Real Sources Official

What Real Sources Official does

Real Sources Africa (RSA) is a Nairobi-headquartered trade-infrastructure institution that operates as Kenya's official AfCFTA Trading Company and Afreximbank's ATG Digital Trade Partner for East Africa. The company has built an integrated ecosystem of six flagship platforms: BiasharaLink (structured inquiry capture for embassies, governments, and enterprises), DealHouse (six-stage deal execution with escrow), PolicyTracker (AI-assisted regulatory intelligence across 54 African nations), Asili Markets (commodity trading and distribution), Deal Pods (physical corridor booths in airports, malls, and government offices), and Deal Stewards (professional certification program). The platform architecture spans the full trade lifecycle from inquiry to execution to distribution.

The company serves seven primary customer segments: African SMEs, government agencies, diaspora investors, financial institutions, importers/exporters, service providers, and investors/missions. Its revenue model combines transaction fees on facilitated trade, platform subscriptions, and professional certification revenue. Distribution is hybrid: digital platforms for self-serve enterprise registration, physical Deal Pod booths for corridor-based inquiry capture, and institutional channels through government, embassy, and DFI partnerships. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagement is quote-based and inquiry-driven.

At the institutional level, RSA operates under formal frameworks with AfCFTA Secretariat, Afreximbank, Equity Group, multiple Kenyan government ministries (Foreign Affairs, Trade, Cooperatives/MSMEs), KNCCI, PACCI, and county governments. Reported platform metrics include 1,800+ verified enterprises, 2,400+ processed deals, $4.2B+ facilitated deal value, and 12,000+ tracked regulations, though no revenue figures are disclosed and reported headcount is 7 employees, which is inconsistent with claimed operational scale and represents a material data gap.

Name

Real Sources Official

Legal name

Real Sources Africa

Website

https://realsourcesafrica.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Real Sources Africa operates as Kenya's official AfCFTA Trading Company, providing integrated trade infrastructure through six platforms that connect African SMEs, governments, diaspora investors, and financial institutions across 54 nations via inquiry capture, deal execution, regulatory intelligence, and commodity distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Facilitation Platform

NAICS

Commodity Contracts Intermediation (52316), Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (4251)

SIC

Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)

akta.pro primary industry

Office Supplies, IT & Workplace Procurement Marketplaces (CRAFAHAF)

Keywords

• Cross-border trade facilitation
• AfCFTA trading platform
• Regulatory intelligence software
• Commodity trade marketplace
• Deal execution infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Trade Facilitation Services: RSA facilitates trade transactions across commodities, services, finance, investment, government relations, and labour mobility through its integrated platform ecosystem, earning fees for deal structuring, execution monitoring, and transaction support
2. Platform Subscriptions: Enterprise registration and platform access for businesses, institutions, and government agencies to use BiasharaLink, DealHouse, PolicyTracker, and other RSA platforms
3. Professional Certification: Deal Steward professional certification programs including Short Executive Program (6-8 weeks), Professional Certificate (12-16 weeks), and future Postgraduate Diploma Track
4. Commodity Trade Facilitation: Market access and distribution infrastructure through Asili Markets connecting African producers to buyers with integrated logistics, quality assurance, and trade finance

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Real Sources Africa operates an integrated trade facilitation platform ecosystem spanning six proprietary platforms — BiasharaLink for structured inquiry capture, DealHouse for 6-stage deal execution with escrow, PolicyTracker for AI-assisted regulatory intelligence across 54 African nations, Asili Markets for commodity distribution, Deal Pods for physical corridor presence, and Deal Stewards for certified professional training. The company connects African SMEs, governments, diaspora investors, and financial institutions to facilitate cross-border trade in commodities, services, finance, investment, government relations, and labour mobility under the AfCFTA framework.

Product overview

Real Sources Africa operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture built around the TradeConnect Initiative — an integrated ecosystem of six flagship platforms designed to move African trade from inquiry to completion. The ecosystem begins with BiasharaLink™ (inquiry capture and enterprise verification), flows through DealHouse™ (structured 6-stage deal execution with escrow protection), is supported by PolicyTracker™ (regulatory intelligence across 54 African nations), extends to Asili Markets™ (commodity trading and market access), enabled by Deal Pods™ (physical corridor installations for trade facilitation), and reinforced by Deal Stewards™ (a professional certification program). Together, these platforms form a closed-loop trade infrastructure connecting diplomacy, enterprise, logistics, finance, and distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BiasharaLink™: Africa's Inquiry Console - digital interface for embassies, governments, and institutions to capture, route, and track trade inquiries.
• DealHouse™
• PolicyTracker™
• Asili Markets™
• Deal Pods™
• Deal Stewards™

Products and services

• BiasharaLink™

Quantifiable outcome

• 11M+ trade value facilitated across 54 African nations
• +5 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• AfCFTA SecretariatflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Implementation Partner - RSA operates as Kenya's AfCFTA Trading Company under the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area, providing institutional trade infrastructure for AfCFTA implementation across 54 African nations.
• Kenya Government - Ministry of Foreign Affairs & DiasporaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing official state backing, diplomatic coordination, and diaspora engagement support for RSA operations in Kenya.
• Kenya Government - Ministry of Trade and IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for trade policy alignment, regulatory coordination, and trade facilitation support within Kenya's trade ecosystem.
• Kenya Government - Ministry of Cooperatives & MSMEscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner focused on small and medium enterprise development, MSME registration, and cooperative coordination for RSA's SME trade facilitation services.
• Pan Africa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrivate sector alliance partner providing enterprise network access, trade association coordination, and business member referrals across African markets.
• Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational chamber partnership for enterprise registration, trade facilitation, and business network coordination within Kenya's commercial ecosystem.
• County GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Kenyan county governments for local enterprise registration, trade opportunity coordination, and county-level trade desk integration with RSA platforms.
• Trade AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for trade facilitation programs and continental trade development initiatives.
• NCIA (National Construction Authority - implied)minorOthersGovernment infrastructure partner referenced in RSA's ecosystem for construction and infrastructure trade facilitation.
• CAWEE (African Women Entrepreneurship Initiative)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWomen's enterprise partner for promoting women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs within RSA's trade ecosystem.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chari: B2B e-commerce and fintech platform for small retailers in North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia). Comparable to RSA in providing a marketplace + financial services bundle for African SMEs, though limited to Maghreb.
• MaxAB: B2B e-commerce marketplace connecting manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers across North Africa. Directly comparable as a B2B trade facilitation platform targeting African SMEs with similar marketplace + financing thesis.
• Wasoko: Pan-African B2B e-commerce platform (formerly Sokowatch) supplying informal retailers with inventory, logistics, and working capital. Comparable to RSA in targeting African SMEs for cross-border goods trade, though focused on retail restocking rather than multi-sector deal execution.
• TradeDepot: B2B distribution platform connecting African retailers and manufacturers via a digital marketplace with embedded logistics and financing. Most directly comparable to RSA's Asili Markets and DealHouse marketplace components, but with a narrower product scope.
• MarketForce 360: Kenya-based B2B distribution platform for consumer goods with embedded financing for retailers. Comparable to RSA's Asili Markets in Kenya, but narrower in geographic scope and commodity coverage.
• Sabi: African B2B commerce platform enabling informal retailers to source inventory with embedded trade finance. Comparable to RSA's Asili Markets and DealHouse for SME trade facilitation, though without the AfCFTA institutional positioning.

Emerging players

• Komgo: Blockchain-based trade finance network connecting corporates, banks, and trading houses. Comparable to RSA's escrow and trade-finance intermediation layer, though focused on commodity trade finance rather than SME-facing trade.
• KoboGo: African B2B commerce platform helping retailers and distributors source inventory from manufacturers. Comparable to RSA's Asili Markets in facilitating cross-border African goods trade, though at an earlier stage.
• Tola Mobile: African B2B trade financing platform for SMEs and merchants. Comparable to RSA's trade-finance-adjacent offerings, though narrower in scope and not positioned as a continental trade-infrastructure institution.

Broad incumbents

• Tradeshift: Global trade finance and supply chain automation platform connecting buyers, suppliers, and banks via digital document flows. Comparable to RSA's DealHouse and PolicyTracker in digitizing trade documentation and compliance, though operating globally rather than Africa-specialized.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/real-sources-africa-official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Real Sources Official