Competitive Market Entry Strategies for Africa’s Growth Markets

By ASV Client Relations

Market Entry Strategies for succeeding in Africa’s Growth Markets

Varied African growth markets have become hotspots for a slew of  lucrative business opportunities, particularly within the following key sectors: Agribusiness, Renewable Energy, Health Care, FinTech, Information & Communications Technology (ICT), Education, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Building & Construction.

It is, nonetheless, of paramount importance to integrate savvy market entry strategies  – to ascertain that long-term sustained growth and overall success would be achieved. In this view, the following highlighted Competitive Growth Strategies will ensure the long-term successful exploitation of varied business opportunities, therein.

Exporting

Exporting is the least-risky market entry strategy to Africas’s growth markets and categorised into two forms, namely indirect exporting and direct exporting. These are distinctively operationalised based on how your company manages its transaction with a target market’s  importer/buyer.

Hence, as relates to indirect exporting, your company leverages upon the expertise of local independent marketing organisations – in the import and distribution business. As per direct exporting, your company will both undertake the independent importation and distribution of your products/services.

Joint Venturing

Joint venturing will involve your company partnering with a local company – through the acquisition of shares and controlling interests. This market entry strategy is ideal if your company possesses assets, distribution channels and technologies – that are complementary with your partnering local company.

This arrangement is typically a mutually beneficial relationship, whereby common objectives are intended to be achieved, such as risk/reward sharing, technology sharing, joint product development, political connections and conforming to governmental regulations.

Franchising

Franchising involves a local company (franchisee) paying agreed-upon fees and royalties to your company (franchiser) – in return for possessing the rights to utilise your trademark, sell your products/services and adopt your overall business operational infrastructure.

This business arrangement is categorised into two types of systems. One of the systems involves the provision of exclusive rights to a local company to utilise your company’s overall business operational infrastructure. The other system specifically focuses on providing your local partner with the rights to distribute your product(s)/service(s) – as opposed to providing exclusive rights to utilise your company’s overall business operational infrastructure.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Mergers involve the consolidation of your company with a local partner – with the intent of forming a new business entity. The core thrust of this arrangement is to benefit from a number of advantages that range from the accumulation of the assets and liabilities of distinct entities, economies of scale, tax reliefs, bolstered growth, synergies and diversification interests.

Correspondingly, acquisitions involve your company acquiring controlling interests in a local company. This arrangement, however, does not lead to the dissolution of the local company, but instead, it alters its ownership structure.

Strategic Alliance

Strategic alliances involve the formation of various voluntary formal agreements between your company and a local company. The overriding objective is to pool your resources to ensure the achievement of common objectives, whilst maintaining your independent identities.

A key feature of this arrangement is that it is utilised to increase production capacity to ascertain the market share expansion of products.

Associated benefits therein include buttressing new technology development, leveraging brand image and the market knowledge of either company.

Summing it up

As illustrated hitherto, adopting the aforementioned savvy market entry strategies is of paramount importance, whilst planning to enter and succeed in arrays of African growth markets.

Source: African Strategic-Ventures (ASV).