African Organisation for Standardisation
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
African Organisation for Standardisation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- African Organisation for Standardisation
- Website
- https://arso-oran.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
African Organisation for Standardisation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Standards Development & Harmonization
- NAICS
- Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (926140), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Standards Development & Standardization Bodies (BPADANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Regulatory Harmonization & Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) (BPADANAC), Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI), Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management (BPADALAG)
Keywords
Where African Organisation for Standardisation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Markets served
African Organisation for Standardisation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
African Organisation for Standardisation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ARSO develops and harmonizes African standards to reduce technical barriers to trade and enhance continental economic integration. Through programmes such as PROfishBLUE funded by the African Development Bank Group, it applies these harmonization efforts to regional sectors including fisheries management, sustainable value-chain development, capacity building, and climate-resilient practices across 16 SADC countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Standards Harmonization Services Continental standards development and harmonization services delivered to African member states, regulators, and industry stakeholders to reduce technical barriers to trade and support regional economic integration. Documented application includes fisheries management, sustainable value-chain development, capacity building, infrastructure improvement, and climate-resilient fishing practices across 16 SADC countries.
Companies that use African Organisation for Standardisation
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
African Organisation for Standardisation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
African Organisation for Standardisation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
African Organisation for Standardisation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- SADC Secretariat: The SADC Secretariat is the regional economic community covering the same 16 countries as ARSO's PROfishBLUE program; comparable as an intergovernmental convener and counterpart for ARSO's regional program delivery, though not itself a standards body.
Direct peers
- International Organization for Standardization: ISO is the global international standards development body, directly comparable to ARSO in mandate, governance model, and product (voluntary consensus standards), but operating at global rather than African regional scope.
- International Electrotechnical Commission: IEC is a sister international standards body focused on electrotechnology, comparable to ARSO in operating model (consensus-based, national-member-driven) but specialized in a single technical domain globally rather than multi-sector regionally.
- European Committee for Standardization: CEN (and CENELEC) is the European regional standards body, structurally analogous to ARSO as a continental standards harmonization organization convened by national members, but serving EU/EFTA rather than African economies.
- ASTM International: ASTM is a long-established international standards development organization comparable to ARSO in producing voluntary consensus standards, but operating primarily through individual technical experts globally rather than national member bodies.
Broad incumbents
- African Union: The AU is the broader continental intergovernmental body that ARSO operates under and aligns with; comparable because it shapes regional integration policy (including AfCFTA) that drives demand for ARSO's standards work, but not a direct competitor.
Regional players
- Bureau of Indian Standards: BIS is India's national standards body, comparable to ARSO member bodies as a large emerging-economy standards authority, but operates in a single country rather than as a regional convener.
- Standards Organisation of Nigeria: SON is the national standards body of Nigeria and a fellow ARSO member state; comparable to ARSO as a national standards body in Africa but operates at country level rather than continental level.
- Kenya Bureau of Standards: KEBS is the national standards body of Kenya (ARSO's host country) and an ARSO member; comparable as an African national standards body that feeds into and implements ARSO's harmonized standards at country level.
Emerging players
- European Telecommunications Standards Institute: ETSI is a regional standards organization (Europe) producing standards in a specific technical domain; comparable to ARSO in operating model but specialized in telecommunications rather than broad multi-sector harmonization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
African Organisation for Standardisation social profiles
Digital presenceAfrican Organisation for Standardisation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
African Organisation for Standardisation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
African Organisation for Standardisation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
African Organisation for Standardisation 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 Organisation for Standardisation
What does African Organisation for Standardisation do?
ARSO develops and harmonizes African standards to reduce technical barriers to trade and enhance continental economic integration. Through programmes such as PROfishBLUE funded by the African Development Bank Group, it applies these harmonization efforts to regional sectors including fisheries management, sustainable value-chain development, capacity building, and climate-resilient practices across 16 SADC countries.
When was African Organisation for Standardisation founded?
African Organisation for Standardisation was founded in 1977. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is African Organisation for Standardisation based?
African Organisation for Standardisation is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
Who are African Organisation for Standardisation's main competitors?
SADC Secretariat is listed as an others. Direct peers are International Organization for Standardization, International Electrotechnical Commission, European Committee for Standardization and ASTM International. African Union is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Bureau of Indian Standards, Standards Organisation of Nigeria and Kenya Bureau of Standards. European Telecommunications Standards Institute is listed as an emerging player.
Does African Organisation for Standardisation have an API?
No public API is recorded for African Organisation for Standardisation.
What industry is African Organisation for Standardisation in?
African Organisation for Standardisation's product category is Standards Development & Harmonization. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADANAA, International Standards Development & Standardization Bodies, with a secondary code of BPADANAC, Regulatory Harmonization & Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs). Its NAICS code is 926140.