Found, verified, trusted and paid: SupplierAdvisor® as a system for empowerment
Access to markets is empowerment. SupplierAdvisor® helps African SMEs, suppliers and buyers get found, verified, trusted and paid, across B2B, B2G and B2C.
By Dr Craig R. Muller, founder of Big Five Group
Across Africa I meet business owners who make good products and give good service, yet struggle to be seen. A small manufacturer, a transporter, a caterer who serves schools: the talent is there. What is often missing is access to markets, and the proof that opens them. That is why Big Five Connect, part of the Empower side of Big Five Group™, runs SupplierAdvisor®.
Empowerment starts with access
SupplierAdvisor® is a supply-chain operating system built around a verified network of companies. It is designed to help African SMEs, suppliers and buyers do four things that decide whether a business grows: get found, get verified, get trusted and get paid.
Get found
Suppliers and customers connect on the platform, with company-to-company connections, marketplace reach and supplier discovery. A good business can be found by the buyers who need exactly what it does, instead of waiting for an introduction that may never come.
Get verified and trusted
Trust should be earned in the open. Company verification and certificate metadata let counterparties know who they are trading with. After each delivery, buyers can score a supplier on OTIFEF: On-Time, In-Full, Error-Free. Peer ratings follow the relationship. For a small supplier, that record becomes a reputation it can carry into the next conversation, rather than starting from zero every time.
Get paid
Being trusted means little if the invoice is lost in an inbox. On SupplierAdvisor®, purchase orders, quotes, orders and invoices sit on the same books, with payments and accounts receivable in the same workspace. Where settlement needs stronger proof, optional on-chain escrow on purchase orders is available.
B2B, B2G and B2C on one fabric
- Business to business: manufacturers, distributors and brands run the whole trade loop with counterparties they can score and prove.
- Business to government: public entities and their suppliers get open procurement, documented performance and audit-ready trails. SchoolAdvisor®, the public-sector pathway for school nutrition, runs on the same foundation.
- Business to consumer: a free SA Member account lets people book, buy, check in and pay or send proof of payment, with no company needed.
Why this matters to the Group
Our mission is Feed. Educate. Empower. Feed puts food on the plate, Big Five Learn develops leaders, and Empower opens doors to opportunity. When an SME can be found, verified, trusted and paid, it can hire, grow and supply with confidence. That is empowerment in its most practical form: a fair chance to compete.
Register your company
If you run a business, whether you supply, buy or serve the public sector, I invite you to register your company on SupplierAdvisor®. Companies can start with a 30-day free trial. If you would like to talk to us first, we would love to hear from you.
Register your company on SupplierAdvisor® · Visit supplieradvisor.com · Contact us
Feed. Educate. Empower.
