Africa Rising: How 900 Million African Consumers Offer More Than You Think »

Vijay Mahajan, former dean of the Indian School of Business, holds the John P. Harbin Centennial Chair in Business at McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies and received several lifetime achievement awards including the American Marketing Association (AMA) Charles Coolidge Parlin Award for visionary leadership in scientific marketing and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Indian Institute of Technology (Kanpur). The AMA has also instituted the Vijay Mahajan Award for career contributions to marketing strategy. Mahajan’s ten books include The 86 Percent Solution (Wharton School Publishing), which received the 2007 Book of the Year Award from the American Marketing Association.

Profit from the World’s Largest Untapped Market: Africa’s MORE THAN 900 MILLION Consumers!

“This book lays out a powerful portrait of the growing opportunities in Africa. It is clear to us that any global firm interested in growth must see Africa as an essential part of its portfolio.”

--E. Neville Isdell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, USA

“While we consider Africa one of our most important markets, we are very aware that it is often overlooked as a place to conduct sustainable business. This book shows that Africa offers opportunities equal to other developing regions that receive more attention. Through the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards, we have committed to promoting high-quality coverage of the business environment in Africa. This book makes an important contribution in providing a vivid picture of the African market opportunity.”

--Paul Walsh, Chief Executive Officer, Diageo, UK

“This book presents a compelling argument for waking up to the potential of a continent with a population of over 900 million and a high rate of growth. The African continent is rich in natural resources and presents opportunities across a wide cross-section of industrial and commercial areas for companies with appropriate business strategies and a genuine commitment to improving the quality of life of the local population.”

--Ratan N. Tata, Chairman, Tata Group, India

“Unilever has invested in Africa for over a century and is committed to buildingstrong market positions in the region by meeting the needs of African consumers. As this book highlights, the opportunities for consumer goods companies are considerable and the potential to do business in Africa is much greater than many companies realize.”      

--Patrick Cescau, Global CEO, Unilever, UK

“Bravo. The timing of this book is perfect. It will be much quoted. I especially like how Professor Mahajan uses the voices of Africans to bring it to life, alongside the research.”

--Barbara James, former Managing Director of the African Venture Capital Association and founder of the Henshaw Funds, the first independent pan-African private equity Fund of Funds, Nigeria/UK

With more than 900 million consumers, the continent of Africa is one of the world’s fastest growing markets. In Africa Rising, renowned global business consultant Vijay Mahajan reveals this remarkable marketplace as a continent with massive needs and surprising buying power.

Crossing thousands of miles across the continent, he shares the lessons that Africa’s businesses have learned about succeeding on the continent...shows how global companies are succeeding despite Africa’s unique political, economic, and resource challenges...introduces local entrepreneurs and foreign investors who are building a remarkable spectrum of profitable and sustainable business opportunities even in the most challenging locations...reveals how India and China are staking out huge positions throughout Africa...and shows the power of the diaspora in driving investment and development.

• Recognize that Africa is richer than you think
  Africa is richer than India on the basis of gross national income (GNI) per capita, and a dozen African countries have a higher GNI per capita than China.

• Aim for Africa Two
  Opportunities exist in all parts of the market, particularly the 400 million people in the middle of the market.

• Find opportunities to organize the market
  From retailing to cell phones to banking, companies are succeeding by building infrastructure.

• Develop strategies for the most youthful market in the world
  Companies are recognizing opportunities from diapers to music to medicine in a market growing younger every day.

• Understand that Africa is not a “media dark” continent
  From Nollywood to satellite to broadband, media is exploding on the continent.

• Recognize the hidden strength of the African diaspora
  The African diaspora brings resources and knowledge to African development and expands the African opportunity beyond the continent.

• Build Ubuntu markets
  Create profitable businesses, sustainable growth, and social organizations by meeting basic human needs.

Publishers Weekly

Africa, like many emerging markets, has been long overlooked, but is poised for explosive growth and opportunity, says author Mahajan (The 86 Percent Solution) in this must-read for investors, executives and anyone with an interest in global business. He argues that Africa "is richer than you think" and presents "as big an opportunity as China and India." The author describes a burgeoning middle class, referred to as "Africa Two," and illustrates how successful companies are organizing the marketplace, creating infrastructure, advertising, and even customizing packaging. In a continent where many countries lack basic resources and transportation, Mahajan admits it would be easy for investors or corporations to discount prospects for profitability, but he describes how creative entrepreneurs have identified these problems as opportunities: the Coca-Cola Company uses trucks, bicycles and handcarts to transport its product into rural villages and is building its own ice plant to keep drinks cool during power outages. This compelling and captivating overview of the market with its colorful anecdotes provides a tremendous insight into Africa's wealth, which Mahajan calls a "different type of oil and diamonds."
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Preface: Consumer Safari

Pt. I The African Opportunity

Ch. 1 Baking Bread in Zimbabwe 3

Ch. 2 Africa Is Richer Than You Think 29

Ch. 3 The Power of Africa Two 57

Pt. II Realizing the Opportunity

Ch. 4 Harnessing the Hanouti: Opportunities in Organizing the Market 77

Ch. 5 Building Mama Habiba an Ice Factory: Opportunities in Infrastructure 105

Ch. 6 Running with the Cheetah Generation: Opportunities in Africa's Youth Market 127

Ch. 7 Hello to Nollywood: Opportunities in Media and Entertainment 147

Ch. 8 Coming Home: Opportunities in the African Diaspora 167

Conclusion: Ubuntu Market 187

Endnotes 221

Acknowledgments 239

Index 247