TO BE TENACIOUS.

TO BE TENACIOUS.

No one succeeds in Africa by following a straight line. The field of frustrations is extensive, and I have hardly ever known anyone who succeeded in Africa without encountering endless obstacles. Mostly, these are the daily obstacles of life in a system that only halfway works. I spoke with a young Nigerian who was back […]

BUILDING WHAT WE NEED.

BUILDING WHAT WE NEED.

In the 1990s, Chrysler forged the concept of the “extended enterprise”: a company in which different management poles are interdependent, but with multiple and distinct structures. The interaction between an electricity supplier and a manufacturer would be a typical example of this kind of enterprise, at least in the United States or Europe. In Africa, […]

GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY

GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY

For businesspeople in developed markets, frontier markets are both exciting and daunting. That’s why American, European, Japanese, and even Korean companies tend to keep their distance. Their world and social life are often compartmentalized. It’s comfortable, but from a business perspective, adopting this behavior in Africa is a death sentence. You have to get your […]

AFRICA LACKS EVERYTHING. WHAT A CHANCE!

AFRICA LACKS EVERYTHING. WHAT A CHANCE!

To lack something doesn’t mean one cannot afford it. The consumer goods sector is growing rapidly in Africa. From 2000 to 2010, natural resources contributed to one-third of African growth. According to McKinsey & Company’s report, “The rise of the African consumer,” sectors operating at least partially in B2C represented 45% of this growth in […]

THE RIGHT VISION: A FRAGMENTED WHOLE.

THE RIGHT VISION: A FRAGMENTED WHOLE.

Understanding the distinctions between the various regions of Africa is necessary to grasp what success means in this part of the world. Many business leaders aware of these distinctions integrate a comprehensive vision of Africa. This holds true for the most obvious reason: economies of scale. Tom Gibian discovered this in Asia before coming to […]

THINK REGION.

THINK REGION.

A good way to segment the African market is by looking at regional trade zones. There are five main regional blocs in Africa, which correspond to the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) of the African Economic Community (AEC), an organization seeking to promote economic development among African states. These five RECs are: Some companies have succeeded […]

UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT AFRICAN REGIONS.

UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT AFRICAN REGIONS.

Africa is a continent of exceptional diversity. Much attention is paid to the difference between the governance systems of former French and British colonies, but this is just one layer of diversity. Among the 54 countries, Africa has six official languages inherited from its colonial past and Islamic migrations. In addition to these languages, there […]

THE AWAKENING OF A CONTINENT.

THE AWAKENING OF A CONTINENT.

In 2000, the editors of the magazine saw Africa as a continent trapped in a spiral of violence and despair. The editorial read, “Mozambique and Madagascar have been ravaged by floods, famine is resurfacing in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe has succumbed to government-backed violence, poverty and epidemics are rampant. And above all, war continues to rage across […]

The Mentality and Economic Challenges of Black Men

The Mentality and Economic Challenges of Black Men

The Mentality and Economic Challenges of Black Men 1. Develop the habit of accumulating debts: The accumulation of debt involves concentrating spending on items that do not appreciate in value. Research conducted a few years ago on the spending habits of Black people in the United States showed a disproportionate number of young African Americans […]

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