New sales training initiative launched in Nairobi to address skills gap
Business
By
David Njaaga
| Apr 27, 2025
Janet Mutisya, CEO Career Management Center. [Christopher Gisiri, Standard]
A new initiative aimed at transforming the sales profession in Africa has been unveiled in Nairobi. The Kenya School of Sales (KSS) seeks to address the critical skills gap in the continent’s sales industry.
Co-founded by the Commercial Club of Africa (CCA) and Yusudi, KSS aims to professionalise the sector and provide formal training to sales professionals, with a goal of certifying 1,000 by 2026.
The launch event, held at the Hyatt Regency, brought together over 50 senior executives, HR leaders and professionals from industries including FMCG, tech, manufacturing and finance.
KSS will offer CPD-accredited training programmes in partnership with the UK’s Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP).
READ MORE
Helb doesn't have money to loan KMTC students, says Ogamba
Improving disease modelling capacity key to beating malaria
Jubilee Life Insurance posts Sh2.1b net profit
Faith Kipyegon targets first ever women's mile under four minutes
Families displaced by Mai Mahiu floods yet to return to their farms
Balancing economic growth and tax revenue mobilisation
What Ruto will likely do to win Kenyans' confidence and votes in 2027
Till death do us part: Man battles divorce, defends religious vows
Kenya to host 2026 ocean conference, a first for Africa
St John's and Olympic Junior School triumph in NBA junior competition
“Sales capability isn’t a luxury, it’s the engine that drives topline performance and unlocks Africa’s commercial future,” said Luck Ochieng, Managing Director of Unilever East Africa.
The school’s 12-week CPD-certified curriculum will cover six career tracks, including frontline sales, management, leadership and training.
It will also feature a hybrid learning model combining virtual modules and in-person workshops.
Janet Mutisya, Career Management Centre boss, spoke on the importance of nurturing talent early.
“Just like lions train their cubs to hunt, we’re training Africa’s next generation of sales leaders to conquer the commercial wild,” she said.
Kelvin Kuria, CEO of CCA, described KSS as a movement to celebrate sales professionals as “growth architects, not just executors.”
Olive Kamande, CEO of Yusudi, said sales should be positioned as a career of choice.
“We’re building a globally accredited, industry-informed sales training system that ensures sales is a career of first choice, not last resort,” Kamande said.
Applications for the first cohort open on May 24.