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# [SEYCHELLES] RECAMP: €8 Million Programme Targets SME Competitiveness in Regional Trade
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/seychelles-recamp-eu8-millions-pour-renforcer-la-competitivite-des-pme-dans-le-commerce-regional-en/
- Published: 2026-08-18T13:40:28.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-18T13:40:28.000Z
- Description: Launched on July 20, 2026 in Victoria, the RECAMP programme commits €8 million to strengthen Seychelles SME competitiveness and access to COMESA markets.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Seychelles, Économie, Investissement, Clôture, #en

**On July 20, 2026, Victoria hosted the official launch of the RECAMP (Regional Enterprise Competitiveness and Market Access Program) in the Seychelles, backed by an €8 million envelope.** Funded through the COMESA framework, the programme aims to equip local SMEs for regional and continental markets — a strategic push as Indian Ocean islands seek to diversify their economies beyond tourism.

## €8 million to transform local SMEs

The RECAMP programme — deployed across the COMESA zone — has already supported over 500 SMEs in member states. Its extension to the Seychelles marks a strategic milestone: improved access to finance, entrepreneurial skills development, access to regional markets, and targeted support for women entrepreneurs and youth.

Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, COMESA Secretary-General, stressed the programme's dual ambition: "We wish to encourage initiatives that generate employment while transmitting traditional know-how to youth." The balance between economic modernisation and the preservation of local productive identities is central to RECAMP's design.

## Seychelles: a regional digital trade pioneer

The RECAMP launch comes one month after another key milestone: on June 17, 2026, the Seychelles became the sixth COMESA member state to adopt the electronic Certificate of Origin (eCO) system, simplifying cross-border export procedures. This dual movement — trade digitalisation and SME capacity-building — reflects a coherent strategy of economic upgrading.

## A growing support ecosystem

The programme builds on an existing African Development Bank (AfDB)-funded facility dating back to 2014, endowed with $1.2 million, which had already supported 719 enterprises in 2016, exceeding its initial target of 540\. The new €8 million injection represents a significant scale-up for an archipelago of 100,000 inhabitants.

## Why it matters

The Seychelles already boast Africa's highest GDP per capita and one of the region's most robust financial hubs. Yet their economy remains heavily concentrated in tourism (80% of GDP). RECAMP is a deliberate bet on diversification: by giving local SMEs the tools to export across COMESA's 21 markets, the islands are building the economic resilience that tourism revenue alone cannot guarantee.