Archive d’étiquettes pour : Africon

Mohammed Al-Salafi as a visiting instructor at the Beni American University

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Mohammed Al-Salafi, Business Analyst und der Länderaufbetragte für Nigera, hielt am 17.02.2018 als Gastdozent einen Vortrag zum Thema Strategisches Management an der Online Beni American University. Die Universität bietet verschiedene Programme an, darunter auch Strategisches Management, welches dieses Semester von Herrn Al-Salafi durchgefüht wurde. Mohammed Al-Salafi wird von nun an jedes Semester dieses Programm unterrichten.

Das Programm soll dazu dienen strategische Denkweisen, sowie die benötigten Fähigkeiten und Methoden zu erlernen die benötigt werden, um kompetente und professionelle Entscheidungen in der Geschäftswelt treffen zu können. Es werden relevante Konzepte, Werkzeuge und Fallbeispiele des Strategischen Managements vorgestellt.

 

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Slide of the month (SOTM) October. Automotive industry in sub-Saharan Africa

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In 2017, we analysed the market for automotive filtration in Kenya and Tanzania in detail. During the project, 60 senior level industry players from authorities, key automobile traders and leading parts distributors, more than 300 consumers, around 70 workshops and 100 parts traders in Kenya and Tanzania were interviewed.

In terms of vehicles in operation (VIO), Kenya and Tanzania belong to the countries with the highest stock of VIO in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Through a fast-growing local assembly industry, Kenya promises to stay the local automotive hub in East Africa. This also reflects in a growing local spare parts industry ranging from automotive batteries to tires. Also the automotive market in Tanzania, with a first local assembly line for agricultural vehicles in place and various spare parts manufacturers operating successfully, promises to continue growing in the next years.

Apart from the activities in Kenya and Tanzania, africon has been active in the Nigerian automotive market since 2015. With the new insights from Kenya and Tanzania gathered in 2017, the africon expertise regarding the African automotive market grew decisively.

 

Slide of the month (SOTM) November. Aluminium foil

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After growing its expertise in the African packaging markets throughout the last 5 years, africon supported a leading aluminium foil supplier to the flexible-, laminated carton, cigarette- and blister packaging industry with the development of its Africa strategy.

53 key industrial players were interviewed, including 11 packaging manufacturers in South Africa and 12 packaging manufacturers in Nigeria. In terms of market attractiveness, the South African market outscored the Nigerian market. However, given the well established long term relations many South African companies have with their suppliers, the Nigerian market offered a far bigger accessible market than the South African.

Only by meeting the local key players personally in Nigeria and South Africa, africon was able to identify which companies signaled interest in a future cooperation with the client. The africon hands-on approach was therefore once again essential for the development of a successful Africa strategy.

 

 

 

Marc Zander, Partner of africon presents in Sweden

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Doing business in the Middle Eastern and African region delivers results when you have the right information and tools at hand. Marc Zander, Partner at africon spoke in Sweden on the set up of distribution in Africa. At the MEA Summit visitors got the chance to directly engage with prominent business leaders and industry experts with extensive experience from doing business in the region.

MEA Summit is Sweden’s largest business event geared towards the MEA region, delivering insights, tools and clues as to how market transformation in the region will place future demands on business innovation. During two days in Stockholm, participants engaged in presentations from world-renowned speakers, panel discussions and interactive workshops with top executives and industry experts as well and met with an estimated 200 other Swedish companies who share your interest in the region.

 

 

Slide of the month (SOTM) March. Kenyan mobile money transfers

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Mobile money has become the most important money transfer system in Kenya by far, in contrast to the European continent where people mostly stay suspicious to such paying systems. africon GmbH with its long-term experience in the payment sector did a research for a leading manufacturer of chip for payment cards. In this context, the Kenyan market of banking and credit cards has been analysed and an important data base including information from more than 50 expert interviews in Nigeria and Kenya with banks, personalization bureaus, distributors and other key organisations was constituted. Thanks to this extensive research, africon can resume that the Kenyan banking market is saturated. Investments into this sector can hardly be profitable besides banks and telcos who still buy payment cards. The Nigerian market currently shows a strong margin drop for payment chips and new technologies are being explored by banks and payment providers. Nevertheless, the dynamic development of mobile money is an important opportunity for the IT sector and internet security companies.

 

 

Germany Africa Business Forum

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On the 23rd of March 2017, Marc Zander, CEO of africon, participated in the Germany Africa Business Forum (GABF) as the moderator of the panel discussion “Germany grows abroad – venturing to Africa for new markets”. In the presence of high ranked African politicians such as the former president of the Republic of Benin, Boni Yayi and the Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea Gabriel M. O. Lima, German and African business men and women came together in the prestigious Adlon Kempinski Hotel.

In absence of German politicians, one could assist to very openminded and trustful discussions. So, Mr. Lima expressed his wish that Germans should be “as aggressive as the other nations to show to the Africans that they are interested”. Also, Mr. J.H. Muhindo, Deputy Head of Mission of the embassy of Uganda, stressed the wish of his country that Germany would rather invest into Uganda’s industrialisation than continuing paying traditional development aid as there are many graduated young people in Uganda who were not able to gain suitable jobs. Altogether, the image of a strong and innovative Africa was drawn during the GABF, that stands in extreme contrast to generally published image of a poor continent in need. This was mainly due to the presence of modern and successful African business people such as Erick Yong, Onyeche Tifase or Rebecca Enonchong.

Between the panels, there were many occasions for exchange between the participants of the forum so that newcomers in the German African business scene could benefit from the experiences of established players.

Watch here a video-summary of the fair:

 

africon participates in the GABF

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“The GABF aims at bringing together shrewd entrepreneurs, key opinion leaders and social influencers, CEO’s and selected politicians and non-governmental organisations to develop fresh commercial and social concepts that shape business, as well as economic thought and institutions.” (GABF)

The German-Africa Business Forum is a one-day event enabling exchange between German and African business communities. New potentials for cooperation can be identified during these days but also the interaction between economic, political and social development is discussed. Side by side with African and German politicians and businessmen Marc-Peter Zander, CEO of africon, will be speaking about opportunities of investment in Africa and share his experiences from the private sector.

The GABF will take place on the 23rd of March in the Adlon Kempinski Hotel in Berlin.

 

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Slide of the month (SOTM) January. Development of hotels in Africa

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Some African countries are known for its dynamic tourism such as Kenya and Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. Idyllic pictures of Safari-tourists can be drawn out of this imagination. However, the hotel industry that is also linked to business travelling is the most prospering in Western Africa. The first slide of the month in 2017 indicates that 45% of the African new hotel rooms were built in Western Africa. Also, in Nigeria more than 10.000 hotel rooms were planned in 2016, that is more than in any other African country. Angola and Kenya also show an interesting number of 3.000 to 8.000 rooms planned in 2016.

Thus, africon sees interesting potentials in the construction and interior furnishing sector. German companies can profit from the African construction boom as much in providing services as in selling sanitary equipment, furniture and floor covering.

 

Slide of the month (SOTM) September. Construction machinery imports to Nigeria

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The slide of the month September, which was created during a large IAM automotive and off-highway project, shows a drastic decrease of construction machinery imports to Nigeria since 2014. Close to the last presented slide about vehicle inflow to Nigeria, statistics show an important downwards trend of the automotive sector in general. The number of imports of construction machinery decreased by 65% between 2013 and 2015. A positive change is not foreseen for the ongoing year.

However, africon predicts a large market for spare parts in construction soon, before new sales will rise in 2018. Investors might find interesting potentials in this area while detailed analysis of the formal and informal markets as much as insights into local dynamics are recommended.

 

Slide of the month (SOTM) August. Vehicle inflows Nigeria

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With the upcoming interest in Nigeria of various OEM and after market companies, africon GmbH did a comprehensive study on the Nigerian automotive market with focus on OEM production but also on the local spare parts markets.

One of the key findings has been that the vehicle inflows to Nigeria have dropped significantly due to lack of FOREX but also due to implemented taxes for vehicles. Our recommendation for aftermarket companies:

1. Evaluate the informal markets in Nigeria very closely as « official » companies are hardly present
2. Find a way of taking influence directly in the market by contacts to local players
3. Educate the market on the benefit of buying genuine parts as fakes are dominant in Nigeria

For more information please do not hesitate to contact us on info@africon.de.