Marking another example the mobile phone

Africa, it is "the new frontier." The expression is Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State. Jean-Paul Agon resumed it on his own account: "We will go to the conquest of new countries, and even a new continent, Africa, recently explained the General Director of l ' Oréal in"The Point"." , A des IL, IL, a of it, it is a market This is our new frontier. "The African boom leaves not insensitive companies. Many are those, such as the world's leading cosmetics, who have made their new battle horse.

Danone, for example, just to climb to 100 in its subsidiary in South Africa, to make his beachhead on the continent. The Bel group, which seeks to "develop the consumption of cheese" in Africa, has chosen to open a factory in Algeria. For an immediate success: the application of the country has increased by 50 last year. "Before, it was Africa as a continent resource." "Now, are starting to see it as a market continent", said Anthony Bouthelier, delegate President of CIAN, organization bringing together French companies invested in Africa.

The crisis, but has not spared the area. According to the African Development Bank, the growth is from an average of 5.5 the past five years to 2.3 in 2009. But this is far superior to that of the developed economies. And the continent should soon resume strong growth.

The companies therefore take the extent of the potential of the market, where the prospects, including new technologies, are immense. The Forrester research firm, for example, provides for a doubling of the number of Internet users in Africa between 2008 and 2013.

Marking another example: the mobile phone. Between 2002 and 2007, the number of subscriptions was multiplied by 3 in the Morocco, by Tunisia 12 and 58 in Algeria! Safaricom, subsidiary of the British Vodafone and first operator of East Africa, made a profit of 900 million in 2008. "Seeing the craze for mobile phone operators have understood any profit that they could draw in realizing a low margin, but on a large number of poor clients, instead of developing a product of luxury for a wealthy clientele, explains Annie Chéneau-Loquay, Director of research at CNRS. This policy has caused an explosion in the number of subscribers, the scale has surprised everyone. In African cities, the mobile becomes a subject of current consumption. "A condition, therefore, to adapt its economic model to local specificities. IBM also understood: since September, the US group markets "packages" of software at low prices for the African market, sold $ 10 per month and per user.

Chinese rush

According to CIAN, two events have put Africa in the spotlight. First, the Chinese rush on raw materials and oil, which allowed significant GDP growth in several African countries such as Angola. "Now, investors come to us telling us that it is in China that they have become aware of the interest of Africa", says Anthony Bouthelier.

In addition, new environmental concerns have highlighted the strengths of the continent to combat climate change: 30 of world hydroelectric potential and incredible solar resources. "So new, it's that one realizes that the key to these problems is located in Africa, so that the continent is a source of considerable business," continues the delegate President of the CIAN.

Witness, also, the recent success of the entry on the stock exchange of CAD/CAM, the French company of the West Africa, subsidiary of PPR. The turnover of the company, which sells including automobiles and drugs, rose by 12 per year for ten years.

Remain political tensions and almost omnipresent corruption, obviously holding the interest of foreign investors. For CIAN, a solution: "bypass the States subsidizing regional organizations who are delegated economic skills."