“The perceived risks of doing business in Africa are far greater than the actual risks … Nigeria is a very important country for us. There [are] a lot of headlines today about the Niger Delta but I think we should point out that that’s just one piece of Nigeria. Nigeria is a lot more than the Niger Delta, it’s a lot more than the Oil industry. We have actually managed to generate significant returns doing business [on] the continent, tapping into sectors that are domestically-focused like Telecommunications, Transportation, Agribusiness, Utilities, etc., and I think that those opportunities will continue to be present for the foreseeable future” – Genevieve Sangudi, Managing Director, Emerging Capital Partners
“If you look at what’s happening in Nigeria: 10 years ago, 350,000 telephone lines; today, 60 million. Huge opportunities” – Rotimi Oyekanmi, CEO, West Africa, Renaissance Capital Partners
This video shows a discussion of the risks of doing business in Africa, with Genevieve Sangudi, Managing Director at Emerging Capital Partners, and Rotimi Oyekanmi, Managing Director at Renaissance Capital.
There are risks associated with doing business anywhere in the world, Africa included. Sometimes, the risks associated with doing business in Africa are exaggerated. Doing business in Africa, like anywhere in the world, requires taking sufficient and well-informed steps to manage the risks, as well as adapting the business plan to accommodate the potentially higher costs. Generally speaking, the higher returns one would experience in Africa outweigh the associated increase in risk. Read the rest of this entry »
