Doing business in Africa = investing in communities

“Many companies from the developed world are setting their sights on Africa as a new frontier for business.” We are hearing this more and more and it’s not just the multinationals who are seeing the opportunities. With such a large informal economy in most African nations, the opportunities abound for those who want to invest in small to medium enterprises.

The tips in this article (from Forbes) are useful for understanding the context of doing business in Africa. We particularly liked the advice to “…understand the power of communities…..Getting to know the real needs of these communities will help you open many doors… without having to slip envelopes below the table.” And can we promise it will always be simple and easy? Nope. But we do agree with the Forbes article that “…precisely because it is not easy is why it could be where the real opportunities lie…”.

We would also go one step further than these tips, which are essentially for outsiders wanting to set up or expand their business into Africa. At the INDIGO Group, we are about working alongside existing small and medium enterprises in Zimbabwe, including those who are not yet integrated into the formal economy, to help them increase their professionalism, service quality and ultimately, profitability. We believe that this, along with providing opportunities for direct capital investment into these local companies, will go a long way to helping people establish successful local businesses that contribute to the economy and allow them to support their family and communities. An investment in a local business in Zimbabwe is an investment in the future of families and communities.