The Seychelles are receiving €8 million through the RECAMP programme (Regional Enterprise Competitiveness and Market Access Program), led by COMESA with additional support from the African Development Bank via the Private Sector Technical Assistance Fund (FAPA). The programme aims to strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises across the archipelago in regional and international markets.
Four Areas of Intervention
RECAMP targets four priority areas for Seychellois SMEs: access to financing, skills development, access to regional markets, and the digitalisation of commercial procedures. Women entrepreneurs and youth are priority audiences, in an archipelago where the business fabric relies heavily on micro, small and medium enterprises in tourism, fishing and financial services.
The programme draws on COMESA's established track record in the region, with more than 500 SMEs already supported across member states. Seychelles joins a mechanism that has proven its value across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Electronic Certificate of Origin: A Concrete Step Forward
In parallel, Seychelles officially adopted the electronic Certificate of Origin (eCO) system on 17 June 2026, becoming the sixth COMESA member to join the digital platform. This system significantly simplifies customs procedures and facilitates product circulation between member states — a direct competitiveness gain for Seychellois exporters.
Why It Matters
Seychelles boasts Africa's highest GDP per capita ($17,670), but its SME fabric faces a double challenge: a narrow productive base (tourism-dominant) and heavy import dependence. RECAMP and the digitalisation of trade procedures are concrete tools to diversify the economy and anchor local SMEs in COMESA's regional value chains — a direct-access market of 500 million consumers. For entrepreneurs looking to expand beyond the archipelago, this programme provides the technical and financial stepping stones to compete regionally.
Source: Africa24 TV, Africa Newsroom — Seychelles Cabinet, 6 August 2026. AI-assisted — reviewed and verified.