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Putting yourself in a position to successfully market your product or service in Africa can be quite a daunting task. Your first priority should be to identify and align yourself with credible business partners in various African countries. Find an organization that specializes in Africa-specific business promotions to identify what businesses might make compatible partners. A promotions company has the resources, expertise and contacts to help you make the right connections.
Manufacturers should recognize that many industrial sectors in various African countries lean toward large, diversified groups. These companies use their own systems to facilitate imports and raw material, but smaller manufacturers may engage in direct procurement of resources like machinery. If you don’t have a specific distributor for your product, you could sell directly to a wholesaler in your market. Wholesalers can play an important role in getting your product to the people. Large wholesalers are utilized by independent retailers and operators.
To help you understand how to navigate various cultural and economic barriers, you should work with an operative that knows the particulars of the market you are servicing. There tend to be a small amount of agents servicing various sectors, but those few know the Africa’s regions extremely well and can operate in a variety of capacities including acting as a liaison for a myriad of products and services.
For person-to-person business interactions — as with any trans-national business — it is paramount that you understand the cultural particulars of the country that you are attempting to do business in. In South Africa in particular, you should make all business presentations clear and precise. The decision of whether or not to do business with you will be made after weighing facts and figures, and will not be made based on how charismatic you are or how much the interested party likes you. Include charts and graphs and present statistical data. Make sure you are thorough, but remain concise and precise.
Nonetheless, if you’re working with an Afrikaans company in areas like Bloemfontein or Pretoria, having materials translated into Afrikaans makes a good impression. ~todd williams
