Thinking about starting a company? Why not look at the seven untapped business opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Now these aren’t the typical types of businesses people like to open. But they rather represent the opportunities yet to be exploited in sub-Saharan Africa’s robust economic growth that has attracted investment from both foreign and local business people. With information sourced from How We Made It in Africa online publication who asked a selection of DHL country managers about the biggest untapped business opportunities in their respective territories and here’s what they had to say.
Mozambique – retail
A.T. Kearney’s 2015 African Retail Development Index ranked Mozambique among the top 15 most attractive markets in sub-Saharan Africa for retail expansion. The country is experiencing a growing shopping culture driven by rising incomes and a large number of expats in the capital Maputo
Ethiopia – telecommunications
The telecommunications industry in Ethiopia is controlled by the state-owned Ethio Telecom. In 2015 it was reported that Ethiopia had 40 million mobile subscribers and 10 million internet connections, yet it has a population of over 90 million. Services such as mobile money are also in their infancy.
Madagascar – mining
Madagascar’s resources include coal, nickel and ilmenite. Mamy Rakotondraibe, country manager of DHL Madagascar, highlights the sector as potentially lucrative for investors. However, underdeveloped infrastructure and bureaucracy have frustrated the efforts of some mining companies.
Liberia – hydro-electricity
Nearly 90% of the population in Liberia has no access to reliable electricity. According to Akwasi Aninakwah, DHL Express country manager, there’s potential for greater hydro-electricity generation. Liberia has six major rivers Mano, Saint Paul, Lofa, Saint John, Cestos and Cavalla that drain over 60% of the country’s water. He cites opportunity to provide power for Liberia as well as other countries in the sub-region.
