The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) has announced a partnership with Zydii to provide free digital training to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The training is part of KEPSA’s initiative to support MSMEs in building capacity and resilience to help them recover from the negative effects of COVID-19. The training program is supported by the Mastercard Foundation.
The digital training will be accessible both online and offline. Online access will be through a hosted training portal for KEPSA. The offline option will provide up to 1,000 users with access to Zydii courses which will be accessible through Short Text Messages (SMS).
This program adds to the existing list of programs such as the COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program through which businesses receive financing through interest-free and non-collateral loans.
The KEPSA Ecommerce Booster Program has so far equipped over 2,600 businesses with digital marketing and e-commerce skills and onboarded into various digital marketplaces. This program is sponsored by the European Union, UK-AID and Trade Mark East Africa.
Speaking on the new training program with Zydii, KEPSA CEO, Ms. Carole Kariuki said, “We are very keen on supporting and equipping MSMEs because they play a very significant role in our country’s economic development. The KEPSA Socio-Economic Survey 2020 shows that over 130,000 jobs were lost and most of these people are now getting equipped from the initiatives we are running.”
Zydii’s Founder and CEO, Ms. Joyce Mbaya, commented on the partnership as an exciting milestone towards achieving Zydii’s vision to empower millions of Africans through digital learning. “In the post COVID era, businesses are struggling to continue with in person training programs. We are excited that our digital training solution is able to address this problem for African businesses so that they can continue to grow and succeed,” she said.