African Crowdfunding Association

What African Crowdfunding Association does

The African Crowdfunding Association (ACfA) is a non-profit industry association and Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) registered as an NPO in Cape Town, South Africa on 30 November 2016. It develops and operates the ACfA Label Framework, a pan-African regulatory and licensing framework for securities-based crowdfunding that specifies KYC/AML/CFT requirements, investor categorization rules, and suitability testing for crowdfunding intermediaries. ACfA engages 14-17 African national regulatory authorities and operates through compliance training seminars, industry events, educational webinars, and peer networks including Women in African Investments (255 members).

The organization distributes the ACfA Label to compliant crowdfunding intermediaries, runs a Consumer Protection Portal with platform verification tools and consumer alerts, and operates a Whistleblower Portal for compliance complaints. Underlying technology components include digital KYC verification (incorporating OkHi address verification), a proprietary database on African crowdfunding activity, and online portals for intermediary applications and incident reporting. The business model combines three revenue streams: annual membership fees from platforms and ecosystem members, a USD 100 crowdfunding intermediary application processing fee, and ongoing grant funding — anchored historically by FSD Africa (UKAID/DfID-funded). ACfA also delivers advisory services to regulators, development finance institutions, and FinTechs.

ACfA serves four constituencies: crowdfunding platforms and intermediaries seeking regulatory legitimacy; national regulators developing crowdfunding as a capital markets instrument; African SMEs in the "missing middle" funding gap between microfinance and private equity; and crowdinvestors seeking protected access to early-stage opportunities. Its partnerships include FSD Africa (funder), Refinitiv (AML/CFT training), MFW4A, the Mauritius African Fintech Hub, Founders Factory Africa, AfricArena, and a tripartite MoU with the Fund Platform Association of Mauritius (FPAM) and the European Crowdfunding Network (ECN) for cross-border regulatory harmonization aligned with AfCFTA objectives. Named clients/engagements include the African Development Bank, Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, Capital Markets Authority Kenya, World Bank/J-CAP, and Invest2Impact Africa.

Name

African Crowdfunding Association

Legal name

African Crowdfunding Association

Website

https://africancrowd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The African Crowdfunding Association is a Cape Town-registered non-profit Self-Regulatory Organisation that operates the pan-African ACfA Label Framework, licensing securities-based crowdfunding intermediaries, engaging 14-17 national regulators, and advising DFIs and multilateral clients across the continent.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association & Self-Regulatory Organisation

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Risk, Controls & Governance (GRC) Platforms (FSAFAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Compliance Technology, GRC Platforms & Controls Automation Advisory (BPAHAFAO)

Keywords

• Crowdfunding regulation
• Self-regulatory organization
• Securities-based crowdfunding
• SME investment access
• Alternative finance compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual fees paid by members including crowdfunding platforms, intermediaries, and ecosystem members
2. Grant funding: Operations funded through grants from Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa), a UKAID/DfID funded organisation
3. Advisory services: ACfA provides consulting services to regulators, fund managers, development finance institutions, accelerators, incubators and FinTechs, including training, strategy advisory, and data services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The African Crowdfunding Association operates as the pan-African self-regulatory organisation (SRO) for securities-based crowdfunding. Its core offering is the ACfA Label Framework, a comprehensive regulatory framework and licensing system for crowdfunding intermediaries that establishes standards for investor protection, KYC/AML compliance, investor categorisation, and cross-border harmonisation aligned with AfCFTA objectives. ACfA also delivers advisory, training, industry data, consulting and speaking services to regulators, fund managers, development finance institutions, accelerators, incubators and FinTechs, supported by a Consumer Protection Portal and Whistleblower Portal.

Product overview

The African Crowdfunding Association (ACfA) operates as a pan-African self-regulatory organization (SRO) for the crowdfunding industry in Africa. The core offering is the ACfA Label Framework, a comprehensive regulatory framework for securities-based crowdfunding that provides the ACfA Label certification for crowdfunding intermediaries. ACfA also offers advisory services including strategy advisory, training, industry data services, consulting, and speaking engagements. Additional services include a Consumer Protection Portal for platform verification and consumer alerts, regulatory framework guidance across African jurisdictions, and a Whistleblower Portal for reporting suspicious activities. The organization was founded in 2015 and registered as a non-profit in November 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACfA Label Framework A comprehensive pan-African regulatory framework for securities-based crowdfunding that enables tech-enabled platforms to reduce financial and non-financial barriers to SME investment. It provides a licensing system (the ACfA Label) for crowdfunding intermediaries and establishes standards for investor protection, KYC, AML/CFT, investor categorisation, suitability testing, and cross-border harmonisation aligned with AfCFTA objectives.
• Strategy Advisory Professional advisory services for crowdfunding strategy including programme design, vehicle design, market analysis, and regulatory strategy for organisations seeking to enter or operate in the crowdfunding space.
• Training Services Training services for financial services companies, funds, development organisations, and regulatory staff on crowdfunding industry knowledge and best practices (e.g., AML/CFT compliance training with Refinitiv, training for CMA Kenya staff).
• Industry Data Services Proprietary database on the African crowdfunding industry maintained by ACfA to support data-driven decision making for industry participants, regulators, fund managers and FinTechs.
• Consulting Services Studies, mappings, and surveys of the African crowdfunding industry published in partnership with clients including regulators, fund managers, development finance institutions, accelerators, incubators and FinTechs.
• Speaking Services Speaking engagements and thought leadership by ACfA team members at events worldwide, ranging from start-up summits to high-level industry convenings, delivered in English and French.
• Consumer Protection Portal Consumer protection portal providing tools to check platform status via the ACfA member directory, consumer alerts, and 'Before you invest' resources for crowdinvestors.
• Regulatory Framework Guidance Country-by-country regulatory framework guidance for crowdfunding across African jurisdictions, presented through an interactive map showing whether a regulatory framework has been adopted, is in progress, or does not exist in each of Africa's 54 countries.
• Whistleblower Portal Whistleblower portal allowing anonymous reporting of complaints or suspicious behaviour to ACfA's Supervision department ([email protected]).

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MFW4A – Making Finance Work For AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2020ACfA joined MFW4A as a Non-funding Member to contribute expertise and crowdfunding industry knowledge to the organisation's members. Building awareness of crowdfunding amongst this prestigious member base is an important step to bridge the gap between fintechs and institutional financiers.
• RefinitivcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2020ACfA organized a compliance training seminar on 'The Fight Against Money Laundering & Financing of Terrorism in the African Crowdfunding Sector' in collaboration with Refinitiv – the world's largest provider of financial markets data and sanctions intelligence contents for AML/CFT compliance. Refinitiv delivered the seminar through Mohamed Daoud, Director of Business Development and Governance, Risk and Compliance Expert.
• Mauritius African Fintech Hub (MAFH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2019MAFH hosted the launch of the ACfA Label Framework at the Hennessy Park Hotel in Ebène, Mauritius. The event 'The African Crowdfunding Platform' was co-organised by MAFH and ACfA.
• Financement Participatif Afrique et Méditerranée (FPAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding, ACfA coordinates work with FPAM which represents crowdfunding in the Maghreb region, supporting harmonization of regulations and potential capital flows.
• European Crowdfunding Network (ECN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding, ACfA coordinates work with ECN which represents crowdfunding in the European Union, supporting knowledge sharing and potential diaspora capital flows.
• Founders Factory AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organiser of the African Start-Up Investment Summit, a three-part webinar series discussing tangible solutions addressing challenges facing African start-up economy.
• AfricArenaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organiser of the African Start-Up Investment Summit, a three-part webinar series discussing solutions for the African start-up economy.
• Women in African Investments (WAI Group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeer-to-peer learning group for women executives in the African investment industry with 255 members. ACfA co-hosted the Emerging Fund Managers Webinar with WAI.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Financement Participatif Afrique et Méditerranée (FPAM): Industry association representing crowdfunding in the Maghreb region (Morocco, Tunisia, etc.), focused on regional regulatory harmonisation and ecosystem development. Directly comparable to ACfA as a regional crowdfunding SRO, and a tripartite MoU partner of ACfA for harmonisation between North and sub-Saharan African markets.
• National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA): Canadian industry association for the crowdfunding and fintech ecosystem, providing member services, policy advocacy, and educational programming. Directly comparable to ACfA as a national/regional crowdfunding industry association with a similar member-and-regulator engagement model.
• European Crowdfunding Network (ECN): Industry association representing crowdfunding service providers across the EU, focused on policy advocacy, regulatory engagement, and cross-border market development. Directly comparable to ACfA as a peer industry/SRO body in a different geography, and a tripartite MoU partner of ACfA for knowledge sharing and diaspora capital flows.

Others

• Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A): Partnership initiative that promotes financial inclusion and development across Africa through coordinated stakeholder engagement, of which ACfA is a non-funding member. Comparable as a pan-African financial-sector convening platform overlapping with ACfA's regulatory and ecosystem-building mission, though broader in scope.

Emerging players

• Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF): Research centre at Cambridge Judge Business School producing benchmark reports on alternative finance globally, including Africa-focused studies in partnership with ACfA. Comparable as an ecosystem-shaping organisation serving regulators, platforms and investors in alternative finance, though operating primarily as a research and policy body rather than an SRO.

Regional players

• African Venture Capital Association (AVCA): Pan-African industry association for the private equity and venture capital industry, with regulatory engagement, member services and ecosystem events across the continent. Comparable as a pan-African capital-markets industry body serving investors and fund managers, though focused on PE/VC rather than securities-based crowdfunding.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheACfA
• Facebookfacebook.com/africancrowdfundingassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/africancrowdfunding
• Instagraminstagram.com/africancrowd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about African Crowdfunding Association