Second-hand cars have been finding their way to African markets for many years. The market for used cars in Africa is poised for further growth as Africa is by far the least motorized region on the planet with only 44 registered vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants. The global average, on the other had, stands at 180 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants  – which reflects the tremendous growth potential in the market for used cars in the African market in the future. Demand for used cars in many African countries is soaring due to an emerging African middle class and increasing levels of disposable incomes. Nigeria is the biggest market for used cars in Africa, and is also one of the most affluent in the Sub-Saharan region. The country boasts a population of over 140 million with approximately 40 million currently belonging to the rapidly emerging middle class. While new car sales are slowly picking up across the country, used sales still best those of new vehicles by a ratio of 4:1.  Apart from South Africa and the North African countries the rest of the continent is poised for a major increase in demand for second-hand cars over the coming years. It is estimated that by 2030 car ownership will more than double to reach a healthy number of 90 million registered vehicles. In East Africa, more than 96 per cent of vehicles imported into Kenya are used ones. Its neighbour, Ethiopia, along with Nigeria, is one of the largest importers of used vehicles globally. Given the current limited disposable income, Ethiopia’s automotive market is dominated by second-hand imported vehicles – particularly commercial vehicles. Commercial vehicles are Ethiopia’s second most valuable import overall, worth over US$850 million. Approximately 85 per cent vehicles in Ethiopia are second-hand imports, of which almost 90% are Toyotas, imported primarily from the Middle East – mostly from Dubai. Every year, around 800,000 used cars are exported to the top ten sub-Saharan African importers from Japan, EU and the United States. Japan, alone, exports used vehicles to at least 13 African countries via the UAE. Its market is spread across eastern and southern Africa with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania having a large user base.  The European Union is the second largest exporter of used vehicles to Africa, supplying to at least 15 countries in North Africa. Germany is a major exporter of used cars to Africa garnering over half of EU car exports to Africa (53 per cent). Region-wise, West Africa is clearly ahead of the rest of Africa as it imports over 900,000 used cars every year, which is approximately 70 per cent of total imported vehicles in Africa. Central Africa contributes the least to used car business and imports an average of 65,000 vehicles per annum. Interestingly, it is slightly higher than what Kenya, alone, imports in one year on an average. Japanese Used Cars On one hand, we have Africa, the biggest consumer of second hand cars in the world, and on the other hand we have the Far East. Japanese used car exporters have been successful in meeting Africa’s need for used cars. It is indeed a very agreeable trade agreement between Japan and Africa. Not only is Africa, as a continent, the largest importer of used cars, but owing to the global crisis that hit most parts of the world in 2008/2009, Kenya toppled Chile and Russia from the top, to become the largest importer of Japanese used cars in Africa and the world. Owing to the lack of parts support and dealership networks, the top priority of Africans when buying used cars is reliability – and that means they want Japanese cars. Even though Europe is much closer to Africa (and, therefore, shipping used cars should be cheaper), Japanese cars are still relatively rare in Europe. In North America, Japanese cars are common, which is why so many are brought over from the USA. When it comes to the types of cars, unsurprisingly, Toyota and VW dominate both the new and used car space, capturing more than 35% of the new and used passenger financed volumes. Most models of Toyota are particularly popular in Africa – including the Aygo, Corolla Quest, Etios, Avanza and Yards, which boasts a good reputation and they’re perceived to be reliable and easy to maintain. Nigerian Used Car Market Large numbers of used cars are smuggled into Nigeria from Benin and Togo. Car importers in Benin legally import used cars from Europe, but then export them illegally to Nigeria. In the process, used car importers in Benin and Togo are making good profits by servicing the demand for used cars in Nigeria. Most cars imported into Togo and Benin are finally destined for Nigeria. “The price of cars will go up, and the smuggling will increase. There are 200 roads through the bush to come to Nigeria, the borders are porous,” said one car dealer in Benin. The reason for the rise in this illegal trade in used cars is the high import duties which Nigeria imposes on the importation of second-hand vehicles. Moreover, Nigeria has banned the import of vehicles older than 10 years. All in all, the used car business in Africa will continue to grow as more and more Africans enjoy the benefits of economic prosperity sweeping across Africa and benefit from rising disposable incomes and move to upgrade their lifestyles. Africa Business Pages has compiled the Africa Car Importers Directory – a special directory of importers of cars in Africa – with special emphasis on used car importers – that is now available for download and provides a comprehensive list of used car dealers in Africa.

The furniture business continues to boom in many African markets as the demand for home and office accommodation grows across Africa. Africa’s growing economy and its large and rapidly growing urban population are some of the reasons why the furniture business is experiencing good times on our continent. Africa’s Real Estate Boom Boosting Furniture Sales From Lagos in West Africa to Nairobi in East Africa, it is very difficult to not notice the vast amount of construction work in many of Africa’s cities and towns. Residential estates and complexes, office buildings, guest house lodgings, three and five-star hotels, new schools and campuses are rising up everywhere. The demand for all kinds of accommodation is rising very fast on the continent and there is a growing investment in real estate to satisfy this demand. As more people move into new homes and open new business offices, furniture will be required. When new schools are built, desks and chairs will be needed. New hotels will often require tastefully designed beds, wardrobes and several other fixtures and fittings. As a result, higher demand for home and office accommodation is leading to a high demand for furniture pieces. Apparent furniture consumption (at production or import prices, excluding retail mark-up) amounts to US$ 9.6 billion. Africa accounted for roughly 2.5% of world furniture consumption in 2017 with a per capita furniture consumption of US$9, compared to a per capita average of US$12 recorded by Asian countries.  Over 60% of the total furniture market in Africa is satisfied by local manufacturers. Total Africa furniture production amounts to approximately US$ 7.5 billion. Almost 15% of local manufactured furniture is exported, with main exporting countries being South Africa, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria.  Real furniture consumption (at production or import prices, excluding retail mark-up) amounts to roughly US$ 9.5 billion. Main markets with over $500 million of furniture consumption are South Africa, Algeria, Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco.  Urbanisation Increase Demand for Furniture Urbanisation process in many parts of Africa is expected to be very rapid, particularly in Sub Saharan Africa and large urban areas will be the engine of economic growth with important catalysts for the increase of furniture consumption. Despite political instability and relative poor infrastructure level, there is evidence of a number of urban centres, which offer potential for growth for the furniture market. These cities are increasingly diversifying their economy. In recent years, huge investments have been made in real estate, tourism and hospitality industry, culture and entertainment, which have boosted demand for the furniture sector. In West Africa the leading furniture consumer is Nigeria (a large fast growing market), followed by Ghana and Ivory Coast. In West Africa more than 70% of furniture consumption is satisfied by local manufacturers. In East Africa the largest furniture consumer is Ethiopia, followed by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The fastest growing markets in the region are Ethiopia and Uganda. Southern Africa is the second largest furniture market. Local manufacturers satisfy 50% of the market. South Africa is ranking first as furniture consumer, followed by Angola, where prospects for growth are particularly favourable. In Africa, the demand for furniture is much higher in the urban than in rural areas because there are more offices, modern accommodation, hotels and schools in the cities and these are the biggest buyers and users of furniture. As a result, of sustained migration from the rural areas, more than 40 percent of Africa’s one billion people now live in urban areas (cities and towns). At the current rate of growth, more than 500 million Africans will live in cities by 2030. As the population of Africa’s cities and towns increases, this will naturally increase the demand for real estate; residential accommodation, office space, hotels and schools. At the moment, just a little over 50 African cities have a population equal to or more than one million people. At the current rate of migration, the number of cities in Africa with over one million people is expected to reach 65 by the year 2030. Because more people are flocking to cities and towns in search of jobs and a better life, they are helping to increase the demand for accommodation. Don’t forget, when the demand for accommodation rises, the demand for furniture is never far behind.  Rising Income Levels While the global economy is predicted to grow by 2 to 3 percent between 2011 and 2020, Africa is expected to grow by nearly 6 percent, making it one of the world’s fastest-growing regions. The level of development going on in many African cities and towns are increasing day-by-day and this development includes construction of buildings such as; schools, campuses, complexes, residential estates, hotels, guest houses etc. With the increasing number in population, the demand for all kinds of accommodation is increasing daily.  And this fact has caused a huge growth in the real estate investment. Statistics shows that about 40% of the African population has migrated from the rural area (villages) down to the urban area (cities). It has also been predicted that about 500 million Africans will live in cities by the year 2030. Judging by the statistics stated above, there will be an increase in the demand for modern accommodation such as real estate and residential buildings as well as business offices, schools, hospitals, hotels etc. This positive trend will usher nearly 300 million Africans into the middle class and will lead to huge spending on real estate and construction for housing and office accommodation. As more people flood into cities and towns in search of greener pastures, the number of African cities with over a million populations is expected to raise from 50 to 65 by the year 2030. Africa is expected to witness a high increase in the demand for accommodation and as this tends to occur, the rate in the demand for furniture will definitely increase. Africans in this economic ‘middle class’ are usually urban dwellers who hold salaried jobs or own and operate a small business. Many of them are young, educated, and more aware of modern consumer tastes and trends in furniture and interior decoration. This segment of consumers are willing to spend more on furniture and fittings that suit their higher tastes. Favourable Government Policies For many years, imported furniture from North America and Europe dominated African markets and made it very difficult for local furniture businesses to thrive. This is still the case in many countries on the continent. However, in countries like Nigeria,, imported furniture has been banned since 2004. This has allowed several local furniture companies to grow and become very successful. A classic example of such a success is the Sokoa Chair Centre, a partnership between a major French furniture maker and a local Nigerian company. In Kenya, the Public Procurement Oversight Authority (PPOA) has released regulations that restrict government offices and public entities from buying imported furniture. All government spending on furniture will now go to local Kenyan furniture businesses. This is huge because the government is arguably the biggest spender in Kenya and local furniture businesses will get a huge boost  from this initiative. Banning imported furniture is a good way for African governments to develop and support local furniture businesses. As more countries on the continent impose bans on imported furniture, smart entrepreneurs can seize such opportunities to tap into a very lucrative market. However, some consumers (like hotels, offices and rich people) prefer foreign furniture for reasons of brand appeal or because they ‘perceive’ the locally produced items as poor quality. Some other people cannot afford imported furniture because they can be very expensive. The bottom line is that the projected sure shot increase in the demand for residential and commercial accommodation is the engine to accelerate the growth of furniture industry in Africa. It’s the perfect time to get into the furniture business in Africa! Africa Furniture Importers Directory The AFRICA FURNITURE DIRECTORY is a perfect starting point for international exporters, manufacturers, traders and merchants of furniture equipment looking to establish direct contacts with their business counterparts in the lucrative African market. The directory lists furniture dealers in Africa, importers of furniture equipment in Africa.  This database of FURNITURE FIRMS IN AFRICA will help you reach your target audience in Africa by helping you build direct B2B contacts with importers in Africa dealing in your products.  There is a great demand for furniture equipment among importers in the African market. This database will help you reach potential buyers in Africa and expand your market share in the new and emerging markets in Africa.

Saudi Arabia plans to build a $500 billion megacity that links to Africa via a bridge over the Red Sea. The development is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 plan to diversify Saudi Arabia's oil-driven economy. At 16,400 square kilometres, the megacity would be 33 times as large as New York City and one of the largest cities in the world to run on 100% renewable energy. Its name, Neom - from the Arabic terms for "new" and "future" - symbolises its utopian vision of robot workers and drone taxis, and it would connect to Africa via a bridge over the Red Sea. The smart and tourist cross-border city planned for construction is located in the far north-west of Saudi Arabia and is planned to be be constructed in Tabuk. It includes marine land located within the Egyptian and Jordanian borders. It aims to embrace digital technologies and services to make the city a major commercial location in the Middle East. The project is estimated to take between 30 to 50 years to complete, however, with the first phase due by 2025. It will be an independent zone, with its own regulations and social norms, created specifically to be in service of economic progress and the well-being of its citizens, in the hopes of attracting the world’s top talent and making Neom a hub of trade, innovation and creativity.

The world has gone digital is a term we hear far too often nowadays, but it’s not exactly true. It is true that the world is transforming, but there is an increasing distinction between those who are leading the change and profiting from it, and those who are falling behind and missing the many opportunities.  So what does digital transformation really mean to business?  Digital transformation is based on a beautiful two-way street – you provide your customers with the information, content, products and services that they want, when they want it, and how they want it. They, in turn, appreciate the relevant, seamless experience you have given them and keep coming back for more. We call this standout digital engagement, it means that by delivering rewarding, optimised, contextual experiences, you can increase conversions, page views, and engagement. Africa Business Pages has a digital presence that spans over 25 years and is one of the leading B2B portals for African businesses. The Africa Business Pages has accumulated consumer data over 25 years and has the advantage of a comprehensive database of African buyers – segmented by location and business activity. Digital Marketing in Africa If you work with digital marketing or campaign management, you probably have some clear goals for your digital presence: increased engagement, conversions and website page views, with content that works on any device. Specially so in the African market where buyers are looking for specific products to meet the growing demand  in their region. As a result, this is an exciting time to be in digital marketing – there have never been more opportunities to provide outstanding experiences for your customers. At the heart of your digital experience is your owned media: your web and mobile sites. When redesigning or rebranding, however, there are a few challenges that need to be overcome. One basic challenge is time. Another challenge is coordinating several marketing activities across diverse systems, channels and markets to provide a seamless experience for users. Ideally, you would be able to easily develop content for campaigns, landing pages and social media and launch it across several channels with a single click. And have the system figure out what is most relevant to each visitor, which would convert leads faster and drive more prospects down the funnel. Leads Generation Service: Business Leads from Africa Africa Business Pages has launched a special Lead Generation Service that gets you upto 10 business inquiries from African buyers everyday. The special packages offered let companies target specific countries and audiences in Africa based on their products and services. Starting package costs as little as $550 per month and guarantees a minimum of 10 business leads from Africa every day. You can also try the service for Trial Period of 7 days for just $35. After the trial period, if you are happy with the results, you can continue with the plan of your choice. The Africa Business Pages offers three plans to suit the requirements and budgets of various companies. These include: Silver Plan : US$550 per month (inclusive of all advertising expenses) Gold Plan : US$850 per month (inclusive of all advertising expenses) Platinum Plan : US$1,100 per month (inclusive of all advertising expenses) The digital marketing team at Africa Business Pages uses various online marketing verticals like email marketing, Facebook marketing, WhatsApp marketing, content marketing, banner advertising, email funnels as well as Featured Listings on Africa Business Pages to nurture and capture relevant business leads for your business. B2B Portals It would be great if you could sit in your chair and use your mind powers to make all of your campaigns magically align around the world. And simply by touching your fingertips together you could sense what your customers cared about, and understand why they continued their journey – or went away. The trouble is that technology that is supposed to help us achieve this – in some small way – can be difficult to manage, and the data it produces hard to analyse and quickly act on. The role of B2B portals like the Africa Business Pages can never be underplayed as they are recognised by Search Engines as useful hubs for information and therefore enjoy a higher search engine ranking – providing you with a direct link to your target audiences. In an ideal situation, you would be able to distribute content and promotions to the right channels, at the right time, to the right target market. After you publish the content on high ranking B2B portal like the Africa Business Pages, you would be able to easily respond to the campaign metrics – changing and tweaking the content so you can increase conversion rates and decrease the cost of leads. This is what agile marketing is all about. Reach African Buyers Digitally Create, orchestrate and optimise campaigns in real time. There are three elements crucial to any successful campaign – audience, message and timeliness. There are solutions like Featured Listings on the Africa Business Pages that enable you to launch new campaigns within hours of identifying a new opportunity. By advertising on Africa Business Pages, you can easily target audiences, create personalised experiences within your campaigns, and engage visitors in mobile, social and email channels. Once ready, your campaigns are instantly pushed out across channels – web, mobile, social, email and instore kiosks, and you will begin collecting insights on campaign performance and visitor engagement. Improve paid search conversions and organic search placement. For most businesses, organic search traffic is crucial to acquire new traffic and a cornerstone in an inbound marketing strategy. While most marketers know SEO, they struggle to achieve their organic acquisition goals. Once again, Africa Business Pages comes in handy here by providing you a readymade SEO platform that helps you reach African buyers across various digital channels – web, mobile, social, email and B2B WhatsApp groups. Africa Business Pages content is built around the visitor, and is inherently search-engine friendly with reusable content that attracts interest. As a leading content hub for Africa, the Africa Business Pages provide genuine value to the visitor, and built-in tools for marketers to optimise copy for better visibility and reach. Africa Business Pages offers automate content marketing to drive loyalty and engagement. Regulat email newsletters sent to registered users of Africa Business Pages offers excellent inbound email marketing once a lead has been acquired. Undoubtedly, email marketing is the foremost channel for lead nurturing, as well as an important component in customer loyalty programs. By sending personalised, high-converting and timely emails, Africa Business Pages ensures that you get the desired results from their email channel. With Africa Business Pages dedicated digital marketing campaigns, we have fused together all the parts you need for a successful email campaign: compelling content, precise targeting and profile management, and the authoring and automation tools that let you focus on the message instead of the mechanics. Digital Marketing Plans Africa Business Pages special Business Matchmaking program automatically presents content relevant to each visitor, and uses machine learning to optimise content presentation based on the behaviour and interests of the visitor. Personalised content offered to users at Africa Business Pages helps advertisers achieve on average a 19 percent uplift in sales when using Africa Business Pages digital . At the same time, it is often time consuming and costly to create a multitude of content assets, text and image variations, and target them to the right audience. Africa Business Pages Business Matchmaking program makes this process easy – it derives insights from each visitor’s behaviour, helps marketers select content for personalisation, and delivers actionable metrics on the performance and behaviour of different audiences. The digital marketing team at Africa Business Pages helps you to achieve better business results through time-tested inhouse digital marketing activities and by employing latest techniques like pixel marketing and other digital marketing methods to target specific customers and customer segments. Advertising in African Markets Digital marketing is not only about the opportunity to grow revenue, acquire new customers, and keep current customers loyal – it is also about streamlining operations. Africa Business Pages has a dedicated digital marketing team that has proven skills to increase operational efficiencies drastically, by reducing time spent on experience management, authoring and running campaigns, efficiently supporting internal operations, and connecting into back-end business systems. As digital marketing and digital commerce usually involve several different systems and environments, the digital marketing team at Africa Business Pages is well versed with all environments and ensures optimal performance and offers shorter response times. By hiring the digital marketing team at Africa Business Pages to reach African buyers, you can instead focus on creating experiences for your customers, not on complicated infrastructure and processes. And since global scalability is built in, you don’t need to worry about traffic peaks, new markets or changing needs – the Africa Business Pages platform is always on, and always ready for customers.

Rice is continuously gaining importance as a staple food in Africa. While Africa has vast areas of land that are suitable for rice cultivation, they are underutilized, prompting the African markets to import nearly 40% of its rice requirements at a cost of approximately US$1.1 billion per year. India, the world’s biggest rice exporter, saw 5% broken parboiled rice rise $7 per tonne to $352 to $357 per tonne, as aggressive purchases by the government and exporters pushed prices of unmilled rice in the local market. Rice prices in India have been increasing as demand from African buyers continues to grow and government agencies and exporters have been buying rice from local farmers in large quantities, while export markets in Thailand and Vietnam have been quiet due to the absence of many African buyers of rice. Rice importers in Africa have bought more rice from Myanmar and about 60 per cent of rice carried from sea routes are exported to Africa. Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) is expected to export about three million tonnes of rice in 2020. China is now the top producer, top consumer, top stockholder, top importer and a “rising exporter” of rice. Almost two-thirds of Chinese rice exports were to Africa. Meanwhile, the amount of rice Thailand has been exporting, especially to Africa, has dwindled, as Thailand is left with only the no-longer-good-for-human consumption rice within the country’s domestic stocks. The rapid growth in sales to African nations is expected to continue as African buyers increasingly turn to China as stockpiles are almost depleted in rival supplier Thailand. China sold just over 781,000 tonnes of rice to almost 40 African countries including Ivory Coast and Senegal in 2017. That accounted for nearly 70 percent of China’s total shipments of the commodity, versus 19 percent in 2016. China has around 94 million tonnes of rice stockpiles, two-thirds of the world’s excess inventory and enough to feed India for a year. A lot of that was accumulated through years of the government buying the grain from farmers at a minimum price when the market price dropped below that level. Tanzania’s has recorded a 20% increase in rice imports from Pakistan valued at US$29.6 million between July and December 2017. With the growing demand for rice especially in urban areas, Tanzania is the major producer and supplier of rice in the region, while Kenya and Uganda are minor producers. Tanzania is set to overtake Madagascar to become the leading grower of rice in Africa, having produced over one million tonnes of rice per annum, coming second to Madagascar’s yearly output of 4.3 tonnes. Pakistan targets to export four-million-tonne rice annually to fetch US$2 billion in foreign exchange mainly driven by Chinese cooperation with the government and private sector in the field. Despite the fact that Tanzania is a major rice producer and exporter, it ranks number eight on the list of importers of the rice during the period and the third top African market after Kenya, which is ranked second and Madagascar in the fourth position. While Madagascar spend US$51.7 million, Kenya spend as high as US$98.6 million to buy rice from Pakistan, with Benin and Somalia also projected on the list of top importers from Africa. Zimbabwe is a net importer of rice and spends about $80 million annually to import the cereal. The acceleration in per capita rice consumption in Africa since the mid-1990s is due to the liberalization of rice imports combined with a downward trend of the price on the world market.

The automobile sector of Ghana has been a driver of growth of the country as it is one of the most visible sectors to receive foreign investment. Ghana is a multicultural and ethnically diverse West African nation and is the 9th largest African economy. On the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, Ghana ranks as the 7th best economy in Africa, which implies a relative safety of foreign investment in the region. Also, Ghana ranks relatively high in the ease of doing business index and also has an extremely high freedom of press rating, which makes it a good emerging market to invest in. Some of the popular car brands in the region are Toyota, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, KIA, Nissan, Hyundai Volkswagen, Renault among others. Ghana’s manufacturing industry gets good support from the local government which has enabled it to become one of the 40 fastest growing industrial productions in the world. Industry currently accounts for a quarter of the GDP but by 2021 it is expected to account for at least 30% of the GDP and the main driver for the growth will be the automobile industry. AUTO PARTS INDUSTRY The African auto parts market for passenger vehicles is emerging as one of the most important re-export markets, growing more than 11 per cent year-on-year, and estimated to be worth US$7.68 billion in 2013 and based on the double-digit growth of demand in key Sub-Saharan countries, the value of the Africa’s auto parts market is likely to double by 2020. Countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, have witnessed double digit growth in demand of parts in the past five years.Focusing on the tremendous opportunities of doing business in the fast-emerging African market, there are currently more than 21.6 million cars on the continent’s roads which make up for nearly 70 per cent of spare parts consumption. There are five modes of automobile service business in Ghana, these are : New car dealers Independent garages/shops Specialty garages /shops Service stations or garages Fleet garages /shop However, the region still has its challenges. The African market is unstructured and the share of non-genuine parts is the biggest challenge to the automotive aftermarket in this region. Political issues, credit policies, and business sustainability related issues also impact the market, but these are mostly limited to Central Africa. Despite this the future outlook remained bright for those exporting to Africa, with the best opportunities existing in Kenya, Angola, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana. GREY MARKET In any properly controlled economy, necessary agencies are put in place by the government to regulate the importation, sales and use of such products as important as an automobile. Sadly enough, this has not been the case with Ghana where there are many grey importers who knowingly or unknowingly would bring in vehicles that are neither environmentally conducive nor mechanically compliant.  This definitely is an anathema that impedes national development. For example: •    These grey imports make it impossible to render accurate sales figures hence the inability of economic planners to have the appropriate statistical figures to help plot growth in the sub-sector.  •    In views of this negative practice in the Ghanaian auto-market, the inherent results are environmental pollution with its health hazards and accidents.  •    Currently, this grey market is forming a significant part of the auto market that is fiercely competing against genuine products for sub-Saharan Africa with some manufactured in South Africa.  The situation has established a very strong challenge for the organized and genuine auto market brand builders who invest their monies in the business for long term gain. The peculiar attractions based on opulence and hi-tech features take vast range of attentions comes with loads of problems when imported into the tropical zones like Ghana.  •    Instead of desired values, users have to grapple with increasing stress levels involved in the usage of the grey imported cars.  •    Due to the quality of these grey imports, the maintenance cost is usually very high, thereby creating financial nightmares for users. And a disturbing aspect is the distrust which customers develop for the genuine brand holders, thereby affecting the economic fortunes of the authentic auto brand builders.     Most people we interviewed prefer to buy grey imported cars than the ones from the authorized dealers. They agreed that authorized dealers offer reliable cars with the best in-class services and warranty, but it comes with a price which is too huge for their pockets to bear. If they consider to acquire new cars from the authorized dealers, price, interest rate and terms of repayment are the major factors that discourage them. Used engines are in great demand in many African countries which have a big market for re-conditioned automobiles. Most of the African buyers have substantial requirements for quantities of automotive batteries, tyres, spare parts, ball bearings, water pumps and a host of electronic goods. People prefer buying used spare parts because they are genuine and are often in good condition. Every spare parts outlet may not provide the full range of used parts of all car models but together the market is capable of providing nearly 90 per cent of such parts. The diversified range of used mechanical and body parts of cars and engines has brought this business parallel to genuine and non-genuine new spare parts businesses as it offers big variety at affordable prices. There has been an increasing demand for automobile spares, ball bearings and lubricants in the fast developing markets of Africa. The rapid growth of the middle class in many African countries has pushed demand for automobiles to an all-time high – in turn creating a growing market for all kinds of tyres: passenger car tyres, off-the-road tyres, industrial tyres, agricultural tyres, truck, bus and trailer tyres as well as motorcycle and bicycle tyres. The rising demand for tyres in Africa has led to stiff competition between tyre manufacturers from all across the world seeking to garner a major share of the market for tyres in the new and emerging African markets. Traditionally, European tyre manufactures had had a monopoly over the African markets and many European brands were top selling tyres in many African countries. MARKET OPPORTUNITIES However, in recent times, European tyre firms are beginning to lose ground to Chinese and other Asian brands in several African markets. The African count ries are price-sensitive markets and prefer to import low-priced Chinese tyres rather than the expensive European and American brands. There is an equally strong market for sale and importation of used tyres in this region. Apart from Dunlop International the other three significant players in the African market for tyres are Continental, Bridgestone and Goodyear. GROWING OPPORTUNITIES Currently most of the consumers in the automobile segment belong to the affluent class hence the automobile industry inGhana presents massive opportunities for the future as the burgeoning middle class is largely untapped in the country. One of the major problems with Ghana that has been impeding the growth of the automobile sector is the lack of financial inclusion in the country. Most people do not have access to financial loans and other options like lease that make owning an automobile easy. While the global automotive industry is fiercely competitive, there are other factors that limit or even distort trade. For decades, various governments around the world have used trade distorting policies to support the creation and expansion of domestic automotive industries that were not otherwise economically feasible. This has been accomplished through combinations of subsidies, tariffs and non-tariff barriers. The market for automobile spare parts, in particular, has been an attractive sector for enterprises supplying these goods to many countries in Africa. The rapid industrialisation currently sweeping across many African countries has resulted in an increased demand for capital goods such as machinery, lubricants, spare parts, ball bearings and other mechanical accessories.

Cryptocurrencies and blockchain assets are the newest and potentially most promising new asset class. Cryptocurrencies are gradually being discovered in Africa. In countries like South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, there is a semblance of digital currencies, primarily bitcoin, taking roots. Blockchain or DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) can be seen as the solution for Africa’s current problems and future growth. Bitcoin, based on blockchain, could be the engine for African growth, and could fuel the continent's great leap forward. Cryptocurrencies are classified as a subset of digital currencies and are also classified as a subset of alternative currencies and virtual currencies. Bitcoin became the first decentralized cryptocurrency in 2009. Blockchain is another important concept that needs to be defined. As such, blockchain is a continuously growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked and secured using cryptography.  Investment returns in cryptocurrencies in recent times have by far outperformed traditional assets such as global stocks and bonds. However, public opinion and investors’ minds on cryptocurrencies are divided and it often comes down to a philosophical and even emotional debate. This is also true about African policymakers and their official stance on cryptocurrency. High volatility and unexplained falls, risks of hacking attacks and ransom with the subsequent sensational media headlines are reasons why many investors still shy away from cryptocurrencies and merely think of it as “magical internet money.” The biggest fallacy many casual observers and some government officials have, is that they say they like blockchain, but they do not like cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ether and Litecoin, etc. That argument is the same as people in 1994, before the introduction of the Internet web browser, arguing that they do not like the public censor-free Internet (it is not regulated and not “owned” by anybody etc.), but rather have a privately controlled intra-net.  A private blockchain without a trustless and distributed consensus-based crypto-currency is nothing more than a shared database or intra-net. Proponents of cryptocurrencies are of the firm belief that blockchain could soon give rise to a new era of the Internet even more disruptive and transformative than the current one.  Blockchain's ability to generate unprecedented opportunities to create and trade value in society via cryptocurrencies will lead to a generational shift in the Internet's evolution, from an Internet of Information to a new generation Internet of Value. Any government that embraces cryptocurrencies is going to benefit so much by owning the money that is native to the internet. In a similar fashion, in this case the Internet of money, one can see the disruption potential of cryptocurrencies. Just like the Internet took out Hollywood with Netflix, Spotify took out the music business, and Google and Facebook took out advertising and media businesses, cryptocurrencies will take out the finance industry as we know it. The Case for Cryptocurrencies in Africa There is high potential for Africans to leapfrog some of the existing financial services, in the same way that many Africans skipped the part of owning a cumbersome and expensive landline and went straight to owning a mobile phone. In the “old” or “traditional” system, traditional bankers in suits were the miners of the old generation, getting paid in the currency of the central bank run by un-elected officials. That system is also characterised by fiat currency being mined by the fractional reserve banking system, bank bail-outs and large costs to ordinary tax payers, amid the rise of populism. The new central bankers are the cryptographers. The new owners of the financial infrastructure are the holders of the cryptocurrency coins, which is or could be everybody. While cryptocurrency has been hailed for its potential in the financial sector of the developed world, one of its greatest applications has been virtually overlooked. In nations that lack dependable economic systems or governance, digital currency may offer hope. Access to finances, security and privacy of funds, and faith in a common medium of exchange, can aid many across the African continent. Several African countries have exchanges and start-ups in the crypto space, and their businesses are recognizing the significance of cryptocurrencies in fostering cross-border trade and payment. Moreover, the infrastructure for the take-off of digital tokens is solid.  Telecommunication liberalisation across the continent has enabled Internet accessibility remarkably. Figures from GSMA indicate that half of Africa’s population is subscribed to mobile telephony. Also, the statistics indicate that for the past two years, smartphone usage in the continent has doubled to reach 226 million. The new finance industry will settle on where the innovation will be for smart contracts and cryptocurrencies. It is Silicon Valley’s replacement for the old infrastructure of finance and Africa’s chance to leapfrog the old system. It will position the economies of Africa for the future of finance. With Africa not having a strong legacy system in place, as is the case with the developed world, is suddenly a great advantage. Still, too many adult people in Africa do not have access to bank accounts. This wretched situation denies countless numbers of people financial freedom. Bureaucratic tenors and economic exclusion, amongst others, have paved the way for this situation. A recent study of 10 African nations with unusual inflationary ratios, indicated that South Sudan had a huge inflation rate of 295%. Egypt had the lowest rate with 12.30%. High inflation and weak African currencies allow Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies to offer African consumers a stable store of value and an inflation hedge. African nations have lagged in traditional banking, but the phenomenal success of Kenya’s Safaricom M-Pesa shows that this is and can be an advantage in the coming blockchain economy. Safaricom’s success has shown that Microsoft Founder Bill Gates’ adage of “Banking as a function is necessary, Banks are NOT”, holds very true. What Safaricom’s M-Pesa achieved on a country scale, cryptocurrency can achieve on a pan-African scale. Cryptocurrency remittance services in Africa have sprung up as an alternative to Western Union, and international organizations have employed blockchain technology to assist refugees. Still, it appears that many of the communities most desperate for this innovation have yet to embrace the monetary haven. Africa’s wide adoption of crypto-currency would further progress themove to the democratization of financial services. Kazakhstan became the second country in the world, after Japan, to recognize the need for the development of the cryptocurrency market system at governmental level. The development of the digital currency market, based on the Astana International Financial Centre, is the first step towards the creation of a fully-fledged ecosystem for the digital economy. Forward-looking governments in Africa should try to emulate the developments in Japan and Kazakhstan. Practices and Challenges of Cryptocurrency in Africa Large scale adoption in Africa, however, is still slow. Awareness, education and user experience are some reasons why the take-up is taking time. Switzerland and Singapore are both successful countries with strong currencies, and as such have nothing to lose by embracing fintech and cryptocurrency. Countries with high inflation and currency controls in place seem to be paranoid about the rise of cryptocurrency. However, similar to the Internet, it is difficult to ban and/or control. In recent times, the African market has seen the emergence of more than 10 Bitcoin exchanges seeking to provide cheap and efficient trading services to African consumers. Some exchanges have expanded their services and have established an office in Africa to serve the new market and observe the demand of Bitcoin in several African countries. In East Africa, local innovators have introduced cryptocurrency systems to support cross-border transactions, as exemplified by initiatives like BitPesa. In South Africa, cryptocurrencies are becoming particularly popular. In Nigeria, local traders and activists believe this new money presents an opportunity to democratize the economy. This is propelled by the fact that people in Nigeria have been failed by conventional money. The Central Bank of Nigeria, which oversees an inflation rate of 14%, making it the 6th highest inflation rate in the world, recently announced that they cannot stop Bitcoin. Their statement read: “Central bank cannot control or regulate bitcoin. Central bank cannot control or regulate blockchain. Just the same way no one is going to control or regulate the Internet. We don’t own it.” This is very sensible and the correct and forward-looking approach. While several exchanges offer conventional payment methods, such as bank transfers and account top-ups, a few platforms, like BTCGhana, provide local users and the underbanked population simpler methods of purchasing and selling Bitcoin. On the BTCGhana platform, users can make Bitcoin purchases through established exchange platforms and can, within minutes, send the payment to local remittance platforms, including TigoCash, Airtel Money and MTN Mobile Money. This service allows African users to pick up cash at local remittance outlets with ease, without having to deal with complex withdrawal and deposit methods The African market has seen the emergence of more than 10 Bitcoin exchanges seeking to provide cheap and efficient trading services to African consumers. Conclusion Africa has lots to offer Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, simply because Africa needs an alternative to the weak and not–always–available nor reliable local African fiat money. All products of cryptocurrencies will be well-embraced if promoted in Africa. The current vacuum for alternative means of payment in Africa is obvious. Cryptocurrency is not just a solution to the plight of the “unbanked.” Rather, it is a method for allowing economically or politically subjugated populations to control their own wealth. Non-fiat digital currency can bring millions of people into a secure and person-driven global economy. The intangible nature of digital currencies means that a government cannot physically remove the wealth of a citizen. This paradigm shift is a monumental step forward in the social contract, providing an additional layer of security to individuals. All populations, especially those that are disadvantaged, need a way to maintain access to their wealth from anywhere in the world. Imagine if a refugee could access a bank account even after being displaced from their home country. This could help maintain the refugee’s dignity and hopefully diminish the extreme poverty caused by this terrible upheaval. This is the unrealized potential of virtual currency. In a nation where political activists are jailed, or inflation runs rampant, a non-fiat virtual currency may offer an escape. Cryptocurrency is humanity’s greatest iteration on the aphorism that there is strength in numbers. For many, a virtual currency could become the next step in the social contract – a world that lives, breathes, and functions outside the boundaries of a government. For the first time, open minded early adopters can make a Silicon Valley venture capital style bet on the future of money and finance and the development of African economies Like any other investments, cryptocurrencies carry risks. However, not owning or embracing the native money of the Internet is even riskier. Cryptocurrency is a fast-evolving, complex phenomenon that in my view will have a major impact on power distribution in the global economy and on the African continent. The intangible nature of digital currencies means that a govern-ment cannot physically remove the wealth of a citizen. This para-digm shift is a monumental step forward in the social contract, providing an addi-tional layer of security to indivi-duals.

Per capita, South Africa's private security industry is the fourth largest in the world and South Africans spend more than $4bn a year protecting themselves and their homes. However, despite the growth of the industry, and an increase in the number of active security officers between 2016 and 2017 (472,097 to 498,435) – not all categories of security are equal. The number of security providers in South Africa has increased from 8,830 in 2016 to 8,995 in 2017 – an addition of 165 new SPs. In terms of registered security businesses, however, there has been a marked decreased – moving down from 35,150 in 2016 to 31,470 in 2017. This decline of 3,680 registered businesses is across the board, with all but four business categories showing a drop. The only increases were seen in cash-in-transit guards, reaction services, alarm installers, and dog trainers. Massive potential for the security industry in Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is a huge potential market for the security industry. Many of the issues around the region are the result of years of conflict, disease and instability, caused by a lack of real society within modern state boundaries as the traditional social anchors of tribal nations have been almost destroyed by European colonial powers. Other factors, such as the legacy of conflict in countries like Angola, the rise of extreme terrorist organisations such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al Shabaab operating into Kenya from Somalia, political reform such as we have seen with the demise of apartheid in South Africa and the ongoing legacy caused by Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, have all added to the challenges to this part of the world. However, the opportunities on offer are not caused by “problems”. The wealth in Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily through natural resources gives it a unique position in many markets so Philip Ingram looks at its potential. The business case Some of the natural resources coming out of the region bring their own unique security problems, like diamond mining, rare earth metal extractions and, of course, oil. Looking at this part of the continent from a business perspective, the security sector in Africa is all set for an unprecdented boom. There was a time when UK exported more goods to Sub-Saharan Africa than to China and India combined. Seven of the world’s 10 fastest growing economies are predicted to be from Sub-Saharan Africa in the coming five years. Many African Governments are looking to diversify their economies away from commodity reliance. A rapidly growing African middle class with disposable income has created huge demand for consumer goods. Putting this together with the diversity of potential threats shows that the challenges for the security market are substantial. However, where challenges exist, so do opportunities for progressive, forward-thinking companies expanding into developing African markets. Nigeria Nigeria is an area with high-profile opportunity for growth. As Africa’s most populous nation and one of the continent’s largest economies, the country continues to gain a reputation as an emerging market for a range of industries. Nigeria has similar needs to those in South Africa from a private security company (PSC) perspective. The Department of International Politics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, examined the private security sector in Nigeria concluding that “Nigeria suffers from extreme inequality, rising crime, corrupt and abusive state security organisations, and conflict in the oil-rich Niger Delta. It is in this context that Nigeria’s private security industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years, becoming a major part of the Nigerian economy.” The law in Nigeria (The Private Guard Companies Act [1986]) requires that PSCs in Nigeria be registered, licensed and Nigerian-owned, and prohibits the use of firearms by PSCs. The reality is that many PSCs have an armed police component seconded to their operations. This has resulted in a degree of ‘privatisation’ of the public security forces. In the oil sector, the privatisation of public security is so extensive that it can be difficult to distinguish public policing from private security. Military forces are increasingly used to protect oil operations, and are maintained by oil companies. The reality of the law, however, is that there are no required standards of training, which varies widely across the sector as a result. Wages and working conditions are generally low and often exploitative, leading to a low level of commitment and service from guards. There is little monitoring, regulation or oversight of standards in the sector. A key exception is frequent inspections of international PSCs, but this is serves the purpose of intimidation and control rather than to uphold standards. The use of public security forces integrated into private security has the potential to undermine the concept of security for the public good. The willingness of public security forces to resort to force raises ethical issues for international companies. This becomes more of an issue with the difficult security situation in the Niger Delta. The Nigerian state’s reliance on PSCs may involve them in increasingly dangerous and complex political and ethical situations. But one thing is certain, a continued and expanding role for PSCs is likely to remain. Kenya Kenya is developing a reputation as an African leader in the emerging technology sector. The video surveillance market has benefited from the Kenyan technological boom with an increasing amount of video surveillance equipment being deployed. A major driver in Kenya is effort by the government to improve confidence in the country’s security reputation, which has suffered following incidents of terrorism and piracy in and around many of its resorts, especially close to its North East coast. Additionally, Kenya’s position in East Africa means it is a gateway to the smaller markets of Ethiopia, Tanzania and Mozambique. However, confidence in its security situation is essential before this can be fully exploited. Surveillance The video surveillance market in Africa is a prime example of a market where full potential has yet to be realised. Experts estimate that in 2018 the total African market for video surveillance equipment is forecast to be worth over $300 million, a small piece of the estimated $16 billion global market. However, as regulation increases globally the potential in Africa can only grow. The South African market was worth approximately $100 million in 2017 and is the largest and most mature market for video surveillance equipment within Africa, but its growth is forecast to slow. Nigeria has a growing video surveillance market through projects in the utilities industry and public sector city and highway monitoring. These have proved lucrative for some multinational vendors of video surveillance equipment, yet business in Nigeria is not without its challenges. Concerns over corruption, lack of payment and poor security distribution channels linger. Despite various ambitious government plans for video surveillance in different countries across the region, there is a common consensus that the market is still hugely underdeveloped. Cybersecurity Sub-Saharan Africa has a small but burgeoning cybersecurity market, which is set for dynamic growth over the next 5 years. In ABI Research’s Cybersecurity Strategies for Critical Infrastructure Market Research it is predicted that regional revenues will hit $120 million in 2018. The region is experiencing soaring Internet growth, boosted by tremendous mobile connectivity. This has outpaced any models experienced in the past by developed economies. The uniqueness of the market not only means that thousands of people will connect to the Internet for the first time in their lives, but also that they are extremely vulnerable online. As fledgling digital economies take off in Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria, local cybercriminals have emerged and are organising themselves to take advantage of regional financial services including the emerging and highly popular mobile money industry. National support for cybersecurity across the region is poor and the market is primarily dependent on foreign security vendors to offer basic online protection. And yet, the potential to provide cybersecurity services is significant. Both public and private organisations in the region are demanding training, servicing, and consulting services in cybersecurity. Ebola Of course, the region is also affected by a unique security issue that needs to be resolved – Ebola. As outlined by former US President Obama when discussing Ebola, “This is an epidemic that is not just a threat to regional security. It’s a potential threat to global security, if these countries break down, if their economies break down, if people panic. That has profound effects on all of us, even if we are not directly contracting the disease.” Across all security vertical and horizontal markets, the African market offers lots of untapped potential for manufacturers and distributors of security equipment. The size of its individual country markets may be small at the moment, and the market itself can be described as being in its infancy, but establishing a presence in these regions early will be strategically important to take advantage of future growth. How to penerate the secuity market in Africa There are a few easy ways for dealers and manufacturers of secuiry hardware and equipment to make their presence felt in the markets of Africa. For traders of CCTC cameras, fire detectors, surveillance cameras, body scanners, secuity gates, electrical fencing, Africa is indeed a very lucrative market. Those dealing in products manufactured in the Far East (China, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia etc) will find a ready market for their products as Africa is by and large a very price-sensitive market. It is a well known fact that African customers prefer cheaply priced goods from the Far East rather than the expensive ones from Europe and America. You can promote your products and/or services in Africa through many mediums: The growing use and influence of the Internet can also be harnessed to promote your business in the African markets. By posting your business proposals on the Africa Business Classifieds. Post your message and wait for the results. Simple! You can also download the Africa Security Directory that lists almost all major security from in over 15 countreis in Africa and contact your potential business partners directly. The Africa Secuity Directory is now availbale as an instant download in Excel format and has proved to a useful tool in helping firms to establish direct B2B contacts with their business counterparts in Africa – even find agents and distributors for their products and services. Last, but not least, add your company to the Advertising Section of the Africa Business Pages. The Advertising Section will carry a full page editorial about your company as well as two pictures of your company's products. In addition to this, your company will also be provided with a direct link in the Business Links section. By promoting your company on the Africa Business Pages you can reap rich dividends. An absolute essential for those targetting the African market. Browse through some samples

According to industry reports, Africa imported 17 million tonnes in the last five years. Many African rice importers import a significant amount of rice for local consumption and regional distribution. However, the relatively small country of Benin has emerged as one of the leading rice importers in Africa.  At Nigeria’s border post of Seme, goods are often smuggled into Africa’s biggest economy from its smaller neighbor Benin. However, the Seme border post between Nigeria and Benin wears a deserted look these days. The slowdown in the movement of goods between Benin and Nigeria is a result of import restrictions and tighter border policing as President Muhammadu Buhari seeks to diversify the oil-dependent economy by boosting agriculture, especially rice production. Two years ago, Buhari set 2018 as a target to end Nigeria’s status as the world’s second-largest importer of the grain after China and become self-sufficient. He’s since overseen investments of almost $1 billion in farming and milling, virtually banned rice importers from buying foreign exchange, raised tariffs to as high as 60 percent and pushed the central bank to lend to farmers. Confident his administration is making progress, he told growers recently that “our policies are working.” Thai Rice Imports to Africa But the numbers tell a different story: they suggest smuggling is rife because local producers are unable to meet growing demand in the nation of 180 million people, where rice is favored over traditional staples such as yams and cassava by an increasingly urbanized population. Nigeria grew 3.7 million metric tons of rice in 2017, a 4 percent increase from a year earlier. At the same time, imports rose 19 percent to 2.5 million tons. Many imports are smuggled in from Benin, which despite a population of 11 million – barely 5 per cent of Nigeria’s population – is now the world’s biggest buyer of rice from Thailand, the number two exporter globally. Official shipments to Nigeria have plummeted by more than 95 percent in the past four years, while those to Benin have surged, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association. Rice consignments are being smuggled to Nigeria from Benin through the many unofficial border crossings between the two countries.  With its far lower tariffs and better-run ports, Benin has a long history of smuggling goods to Nigeria, from frozen chicken to tomatoes and cars. It is estimated that 90 percent of Benin’s rice is bound for its bigger neighbour. Smugglers offload Thai and Indian rice from the port of Cotonou and take most of it to Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, which sits just across the Seme border in the south. Some even truck it as far as Niger, where they collude with customs officials before taking it to northern Nigerian cities such as Kano. “A text message comes saying: ‘Go!,”’ says George, local guide. “And they drive through. The border gates are open and the guards are looking in the other direction. The evidence is very clear that smuggling is continuing on a large scale. It’s a massive problem.” Once it enters Nigeria, traders often repackage and sell it as local rice.   While the government touts the decline of official imports as evidence that Nigeria is producing more rice, smuggling fills the gap between demand and supply, according to Ade Afeko, a member of the nation’s main manufacturing body. “It seriously needs to be curbed,’’ Afeko said from Kano, which he says is “swamped’’ with foreign rice. While smuggling from Benin and Niger has increased, it’s still feasible to end rice imports this year, said Olukayode Oyeleye, a spokesman of the Ministry of Agriculture. George at Ecobank thinks the powerful smuggling industry will be difficult to curb. “There are so many vested interests in the smuggling of rice and there’s so much demand,” he said. The Rice Market in West Africa Nigeria isn’t the only country in West Africa that’s trying to be self-sufficient: Senegal and Ivory Coast have raised rice output, too. But Nigeria faces a tough task reviving its agricultural sector, which went into decline when oil was discovered in the 1950s. Farmers battle with a host of problems: poor-quality seeds, a dearth of financing to buy or borrow equipment such as tractors, bad roads and a lack of warehousing. Most farmers harvest their crop by hand on an average 0.4 hectares (1 acre) of land, which makes it difficult to achieve economies of scale, according to Dimieari Von Kemedi, managing director of Alluvial. Alluvial is buying crops in central and southeastern Nigeria with the aim of supplying half a million tons of rice a year to millers by 2020. It’s targeting yields of 4 tons per hectare, almost double what growers currently achieve, but still only half what efficient Asian farmers produce. “We need to get better yields,” said Von Kemedi. “If you don’t, it’s hard to make money. It’s why, despite the tariffs and currency restrictions, you can’t keep foreign rice at bay.” Other companies moving into large-scale rice farming include Dangote Group, controlled by Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote, Singapore-based Olam International Ltd. and TGI Group, a local conglomerate. Dangote Investments Enters Rice Market Dangote is investing almost $300 million this year to boost production and set up processing plants in the north, targeting a million tons annually by 2020. To achieve that, it needs to help farmers get access to cheap loans and good seeds, improve their irrigation systems and mechanize production, according to Robert Coleman, a former tobacco planter in Zimbabwe who oversees Dangote’s rice operations. “We see smuggling of rice through our borders as a real threat to local production and we are counting on the government to mitigate this threat,” said Coleman. Growers need to “transition from being subsistence farmers to successful small businessmen. Once you can achieve this, there will be an agricultural revolution.” Fanu, the customs agent at Seme, says the government is right to increase local production, but he isn’t convinced import restrictions are the way to go. “Almost everyone eats rice -- it’s the common man’s food,” he says. “The issue is whether we can grow enough at the moment.” The Route from Benin to Nigeria Benin importers list is very complex – as most rice importing companies in Africa also import other goods and hence it becomes very difficult for international exporters to identify their target audiences and potential buyers. Some of the leading rice importers in benin are Senaigroup SARL, Global Reseau, Hermann Haver Co. Limited and Maxworld. With a population of over 10 million people, Benin is one of the leading importers of all kinds of foodstuff in Africa. As local rice producers are not able to meet the rising demand for rice, importers of rice have been buying for overseas suppliers to meet the rising demand for rise amongst African consumers. Popular types of rice grown locally in Benin are Paddy rice, Brown rice, Semi/wholly milled rice and broken rice. However, broken rice with a percentage of 87% remains the most popular rice type consumed in Benin. There are plenty of non-basmati rice importers in Africa, especially in the Sub Saharan Africa. Even if importing rice is not the cheapest investment to make, it remains a profitable option for everyone. Companies make a profit based on such high demand. And Africans get the taxes and fees that they need to support their economy and industrial life. Companies pay significant taxes when they import rice in Africa and especially in such a high demand country like Benin. When it comes to importing rice, this is a process made in several ways. The percentages of imported rice are 20% bulk, 24% container and 56% break-bulk. These percentages vary across the continent, but almost everywhere, the break-bulk is the preferred one. Maize is seen as the central grain in Benin, but net imports of rice increased in the past years. In Benin, the rice mill is not so developed. And the paddy rice production is used to supply rice demand for bigger countries like Nigeria. These agricultural strategies leave little amount for locals. That is why; importing rice is the best choice in this state. The import of rice in Benin had a positive impact not only on the local economy but also on the general health of the urban population. While maize is easier to grow and harvest, not the same can be told about rice. Rice Importers in Africa Since rice became so demanded in many African countries, the authorities had to relax some of the norms. Companies can import rice now in an easier way and larger quantities. The bureaucracy has been reduced in the past years, and the entire import process became accessible to more producers worldwide. Because the rice market became so popular both for the Africans and importers. Africans get the rice they need for a healthy diet and companies sell large quantities of it which brings them more profit. It is a win-win situation, and it seems to become even more profitable as time goes by. To import rice in Africa, all companies need to do is follow some minimal regulations. Since rice is seen as a priority and a security food for countries like Benin, companies worldwide rush to explore this opportunity. There are even certain partnerships developed to stabilize the supply of rice for Africa in areas like Benin. Countries located in South Africa tend to be more prolific when it comes to growing their rice. But in Benin, growing enough to supply for the population remains a struggle. The partnerships made between Africans and different rice suppliers are sustained by farmers, authorities and the community. Continuo rice importers are trying to break into the African market and distribute their products for the long run. And this is the case for many Asian countries that are welcomed to bring this valuable grain to the continent. Business Opportunity in Benin Rice Farming With such a big demand for rice, Benin also considered new ways to grow their own. Even if for now, this is not a reliable option, they are trying to develop their domestic rice market. Even if West African countries such a Benin have enough land and water to cultivate rice as they do with other grains, the problem resides in the financial aspect. The main struggle is attracting long-term investors to support the farming industry of the country. Benin would need support when it comes to growing rice, storage and processing the goods after they are harvested. Even if rice is relatively cheap to grow, there is a long process from growing it to selling it and cooking it. And local African market can’t sustain this process, at least not in the long run. Benin’s population tends to prefer white rice, but they are cultivating other types because they have to export it to the neighbor countries. Such a strategy is not one that will allow Benin to develop their domestic rice market. However, if foreign investors would explore its land, this country would be much more profitable. Foreign companies can supply the rice demand in Benin, or they can invest in the country and develop farms to grow it. It is a long process that might take several years. And in all this time, Benin remains one of the largest rice importers in Africa. Investing in Benin’s farming system would be profitable for both foreign companies and locals. On the one hand, the companies would access cheaper working force to grow the rice and process it. And on the other hand, Benin’s local market would be able to have their rice production at a lower price. In time this could be a great source of rice for the neighbouring countries as well, and the advantages could continue! Many people would get jobs as well so the entire local economy would be blooming in just a matter of years. It is possible considering that half of Benin’s population lives in rural areas. Africa Business Pages Facilitates Rice Imports For those who are not sure how to start importing rice, Africa Business Pages has launched a special initiative called Business Matchmaking. Any importer can enjoy the services of Africa Business Pages new initiative which will facilitate the importing process significantly. By registering a free account on Africa Business Pages, importers are provided advantages such as a personalized import plan based on their needs. Our internal business matchmaking system also helps importers to get qualified quotation from suppliers of rice from all across the world. as well as add the right insurance to their goods. This helps importers of rice in Africa to help verify the goods, plan the best shipment process and also provide the right import documents. Importers of rice in Africa also use the Africa Business Pages to contact the most trusted suppliers of rice from all across the world – thereby providing a perfect bridge between the global and African markets. The internal systems of Africa Business Pages in every registered user's dashboard can be used for any kinds of imports when it comes to food, automobile spare parts, electronics, tyres etc.  About Benin: Benin officially named the Republic of Benin is a country situated in West Africa. Benin is a neighbor with Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Nigeria. The country has a population of 10,448,647 from which half live in the urban area. It is a very well developed area of Africa with a wide economy. And rice is one of the most commercial foods that can be found in Benin.

Africa has emerged as an attractive market for export-oriented companies and manufacturers across the world as demand for consumer and capital goods in Africa has been growing at a steady pace in the last few years. The emergence of an affluent middle-class with disposable incomes in many African companies has contributed largely in the increased trade to Africa. If you are targeting the African buyers in new and emerging African markets, here is a list of 10 major African imports based on current Africa import and export statistics: Automobiles The automobile industry provides innumerable lucrative opportunities in this rapidly growing continent. The high rate of economic growth and urbanization has led to a subsequent rise in income levels. This implies that more and more people are now able to purchase vehicles both for personal and commercial purposes as they move from low income status and into the upwardly mobile middle class. However, the continent boasts very little output in terms of automobile manufacture. Additionally, the major import firms in Africa focus their business on high-end buyers who are in a position to afford expensive, brand new vehicle models. This leaves a gap in the market for inexpensive used vehicles for the bigger percentage of buyers. For a long time, Japan and Korea dominated this niché market but in more recent years, the US and China are also making inroads to grab a piece of the pie. The market is still ripe and opportunities are endless considering the fact that the percentage of vehicle ownership is still very low in most African markets. Computers and other IT Products Another vastly unexploited export opportunity to Africa is in the sale of IT products. This has largely been the result of an ongoing computerization trend that has taken a hold throughout the continent. Even though there a few manufacturers of IT equipment in Africa, they have been unable to keep up with the level of demand in the market and as a result most traders are forced to import. Africa has one of the highest rates of growth in the market for IT products worldwide. As a result, multi-national manufacturers have concentrated their efforts on the market, producing in great quantities items specifically targeting the African market. South Africa’s computer market for instance is valued at more than $1 billion. One of the factors behind the growth in the sector is the fact that many organizations are changing from the traditional desktops to the more personal and portable laptops and ultra-books. Furthermore, the rapid pace at which innovations are being introduced to the sector and the inversely proportional price reductions have also boosted demand. The UAE has the lion’s share of this market thanks to its strategic position relative to the African continent that implies low transportation costs. Furthermore, the regulatory requirements governing the trade over both countries have served to favour the cycles of demand and supply. There is very high competition in the IT business in this region and as a result, the prices are rated among the cheapest globally. Automobile Spare Parts Most of the African buyers are buying substantial quantities of automotive batteries, tyres, spare parts, ball bearings, water pumps and a host of automobile spare parts from overseas markets for selling them at a profit in their own countries. In addition to automobile spare parts, a major import to many African countries in recent years has been tyres, batteries and lubricants.  Clothing and Fashion Accessories The fashion and textile industry provides another booming opportunity for export to Africa. New imported clothes have gained popularity as a status symbol and are a reserve of the continent’s wealth. In a bid to keep up with the ever evolving trends in the fashion world they do not spare a dime in purchasing the most exclusive labels from the world’s top fashion hotspots. Countries like China provide cheaper options of clothing for the general populace by taking advantage of its high levels of industrialization as well as the availability of cheap labor in the production process. Secondhand clothes are also in great demand in Africa amongst the low-income earners. The United States is the largest used clothing exporter globally selling almost $700 million annually – a large portion of which is exported to Africa. However, the used clothing business has encountered its share of challenges with some African countries planning to ban the importation of used clothes.  Pharmaceuticals The world is ever in search of more affordable drugs and Africa is no exception to this rule. Healthcare is a big concern with a majority of Africans who are unable to afford expensive medical care. Moreover, there is a huge gap in the demand and supply chain as African does not have any major bulk manufacturers of pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical products constitute a big bulk of Indian exports to Africa. This is largely due to the fact that India has emerged as one of the world’s biggest manufacturing hubs for generic drugs India's pharmaceuticals trade with Africa is worth over $17 billion annually. Mobile Phones The African mobile revolution has taken the world by storm with the continent having the second biggest market for mobile devices after China. Africa has more mobile device users than land lines. By 2020, the number of devices in use in the African continent is projected to reach about 1.8 billion.  Subsequently, the sale of mobile phones has been on a consistent rise every year with the figures soaring to unimaginable levels as manufacturers consistently introduce improved models into the market. Considering that the current use of mobile phones mostly centers on making calls and sending short messages, the figures are expected to continue rising as the cost of using the internet becomes lower in most African countries. For the past five years, the annual rate at which the number of mobile users increases has been about 65%. This makes Africa the ideal market for international traders looking to secure viable export opportunities in Africa. Nigeria is once again the continent’s leader in the mobile handset market followed closely by South Africa. However, even in less developed war-torn countries like Somalia the mobile telecoms industry continues to thrive. Mobile money platforms have particularly made a significant contribution to this growth by offering most of the services that were previously the reserve of banking institutions. The huge unbanked population in the continent now enjoys these features from the convenience of their mobile handsets. There is still so much potential for growth in this market creating an ideal investment opportunity for exporters. Stationery Enterprising traders have found a large market for stationery items in Africa. This rise in demand has been a result of the increased number of academic institutions and the importance African attach to education. Since there is a shortage in the manufacturing capabilities for these products, the demand for stationery in Africa is being met by overseas companies. Dubai has come to the fore as one of the most reliable suppliers in this sector giving competitive prices and a suitable environment for import export trade. Foodstuff While Africa was once a major exporter of agricultural products to other countries, there are a number of factors that have created a turn of events and it now accounts for a huge market share of the food importation market. These include the ever-expanding population, poor infrastructure, mismanagement of local agricultural industries, and the emergence of the middle class. While this may spell doom for its population, it is the best news an international trader would want to hear. With the middle-class expected to continue growing, the African food import market is bound to continue to grow for a while since there is a shortage on laborers to work in the agricultural sector. As always, Nigeria and South Africa take the lead in the region’s top importers and together with Angola, they account for almost half of all the imports made into the continent. Electronics The African market has not yet been able to achieve self-sustenance in the electronics sector and relies on external players in the industry to fill its growing need for home appliances and electronics.  Electronic products from Asia have gained increasing popularity in the African markets thanks to their well-equipped production and assembly facilities as well as competitive pricing. Unlike European and American manufacturers, Asian manufacturers have easy access to electronic components and hence are able to provide cheaper prices. Machinery & Engineering Products Africa lacks the strong and diversified base that is necessary for the production of most engineering products. These refer to all materials needed for the manufacturing of other products. They form the base for such strong manufacturing countries as China and India and have turned these into the biggest exporters of the products into Africa. This is another important product on the list of items that can be imported into Nigeria by virtue of the dynamic nature and rapid rate of urbanization of the country. It has therefore worked out favorable bilateral trade agreements with these major manufacturers in order to maximize the opportunities for trade. Chemicals The demand for chemicals in the African market has exceeded its supply capabilities by far. The current rate of industrial growth and the general demand for products by its growing population necessitates the importation of these products. The agricultural sector is one of the areas of the African economy that has created a great need for the products. There is a growing trend in the use of modern agricultural methods that utilize organic chemicals to a greater degree than ever before. The cosmetics industry is also growing rapidly and there is increased need for raw material to manufacture soap, colognes, make up and various toiletries. How to Penetrate the African Market Reaching the right African buyers is a challenge for most international companies. The dearth of information and the unorganised nature of business in many African countries is indeed a challenge for those wanting to export to Africa. Buy the African Importers Database Africa Business Pages, the leading B2B portal connecting African buyers to international suppliers since 1996, has compiled a database of African companies. The database of African importers has helped many international companies identify potential business partners in new and emerging markets in Africa. Available for download from Africa Business Pages, the database of African companies lists importers in Africa and is available for download in excel format at https://importers.africa-business.com. Featured Listing on Africa Business Pages Many international companies have been able to find buyers in the African markets by listing their companies in dedicated African B2B portals like the Africa Business Pages. By listing your company under the relevant trade sector, many global suppliers have been able to generate useful sales leads from African importers. Advertise in Africa - Print & Digital Marketing in Africa Advertising has always been the preferred medium for reputed manufacturers, traders and suppliers to reach their target audiences around the world. By advertising in print magazines like Africa Business Pages you can get your company noticed amongst African buyers and importers.  Digital marketing plans offered by Africa Business Pages have also been producing good results for advertisers. The digital marketing plan includes Email marketing to African buyers, banner advertising, content marketing, lead generation, business matchmaking as well as social media advertising.