Partner Africa

What Partner Africa does

Partner Africa is a Nairobi-headquartered, UK-registered non-governmental organisation specialising in social and ethical auditing and responsible business advisory services across the African continent. The organisation delivers on-ground audits against internationally recognised standards including SMETA, WIETA, and SIZA, alongside human rights due diligence (HRDD) advisory grounded in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Its proprietary Contextual Intelligence Approach and Worker-Centred Due Diligence methodology emphasise direct worker engagement, local cultural fluency, and integrated remediation rather than purely compliance-driven reporting. Partner Africa operates across 22 African countries with sector concentration in agriculture (70% of engagements), manufacturing, and food and beverage, serving multinational corporations and their African suppliers, plus governments and civil society organisations.

The organisation's product portfolio spans four core lines: Social and Ethical Audits (the largest revenue contributor, including SMETA, WIETA, SIZA, and formerly GLOBALG.A.P. audits which were discontinued in February 2025), Responsible Business Advisory Services (HRDD frameworks, gap analysis, and policy development), Training Services (human rights and ethical audit training), and Project Management Services (oversight of social compliance programmes). Supporting assets include a co-developed Business Process Improvement Toolkit created with Coca-Cola, Diageo, ABInBev, and AIM-Progress, a SCBP portal accessed through the AIM-Progress partnership, and integration with the SEDEX platform for SMETA workflow execution.

Commercially, Partner Africa operates a professional services model with direct enterprise sales engagement to multinational buyers and their supplier networks. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated through dedicated enquiry channels. In 2024 the organisation delivered 894 audits and 33 advisory projects to nearly 1,000 clients while maintaining an 82% advisory client retention rate. In April 2026 Partner Africa was acquired by LRQA, a Goldman Sachs Asset Management-backed London-based assurance services provider, marking LRQA's first acquisition in the EMEA region and giving Partner Africa's clients access to a broader portfolio including quality assurance, cybersecurity, climate performance, and supply chain intelligence software. Partner Africa continues to operate as a trading brand under LRQA Group Limited.

Name

Partner Africa

Legal name

LRQA Group Limited

Website

https://partnerafrica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Partner Africa is a non-governmental organisation providing social and ethical auditing (SMETA, WIETA, SIZA) and human rights due diligence advisory services across 22 African countries, serving multinational corporations and their suppliers. Now operating as a trading brand under LRQA Group Limited following its April 2026 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Compliance and Ethical Trade Auditing Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Supply Chain Sustainability & Responsible Sourcing (SMETA, supplier ESG) (EUAHAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable & Responsible Supply Chain (ESG, Scope 3) (BPAHAHAM), Safeguarding, Accountability & Compliance (ESG, Gender/GBV, Do No Harm) (BPADAEAM), Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

Keywords

• Social compliance auditing
• Ethical trade audits
• Responsible business advisory
• Human rights due diligence
• Supply chain compliance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Social and Ethical Auditing Services: On-ground auditing services across Africa covering various standards including SMETA, WIETA, SIZA, and GLOBALG.A.P. Audits assess social compliance, environmental sustainability, and ethical business practices.
2. Responsible Business Advisory: Human rights due diligence frameworks, gap analysis, policy development, and management systems for sustainable impact. Advisory services transform business practices through HRDD approaches.
3. Training Services: Human rights training and ethical audit training provided to workers, businesses, and government officials. Social Auditing Training Programmes available.
4. Project Management Services: Oversight of social compliance programmes to ensure operations respect people and the environment.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Partner Africa provides on-ground social and ethical auditing of supply chains across Africa against standards including SMETA, WIETA, and SIZA, complemented by human rights due diligence advisory, training programmes, and project management of social compliance programmes. The firm serves multinational brands, their African suppliers, and government/civil society clients with the goal of ensuring compliance with international ethical trade principles and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Product overview

Partner Africa is an international non-governmental organization providing social audits and responsible business advisory services across Africa. The organization operates as a unified service portfolio centered on four core offerings: Social and Ethical Audits, Responsible Business Advisory Services, Training Services, and Project Management Services. The audit services encompass multiple internationally recognized standards including SMETA, WIETA, SIZA, and formerly GLOBALG.A.P. The advisory services build on a Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) framework anchored in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, delivered through a proprietary Contextual Intelligence approach. Supporting resources include a Business Process Improvement Toolkit developed in partnership with major industry players (Coca-Cola, Diageo, ABInBev, AIM-Progress) and access to the SCBP portal. In April 2026, Partner Africa was acquired by LRQA, gaining access to a broader portfolio including quality assurance, cybersecurity, climate performance, safety, and supply chain intelligence software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Social and Ethical Audits On-the-ground social and ethical auditing services deployed across Africa to identify and correct social, environmental, and governance shortcomings in supply chains. Covers SMETA, WIETA, SIZA, and TCCC standards and is available to multinational corporations, their suppliers, and producers.
• Responsible Business Advisory Services Expert advisory guidance on human rights due diligence drawing on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), helping clients drive impact and compliance. Serves multinational corporations, government, and civil society.
• Training Services Human rights training and ethical audit training delivered to workers, businesses, and government officials by expert human rights consultants, building capacity for social auditing and responsible business practices.
• Project Management Services Oversight and management of client social compliance programmes to ensure operations respect people and the environment, providing further compliance assistance beyond individual audits and advisory mandates.
• SMETA Audit Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) — a comprehensive methodology assessing ethical trade practices in global supply chains, available in 2-pillar and 4-pillar versions covering labour rights, health and safety, environmental practices, and business ethics.
• WIETA Audit Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association (WIETA) certification focusing on ethical practices in South African wine production, encompassing human rights due diligence, fair labour conditions, health and safety, and community engagement.
• SIZA Social Audit Sustainability Initiative of South Africa (SIZA) social audit providing a comprehensive framework for ethical agricultural practices through announced, semi-announced, and unannounced audits evaluating labour practices and operational sustainability.

Quantifiable outcome

• 894 high-quality social audits conducted in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and notable.

• LRQAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026LRQA, a Goldman Sachs Asset Management-backed assurance services provider, acquired Partner Africa to strengthen its responsible sourcing capabilities and expand initiatives across Africa. This is LRQA's first acquisition in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Partner Africa's clients gain access to LRQA's broader portfolio including quality assurance, cybersecurity, climate performance, safety, and supply chain intelligence software.
• The Coca-Cola CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Partner Africa to develop the Comprehensive Business Process Improvement Toolkit covering nine key areas for business growth and sustainability.
• DiageocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Partner Africa to develop the Comprehensive Business Process Improvement Toolkit covering nine key areas for business growth and sustainability.
• ABInBevcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Partner Africa to develop the Comprehensive Business Process Improvement Toolkit covering nine key areas for business growth and sustainability.
• AIM-ProgresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Partner Africa to develop the Comprehensive Business Process Improvement Toolkit covering nine key areas for business growth and sustainability.
• TescomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Partner Africa's Gender-Sensitive Audit Pilot to enhance social audits by making them more sensitive to gender issues.
• Co-opmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Partner Africa's Gender-Sensitive Audit Pilot to enhance social audits by making them more sensitive to gender issues.
• SEDEXcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner Africa conducts SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) audits using the SEDEX platform for Self-Assessment Questionnaires, audit reporting, and Corrective Action Plan Reports.
• Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner Africa works with ETI on a Grievance Mechanism project addressing salient issues in various industries across Africa.
• Rainforest AlliancenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner Africa worked on a Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture project involving capacity building and market access through sustainable interventions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Intertek: Global assurance provider with established social compliance, ethical sourcing and supplier audit services. Overlaps with Partner Africa on social audit delivery and ethical trade assurance for global supply chains.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC (testing, inspection, certification) major offering social audits, supply chain assurance, and ESG services. Competes with Partner Africa for multinational supply chain assurance mandates across Africa.
• EcoVadis: Global business sustainability ratings platform widely used by multinationals for supplier ESG assessments. Adjacent competitor — overlaps with Partner Africa in supplier-level human rights and ethical trade assurance workflows.
• SGS: Global testing, inspection and certification leader with a social compliance / ethical audit practice. Competes head-to-head with Partner Africa for African social audit and supplier assurance work for multinational buyers.
• DNV: Global assurance and risk management firm with a growing supply chain and human rights due diligence practice. Competes with Partner Africa on HRDD advisory and social compliance assurance for multinational buyers.
• LRQA: Parent company and global assurance services provider (quality, cybersecurity, supply chain, ESG). Direct overlap on responsible sourcing, social compliance assurance, and supply chain intelligence software across global enterprise clients.

Direct peers

• Control Union: Global certification and responsible sourcing body operating sustainability schemes (including in agriculture) across Africa. Directly competes with Partner Africa for ethical trade, social compliance and agricultural certification audits.
• Sedex: Owner and operator of the SMETA audit methodology and the global Sedex platform for ethical trade data. Partner Africa conducts SMETA audits on the Sedex platform; Sedex is both a key channel and a structural participant in the same audit value chain.
• SIZA (Sustainability Initiative of South Africa): South African ethical agriculture assurance programme. Partner Africa delivers SIZA social audits alongside multiple competing audit bodies operating the same standard, making SIZA a direct standard-level peer.
• WIETA: Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association governing ethical audits in South African wine and agricultural value chains. Partner Africa is a registered WIETA audit provider; other accredited providers are direct competitors for the same audit volumes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/partner-africa
• Xx.com/partner_africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Partner Africa