BrandDrive, a business management platform supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa, has entered into a five-year partnership with SDC, known for its SDC Startup School, to equip over 20,000 founders across the continent with business training, tools, and financial resources.
The partnership seeks to address the high failure rate of startups in Nigeria and other African countries. According to BrandDrive Chief Executive Officer Ndu Ekwomadu, “there are over 40 million businesses in Nigeria today, yet most don’t survive past five years.” He added that the collaboration is designed to provide founders with the operational and financial foundations required to build sustainable and investment-ready ventures.
Under the initiative, SDC will lead a series of startup development programmes, while BrandDrive will provide the digital infrastructure necessary for efficient business management. Participants will gain practical experience using integrated tools to manage sales, inventory, accounting, expenses, and global payments. The programme incorporates BrandDrive’s Moniepoint POS API, enabling seamless integration between digital and physical sales channels and reducing the need for manual reconciliation.
Cynthia E. Chisom, Principal Partner at SDC, highlighted the importance of operational discipline for founders: “As a founder, the journey can be tough. Figuring out how to run your company, manage your numbers, and make the right decisions often by trial and error. By deeply integrating BrandDrive, we eliminate the difficult trial-and-error stage. We’re giving our startup founders the operational discipline they need to eventually scale confidently. This partnership aims to secure a future for their businesses.”
The programme will also offer access to micro-funding, mentorship, and investor readiness training. Both organisations plan to reach founders through physical boot camps, online courses, and accelerator networks in major African cities.
Ekwomadu emphasised the broader vision: “When we look at the reality, there are over 40 million businesses in Nigeria today, and most don’t survive past five years. This partnership aims to instil the confidence and appropriate knowledge required to transform a raw vision into a financial reality. We are providing the operational foundation that supports their ambition. We firmly believe in the potential of the African entrepreneur.”
By combining SDC’s expertise in startup education with BrandDrive’s operational technology, the partnership intends to strengthen the capacity of African entrepreneurs, providing structured support to improve survival rates and encourage sustainable growth across the continent.
