« Women celebrating achievements in the workplace and beyond » session with Ms. Roshni Walia

Self-promotion is a vital tool for any career advancement. In order for people to grow in their career, they need to be visible and promote their skills and expertise. Studies have found that women promote themselves less often in the workplace. According to a National Bureau of Economic Research paper, women graded themselves lower than their actual capabilities on test performances even though they had good average scores. Minimized self-promotion, visibility, and ratings have affected women in terms of pay and roles in the work place.

africon constantly drives initiatives towards women empowerment within the company, and this month, we invited Ms. Roshni Walia, who is a Chief of Staff at Maisha Meds, to share some vital tips on encouraging women towards active self-promotion at work. The event had Ms.Tei Mukunya (CEO of NatureLock and an advisory board member at africon), and the wonderful women of africon in attendance.

After the discussion, we were able to break limitations around the perception of self-promotion, thereby encouraging the women to use their voices more. As most companies are now working virtually, self-promotion is even more difficult to actualize. We have been addressing this through consistent support and reassurance towards our women, and we will continue to help them grow their potentials at work.

Slide of the month (SOTM) May. The logistics sector in Rwanda and Ethiopia

Many African countries’ economic growth is highly dependent on international trade. A more efficient logistical system can greatly increase a country’s local economic value and as a result, create jobs and prosperity.

In this project, africon was contracted to analyse the logistics sector in Rwanda and Ethiopia. We aimed to identify the existing gaps and fields where the client, a development cooperation agency, could intervene to improve efficiency, thereby aiding job and wealth creation in these countries. We conducted primary and secondary research simultaneously. While analysing country information and industry reports, over 70 interviews were conducted in these countries with relevant players in the logistics field. These included logistics firms, governmental and regulatory bodies, associations and educational institutions.

Through the results of the research, we identified main challenges in key areas that have significant impact on the logistics sector in Rwanda and Ethiopia. Such areas were, for example, infrastructure, customs procedures, education, and digitalisation. The logistics landscape of both landlocked countries is very contrasting regarding the highlighted areas. Based on our findings, we could derive practical directions for measures to fill present gaps and thus strengthen the sector for the future while creating jobs, fostering private investments and promoting sustainability. All results were consolidated into a comprehensive report which contained tactical recommendations for the client.

If you have any questions about the sector or would like to discuss more, please contact us at info@africon.de

Read previous SOTMs (Slides of the month) here.

Slide of the month (SOTM) April. Overview of the tech scene in select countries in Africa

Slide of the month (SOTM) March. Operational and upcoming railway lines in Nigeria

Slide of the month (SOTM) February. Import statistics of medical equipment in East African Community (EAC)

Slide of the month (SOTM) January. The market for commercial vehicles in Kenya

Slide of the month (SOTM) December. The food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing industry in Nigeria

 

africon and the Mittelstandsindex Afrika (SME Index Africa) featured on AfrikaContact-Magazin

Africa is considered an emerging continent that offers businesses various opportunities to invest successfully. In order to help German small and medium sized enterprises (the “Mittelstand”) to enter the African markets, the BRS Institute at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (HBRS), africon GmbH, the Federal Association of Medium-Sized Enterprises (BVMW) and Nexia International released the “Mittelstandsindex Afrika” (SME Index Africa).

Just recently, the AfrikaContact-Magazin ran a feature on the “Mittelstandsindex“ . africon was able to share the application of the index in the context of our client projects. Some of the questions we answered addressed the importance of the index for companies and how to use it for successful country prioritization.

Download the magazine and read more about some insights we shared.

Learn more about the Mittelstandsindex here.

Shanice Wanjiku joins africon GmbH as a Business Analyst in Kenya

To help us continue providing the best services for our clients, we brought on one new team member from Nairobi, Kenya. Shanice Wanjiku joined africon as a Business Analyst in April 2021.

She studied Economics and Accounting in the UK, and prior to joining africon, she worked, for a large data research firm. She handled projects that provided clients with primary data through data collection and in-depth analysis. This was targeted for private sector companies to gain market insights, as well as NGOs working to uplift small scale farmers.

Shanice grew up in Germany, but recently returned and settled in Kenya, where she is originally from. She will support with partner identification, market research and analysis and strategy development and in East Africa. She will also liaise with different clients on the projects in our key sectors.

“I look forward to using my knowledge and skills to assist companies realize their full potential in Africa”,  Shanice says.

Omegie Momoh joins africon as a Business Analyst in Nigeria.

africon prides itself on having a highly skilled team who is instrumental in implementing all our projects in our key sectors. With our philosophy of “bridging potentials“ where we consult the management of global companies on their Africa strategy (beginning with their market entry until the local implementation) we are strengthening our team in West Africa.

Omegie Momoh, who is based in Nigeria, joined the team as a Business Analyst in March. She studied Accounting in her bachelor’s degree from the University of Essex. Prior to joining africon, Omegie consulted for both international and local companies in sectors such as consumer goods, oil and gas, financial technology, digital media and logistics. Omegie will support in the execution of projects locally in Nigeria. She has already began doing in-depth market research and analysis, strategy development and partner identification among other activities.

“I am a believer in Africa’s economic potential and therefore, I am very excited to work on projects that could spearhead economic development in the continent. I believe working with africon will be an exciting and positively challenging experience that will bring about growth in my career,” Omegie says

To see more of our team members, see our team page.

africon to present at virtual.drupa touchpoint packaging: Key trends and opportunities in the African packaging markets.

The African continent is a high growth market for the packaging industry. The key drivers for this growth include urbanization, modern retail development and a booming food and beverage industry, among others.

Marc Zander – CEO and Managing Partner, africon GmbH and Jean Wandimi- Business Analyst & Head of Marketing, africon GmbH, will be presenting at virtual.drupa touchpoint packaging on the topic: Key trends and opportunities in the African packaging markets. The presentation will highlight key trends in the African packaging market and elaborate innovative solutions to country specific problems. It will also look at the effects of the pandemic on the packaging markets.

If you would like to learn more on the African packaging markets, sign up here 

Uzodinma Ezimora joins africon GmbH advisory board.

africon has been strengthening its team including the advisory board which constitutes professionals with unparalleled skills and experience. The board embodies significant long-term Africa understanding and guides africon in its current growth phase. It contributes ideas, networks and local know-how. Therefore, africon is very pleased to add another member, Uzodinma (Uzo) Ezimora, to the board.

 Mr. Ezimora has 22 years’ experience in the launch and development of B2B sales networks in Africa, international business development and technology project execution. He has vast experience in key industries like energy and manufacturing sectors across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. His areas of expertise are in industrial sales, market development, business strategy and organizational design.

Uzo holds an MBA in International Business from the Ecole des Ponts Business School in Paris, France, and a double degree in Management Accounting and International Trade from the University of Hamburg in Germany and the EDC Business School in Paris.

He was formerly an Executive Director at General Electric in Nigeria and has held various leadership positions at General Electric Company, ArcelorMittal SA, KPMG Business Advisory Services UK, and KPMG Consulting France.

 I am excited and honoured to join africon’s Advisory Board in its drive to support the development of business in Africa and with Africa. Despite numerous challenges globally, this decade is also a moment of great opportunity for those who recognize the potentials and understand the environment of the world’s largest untapped market”, Mr. Ezimora notes.

africon looks forward to a continuous exchange with the advisory board to support the growth of the company.

TU Berlin and Addis Ababa University students solve a business case for Henkel and Varta, organized by africon

Africa has become a continent of growth. Over the past 5 years, 7 out of the 10 strongest growth countries were in Africa. The growing economies with their business potential led to an increasing interest by German and international companies to kick-off or review their Africa growth strategies.

Within the framework of the special initiative Training and Employment, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development together with the DAAD funding program, « University-Business Partnerships between universities and industry in Germany and developing countries », developed the IPLogE (Integration of Practice-oriented Logistics Education in Ethiopia). It aims to promote the exchange between Ethiopian and German students and to enable the application of theoretical concepts to real-life practices while enhancing their soft skills.

The Technical University of Berlin (TUB) and Addis Ababa University (AAU) collaborated on a joint program, African Logistics Networks – Bringing together German and Ethiopian logistics students. africon and some of our clients were selected as the business partners. We co-developed a case study with Henkel and Varta who presented to the students at the beginning of their course.

The course kicked off in Q4 in 2020 with lectures and virtual discussion. The students were supported by the business contacts as well as africon who provided practice-relevant content. They worked in groups and presented their solutions.

This joint program was successful, and it enhanced collaboration between the students. The students leveraged their problem-solving abilities to come up with solutions for business problems. They were also able to understand the drivers, challenges, and development of logistics.

In the closing ceremony Ms. Yeni Fowotade from africon gave some HR insights for the graduands on how to approach the job market.

Slide of the month (SOTM) April. Overview of the tech scene in select countries in Africa

The digital economy in Africa continues to grow with some countries having significant digital infrastructure. Due to our vast experience and project work in Africa, we were recently invited to share relevant insights on the topic, “Opportunities in Africa’s rising digital economy”, at the Global DIGITAL FUTUREcongress Virtual on 25.02.2021.

Our presentation focused on the general growth drivers as well as the opportunities that exist in the thriving internet economy of Africa. We gave an overview of the tech scene on the continent which is an interesting market for German and European companies. One such insight was that Nigeria and Kenya have the largest tech sectors while Rwanda and Ethiopia are growth markets.

We were also able to share more tactical recommendations and insights that would guide prospective entrants into the market.

If you have any questions about the sector or would like to discuss more, please contact us at info@africon.de

Read previous SOTMs (Slides of the month) here.

Slide of the month (SOTM) March. Operational and upcoming railway lines in Nigeria

Slide of the month (SOTM) February. Import statistics of medical equipment in East African Community (EAC)

Slide of the month (SOTM) January. The market for commercial vehicles in Kenya

Slide of the month (SOTM) December. The food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing industry in Nigeria

Slide of the month (SOTM) November. The construction industry in Africa

 

Slide of the month (SOTM) March. Operational and upcoming railway lines in Nigeria

Several African countries have ongoing and planned rail projects. Africa’s largest economy is developing the rail sector to improve the poor transport infrastructure. africon recently completed a project in the railway sector in Nigeria for one of our clients who manufactures rail components. The project aimed to give an overview of the industry in terms of ongoing and upcoming projects.

africon spent about 4 months meeting with key local decision-makers and experts in a very challenging market environment. The Nigerian railway network consists of 3,505 km narrow gauge lines and 364 km standard gauge lines. There are several operational lines with multiple ongoing inter-state and light rail projects across major cities in Nigeria. The figure below maps some of the operational lines which we covered in the course of the project. We also provided more invaluable insights & data and gave strategic recommendations about the sector to our client.

Below, you will also find some pictures that our team in Nigeria took.

If you have any questions about the sector or would like to discuss more, please contact us at info@africon.de

Read previous SOTMs (Slides of the month) here.

Slide of the month (SOTM) February. Import statistics of medical equipment in East African Community (EAC).

Slide of the month (SOTM) January. The market for commercial vehicles in Kenya

Slide of the month (SOTM) December. The food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing industry in Nigeria

Slide of the month (SOTM) November. The construction industry in Africa

Slide of the month (SOTM) October. The meat & fish sector in Nigeria