Our Experience
Our African Footprint
ExpandAfrica has worked in the African countries shaded above.
Our experience traverses banking, forestry, agri-business, energy, manufacturing, retail, IT/telecommunications and services. We have provided tailored solutions to help our clients address the political, social, cultural, legal, environmental and economic development imperatives in different countries.
Project references are provided upon request.
USA
Join three of the most well-known American brands in Africa – Google, Cummins and Ford. According to EY Global’s 2018 Africa Attractiveness report, US businesses made more investments in Africa than businesses from any other country in 2017.
At the Investing in Africa conference held in October 2020, the US stated its intention to mobilize the US business community to invest in Africa and to shift the primary means of engagement in the region from providing aid to promoting trade and investment. The government’s strategy to build stronger partnerships in Africa is spurring investment and economic growth through the newly established Development Finance Corporation (DFC) which has access to over $60 billion in funding.
The continent will have 100 cities with more than one million inhabitants by 2025. This urbanization boom will drive investment and unlock new opportunities for US businesses, from construction and transportation to smart city infrastructure and innovations in agriculture.
Mid-sized US companies should not ignore Africa’s transformation into a highly attractive business destination. To capitalize on the burgeoning opportunities, the time to act is now.
Whilst there are significant risks, we challenge those shying away from investing in Africa to consider that many of the perceived risks are myths. Africa is not a monolith, and an informed investor can reap huge rewards. This is not a journey that a mid-sized company has to take alone. ExpandAfrica and its local affiliates will pave the way for your business to maximize the opportunities in Africa
UNITED KINGDOM
The African continent is home to seven of the top 10 fastest-growing economies in the world, and foreign direct investment is increasing with many UK analysts labelling the continent the final frontier. According to the Africa Report, since 2008 UK investment in Africa has risen by 61%, and impressive British companies such as British Airways, GlaxoSmithKline, BG Group, Diageo, Anglo-Dutch Shell and Unilever continue to reap rewards from the continent.
JAPAN
Since The Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in 2008 there has been a shift from aid to business in Africa. Private enterprise is now in the driver’s seat of Africa’s development supported by the Japanese government.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 796 Japanese companies are in Africa. Traditionally, these businesses favoured infrastructure, natural resources, and automobiles. Now small and midsized enterprises (SMEs), which account for 99.7 percent of all Japanese companies are scanning Africa’s horizons beyond the shrinking markets in Japan. Africa will become home to 25% of the globe’s population by 2050.
We believe that many of the perceived risks of doing business in Africa are myths. However, Africa is not a monolith, and an informed investor can reap significant rewards. This is not a journey that a small or mid-sized company has to take alone. ExpandAfrica and its affiliates are you partners and can provide you with local knowledge and resources. ExpandAfrica will pave the way for your business to maximize the opportunities in Africa.
CHINA
China is now Africa’s biggest trade partner, with Sino-African trade topping $200 billion per year. According to McKinsey, over 10,000 Chinese-owned firms are currently operating throughout the African continent, and the value of Chinese business since 2005 amounts to more than $2 trillion. Africa has eclipsed Asia as the largest market for China’s overseas construction contracts.
Africa has become the fastest urbanizing continent in the world with rural migrants moving into cities at a rate surpassing even that of China and India. This rapid transition presents big challenges but also offers significant rewards for countries willing to risk billions in infrastructure.
China has become a central player in Africa’s urbanization drive as a huge percentage of the continent’s infrastructure initiatives are being driven by Chinese companies and/or backed by Chinese funding. China needs what Africa has for long-term economic and political stability. Over a third of China’s oil comes from Africa, as does 20% of the country’s cotton. Africa has roughly half of the world’s stock of manganese, an essential ingredient for steel production, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on its own possesses half of the planet’s cobalt. Africa also has significant amounts of coltan, required for electronics, as well as half of the world’s known supply of carbonatites.
This is not a journey that a mid-sized or even a small company has to take alone, but you will need local knowledge. ExpandAfrica is your partner and will pave the way for your business to maximize the opportunities in Africa.
GERMANY
German Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa is lagging behind China, France, the Netherlands, the UK, the US, and other economies. In 2018 just one percent of German FDI was concentrated in only a few African countries and around 850 German firms had roughly 200,000 employees on the African continent. German FDI is more concentrated in manufacturing as opposed to the natural resources sector. However, Germany is engaging in various proactive policies to encourage FDI in Africa. For example, the Federal Government offers investment guarantees to German firms to cover political risks, which are often high in developing and emerging countries. With slowing markets in Europe, Africa is being recognised for the opportunities its exponential growth in population affords.
Whilst there are significant risks, we challenge those shying away from investing in Africa to consider that many of the perceived risks are myths. Africa is not a monolith, and an informed investor can reap huge rewards.
This is not a journey that a mid-sized or small company has to take alone; the need for local knowledge and partners is essential. ExpandAfrica will pave the way for your business to maximize the opportunities in Africa.
AUSTRALIA
Australians have been urged to seize economic opportunities in Africa beyond mining, as China grabs the lion’s share of opportunities on the so called “dark continent.” The reality is that while Australia has historically been a partner to Africa, the Australian economy is not yet fully committed to what is happening to Africa’s population growth and economic stimulus. By 2050, one in every four humans in the world will be African and more than half will be middle and upper class. In 2015, the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs established the Advisory Group on Australian African Relations with the aim of providing the Commonwealth Government with advice on advancing and diversifying Australia’s growing relationship with Africa.
This is not a journey that a mid-sized or small company has to take alone; the need for local knowledge and partners is essential. ExpandAfrica will pave the way for your business to maximize the opportunities in Africa.
FRANCE
France is an important trade partner for Africa and is the second-largest exporter to the continent. Since the early 2000s, foreign direct investment in Africa has grown faster than anywhere else in the world with France being part of this trend. The latest FDI stocks and flows on the African continent indicate an increased French presence keen to participate over the long term in the trends emerging in Africa.
French businesses in Africa
- Over 1,100 French groups present in Africa with over 2,109 subsidiaries
- One of the leading job creators in Northern Africa: nearly 470,000 jobs created directly and indirectly by French economic presence
- In Angola, French businesses are responsible for creating over 25,000 direct and indirect jobs and over 17,000 jobs in Côte d’Ivoire.
French businesses actively strive to have a positive impact on local societies. Most provide internal professional training programmes for their employees and respect the international environmental, social and safety standards, and promote best practices with regards to quality.
Growth on the African continent has remained at an average of 5% over the last decade, one of the fastest growth levels in the world, and certain African economies continue to grow at over 7%.
This is not a journey that a mid-sized or small company has to take alone; the need for local knowledge and partners is essential. ExpandAfrica is well-positioned to support companies in France that are keen to capitalise on business opportunities emerging across the continent. ExpandAfrica will pave the way for your business to maximize the opportunities in Africa.
UAE
Africa is fast emerging as one of the most important markets for the United Arab Emirates. As the world moves closer to achieving a global economy, Africa’s status as the most promising market of the new millennium cannot be underestimated. The United Arab Emirates has been quick to recognise the immense potential in the emerging markets of Africa and is working diligently to penetrate new markets.
The expansion of direct flights between the UAE and major African cities, the signing of strategic cooperation agreements and the easing of visa restrictions are also important factors accelerating bilateral business exchange.
The UAE is one of Africa’s top sources of foreign investment and the country is supporting the continent’s economic development by funding infrastructure projects and filling market gaps in fast-growing sectors of Africa’s economy, from transportation to power generation and telecommunications.
Such developments present a wealth of opportunities for UAE companies that have the expertise, capabilities, resources and investment needed to meet these demands and support Africa’s sustainable economic growth. Retail, real estate, tourism, logistics and financial services are among the key economic sectors where UAE companies are entering the African market.
Analysts see tremendous potential to expand the scope of bilateral trade and investment to other areas and fields of mutual interest, such as fintech, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, blockchain and smart city solutions.
In addition, the recent launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area will likely open up African economies further and boost UAE-African trade and investment flows. This is a positive development that can potentially lead to a new era of economic cooperation and integration.
This is not a journey that a mid-sized or even a small company has to take alone, but you will need local knowledge. ExpandAfrica is your partner and will pave the way for your business to maximize the opportunities in Africa.