. “Afro Ubuntu TradeNet exists to help build that infrastructure, starting with SMEs and expanding across the continent.”