African Crowdfunding Association
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
African Crowdfunding Association firmographics
Firmographics- 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
African Crowdfunding Association industry classification
Industry- 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
Where African Crowdfunding Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
African Crowdfunding Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership fees: Annual fees paid by members including crowdfunding platforms, intermediaries, and ecosystem members
- Grant funding: Operations funded through grants from Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa), a UKAID/DfID funded organisation
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Crowdfunding Intermediary Application Processing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
African Crowdfunding Association product offering
Product offeringCore 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]).
Companies that use African Crowdfunding Association
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
African Crowdfunding Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
African Crowdfunding Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MFW4A – Making Finance Work For AfricacoreACfA 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.
- RefinitivcoreACfA 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)coreMAFH 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)coreThrough 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)coreThrough 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 AfricaminorCo-organiser of the African Start-Up Investment Summit, a three-part webinar series discussing tangible solutions addressing challenges facing African start-up economy.
- AfricArenaminorCo-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)minorPeer-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
African Crowdfunding Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
African Crowdfunding Association social profiles
Digital presenceAfrican Crowdfunding Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
African Crowdfunding Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
African Crowdfunding Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
African Crowdfunding Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about African Crowdfunding Association
What does African Crowdfunding Association do?
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.
Is African Crowdfunding Association a public or private company?
African Crowdfunding Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was African Crowdfunding Association founded?
African Crowdfunding Association was founded in 2016.
Where is African Crowdfunding Association based?
African Crowdfunding Association is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does African Crowdfunding Association make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership fees are the primary driver. The others are grant funding and advisory services.
Who are African Crowdfunding Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Financement Participatif Afrique et Méditerranée (FPAM), National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA) and European Crowdfunding Network (ECN). Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) is listed as an others. Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) is listed as an emerging player. African Venture Capital Association (AVCA) is listed as a regional player.
Does African Crowdfunding Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for African Crowdfunding Association.
What industry is African Crowdfunding Association in?
African Crowdfunding Association's product category is Industry Association & Self-Regulatory Organisation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAFAOAG, Risk, Controls & Governance (GRC) Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAHAFAO, Compliance Technology, GRC Platforms & Controls Automation Advisory. Its NAICS code is 813910.