“Intermediary” sounds like someone who takes a cut for making an introduction. Done properly, the job is closer to deal insurance: an intermediary’s fee buys you vetted counterparties, structured negotiation and someone accountable for the deal actually closing.
The core of the role
A trade intermediary sits between a buyer and a supplier (of goods or services) and does four things:
- Finds counterparties. Real network access — producers, distributors and service providers the buyer would take months to identify alone.
- Verifies them. Company registries, references, financial signals, and for goods, samples or factory checks. Most failed deals fail here, before terms are ever discussed.
- Structures and negotiates. Price, delivery terms, payment security, documentation. The intermediary knows what “normal” looks like in that market and stops either side from agreeing to something they’ll regret.
- Follows through. Tracks the deal to delivery and payment. An introduction-only broker disappears after the handshake; a real intermediary is still there if the shipment is late.
When an intermediary pays off
- Cross-continental trade — in Europe–Africa deals especially, distance and jurisdiction make independent verification the difference between a deal and a loss.
- Entering an unfamiliar market — you don’t know the suppliers, the customs, or the traps.
- One-off large purchases — the deal is too big to get wrong but too rare to justify building the expertise in-house.
- Selling capacity abroad — you have product but no presence in the target market.
- Sensitive deals — you’d rather not reveal your identity or strategy during early talks.
If you’re buying a commodity from a supplier you already trust, you don’t need one. Intermediation earns its fee where the risk is in finding and trusting the counterparty.
What it costs
The standard model is a success fee — a percentage of the deal value or a fixed amount, payable at completion. Serious intermediaries put this in writing up front, take nothing if the deal doesn’t close, and never take undisclosed fees from both sides. Ask directly: “who pays you, and how much?” Anyone who answers vaguely is negotiating against you.
How to work with one effectively
Give your intermediary a precise brief: product or service, volumes, quality requirements, target price range, and your real deadline. Vague briefs produce vague shortlists. And insist on an NDA before sharing commercially sensitive details — a professional will offer one before you ask.
Socabo s.r.o. provides trade and services intermediation between Europe and Africa, alongside its own import and export trading activity. Looking for a supplier, buyer or service partner? Tell us what you need.