Find clients and develop your business in Africa

Finding clients abroad is always a challenge, and business development in Africa is not different. You need the right contacts and once you reach the decision maker, you need the right sales pitch.

A lot of companies that want to enter the market in Africa, do this with their general sales pitch. However, if you don’t know the local regulations, pricing levels and your competition’s product, sales meetings may be difficult to conclude successfully.

How to sell your product or service in Africa?

Africa, the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent, has a diverse population exceeding 1.3 billion. It’s characterized by its youth, with a significant portion under 25, presenting both challenges and opportunities for development.

African economies are diverse, ranging from resource-rich nations like Nigeria and South Africa to rapidly growing economies like Ethiopia. Key sectors include agriculture, mining, energy, and increasingly, technology and services. Investment in infrastructure and technology is crucial for future growth.

Opportunities abound in renewable energy, agribusiness, digital services, infrastructure development, and tourism. The continent’s growing middle class and urbanization also open up markets for consumer goods, financial services, and healthcare.

Business culture and etiquette in Africa

Business culture in Africa varies widely due to its diversity across 54 countries. Generally, it emphasizes personal relationships, respect for hierarchy, and community-oriented decision-making. Networking and face-to-face meetings are crucial for building trust. Formal attire in business settings reflects professionalism, though this can vary by region.

Patience and flexibility are key, as processes may take longer than in Western contexts. Understanding and respecting local customs, traditions, and languages can significantly impact business success.

Do your first approach with instantly

If you target people in Africa in a specific industry or with a certain role in the company (like HR directors) you can do an easy first trial yourself.

With the tooling of our partner Instantly.ai you can define your target group, whether it’s 50 or 50.000 people. Send them a sequence of emails, directly in their inbox, for typically under 10 dollarcents per persoon.

Translate your website and check your SEO

Even if your business is really international, it may be wise to set up local website translations and check whether your text aligns with the culture.

This also counts for Africa. People prefer reading in their own language and also search most of the time in their own language. Therefore you need to include the relevant keywords in your texts, and these may not be a direct translation.

With regards to content, my personal experience is that if you have a successful blog topic in one language, it is likely to do well also in other languages. Don’t reinvent the wheel, just make a proper translation.

Translate your Wordpress site with WPML

For targeting Africa you may need website translations that goes beyond Google translate. You can do this with WPML.

WPML is a Wordpress plugin that helps you set up different translations of your web pages. This can be with automated translations, but you can also choose to have manual or adjusted translations or even specific content on the language pages.

Shipping your products

If you sell physical products, you need them to get delivered into Africa. Depending on the country you are in, this can be a challenge.

First of all you may have to pay import duties or settle VAT. This can be complex if you don’t have your own legal entity in the country.

There may also be non-financial bariers, like certifications or approvals to be obtained. Especially for food, cosmetics or medicine this may be the case. Check this in advance, even before you invest in your marketing.

Customs clearance for Africa

Getting your products imported and delivered in a specific country can be a challenge. I have good experience with Tecex, who can act as your importer of record and even physical distributor. If you leave your details, they will contact you.

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Frequently asked questions

How to do business development in Africa?

First determine who can be the end-users for your product or service. From who do they purchase now? Interview a number of key players in the value chain how they perceive your offering and ask them who is your competition. Only then you can position your product or service and effectively approach potential buyers.

Is it difficult to find B2B clients in Africa?

In Africa, just as many comparable countries, this all depends on your offering and the way you organise your sales. If you offering already sells in other countries, you have good chances, but you still need to figure out the market structure and the sales channels that perform best. We always recommend to do interviews with key players first.

Is Africa open for international business?

Yes, Africa is certainly open for international business, the country has trade relationships with many other nations and although there may be import duties, certification and other customs regulations, you can certainly sell your goods there.

How to do sales in Africa?

First of all adhere to the local business culture and follow local ways of making appointments and structuring them. Also in Africa, companies want to make profits so if you can show how your product or service contributes to that, then the interest will be not different than in other countries. Where possible, work with local partners or have your sales supported by an international business consultant.

Can you find B2B clients for me in Africa?

Yes, we can certainly do that, because we have experienced business developers in the country. Of course it is important that your product is good, well documented and you have discovered the best sales processes already in your home country.