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The African Market: Challenges for SMEs and Responses

Guest post by: Norbert Knoll von Dornhoff

Article Overview: In the presentation of WUSME World Union of SMEs on 20th May 2011 at the VI.African Summit, chaired by the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria H.E. Obasanjo, the market trends and opportunities for Micro- Small and Medium Enterpriseswere summarized as follows: Focusing on the economic development in the „Danger Zones” of the African Continent, the Sub Saharan Countries remain a challenge and urgently need to be addressed. These are the African Savanna and Sahel: Niger, Sierra Leone, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Central African Republic, Chad, northern Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia.

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The African Market: Challenges for SMEs and Responses

Market trends for Africa – many good news

1. Africa is, and will continue to be, one of the fastest-growing economic regions in the world, thanks to surging demand both from abroad (from China and India in particular) and at home (fuelled by urbanization and consumerism.

2. Telecoms, banking, retailing, manufacturing and even agriculture will be the region’s fastest growing sectors: Africa’s consumer market will account for the region’s largest growth

3. Energy from renewable sources, sun, water,wind, biomass, waste to energy

4. Low cost housing

5. Africa’s youthful workforce will be a key
advantage.

6. Smart phones will be the fastest-growing category of handsets,
even in the poorer areas, where they often serve as a substitute for PCs. Commerce will flourish in 2011

7. Africa is well positioned to profit from natural resources as
global demand for commodities continues to rise.
Small and Medium Enterprises that succeed in these neglected emerging markets are not only putting down roots in the world’s most fertile soil. They are giving themselves a chance to establish business habits for years to come.
WUSME can certainly provide support to the African Countries in the following areas:
a) Facilitate technology transfer from WUSME member countries to the organisations and enterprises in Africa.
b) Enterprise to enterprise cooperation.
c) Training to African Entrepreneurs for setting up SMEs.
d) Undertake mission with a view to provide policy and
institutional reforms.
Our World Union’s mission is to assist Government Agencies for Development and SME Supporting Institutions to reach the Millennium Development Goals and to facilitate doing business in the less privileged economies in Africa."

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Home > Small-Business-Consulting > Norbert Knoll von Dornhoff > The African Market Challenges for SMEs and Responses >
Article Tags: african savanna, danger zones, market trends, smes, sub saharan countries

About the Author: Norbert Knoll von Dornhoff
RSS for Norbert's articles - Visit Norbert's website

Date of birth: 27th March 1941, originating from the South Tyrolian family, The Barons Knoll von Dornhoff. Austrian nationality. Married, three children. Studied jurisprudence and national economics at the Universities in Vienna, Austria and St. Gallen, Switzerland. Graduated Dr.jur. (LL.D)and Dr. phil. and Mag.rer.soc.oec (MBA). Professor (adj. associate) of Economic and Fiscal Policy of the International University for Entreprenology, Hawaii, USA. Languages: German, English, French, Hungarian. Attorney at Law, later Head of the Environment and Energy Department of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce, then appointed Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Architects and Engineers. Austrian Delegate to International Organisations (e.g. UNO, ECE, OECD), often as Extraordinary Ambassador and Authorised Minister. 1979 to 1982 Deputy Director Finance of Wienerberger Baustoffindustrie AG. From 1983 to 1991 Permanent Observer SACEP South Asian Co-operative Environment Programme (Governmental Organisation) to UNIDO in Vienna. From 2010 up to date General Secretary of WUSME World Union of Small and Medium Enterprise

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