Tag: African Business Development

Expanding Horizons: How UK Businesses Can Succeed in Emerging Markets

  • 25th January, 2025
  • < 1 min reading

ETK Group managing director, Bolaji Sofoluwe MBE, recently shared her expert perspective on the future of international trade and the many opportunities for UK businesses in high-growth markets, particularly across Africa.

In an interview with Entrepreneur United Kingdom, Bolaji highlighted the key sectors driving growth and the strategic approaches businesses need to thrive globally in 2025.

From health tech and agribusiness to fintech and renewable energy, Bolaji explored how UK companies can successfully navigate new markets by leveraging cultural intelligence, local partnerships, and sustainable trade practices.

Click here to read the full insights 

Investing in Lagos: Highlights from the Private Sector Roundtable with ETK Group, Sterling One Foundation and Alitheia Capital.

  • 25th July, 2024
  • < 1 min reading

On July 24, 2024, ETK Group and Alitheia Capital co-sponsored an investor’s roundtable with the Lagos State Government under the theme “Opportunities Made in Lagos,” in partnership with Sterling One Foundation and the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment.

The event, which was a pre-summit panel for the Africa Social Impact 3.0 Summit 2024 held in Lagos on July 25–26, provided an opportunity for potential investors and donors to connect with key decision-makers in the state and for the state government to present its ambitious investment focus and key areas of opportunity to potential investors.

At ETK Group, we do not just believe in Africa’s development potential; we are helping shape the narratives of investment and development on the continent by connecting investors and businesses with investment opportunities in the African market.

Lagos State is projecting a positive economic outlook for the state, driven by the leadership of his Excellency, the executive governor of Lagos State, Babjide Sanwo Olu, the expanding population, and the ongoing sustainable infrastructure development in the state. We are happy to be part of this.

In the last couple of years, Lagos’s economy has shown remarkable resilience, welcoming new investment policies to guarantee returns to investors.

As a leading investment destination in Africa and the 7th largest economy on the continent, Lagos has been proactive in implementing business-friendly policies, including a constant review of the state’s Ease of Doing Business policies to reduce the challenges associated with new business registration, obtaining permits, and helping to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks.

Fascinating Insight into ETK Clients’ Profile

  • 5th January, 2024
  • 3 min reading

A warm welcome to 2024! As we begin yet another remarkable year, it’s a moment for us to reflect on the distinctive characteristics of the businesses that placed their trust in our services throughout 2023. To offer a fascinating insight into our customer base, we’ve taken the opportunity to categorise them.

Join us as we explore the diverse and prevalent categories of clients that ETK Group had the privilege to collaborate with in 2023.

1) Enterprise Catalysts for Growth (ECG)

These risk-takers are major contributors to economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. They are energetic business owners with a strong desire to succeed. They have strong managerial and ownership control over a huge portion of African enterprises and are responsible for an estimated 80% of jobs on the continent. Despite the continent’s current economic predicament, this set of clients continues to strive for the top. Their business goal is to become more structured and to develop their businesses into scalable African enterprises. They ensure that their teams have the appropriate competencies across a range of functional areas with our bespoke organisational transformation and capacity-building solution for African MSMEs.

2) The Market Frontier Navigators (MFN)

This clientele consists of daring risk-takers who have had success in other markets or have gotten it right with their products and services on other continents. They, like the three wise men, have heard of Africa’s immense potential and are eager to capitalise on it. However, they are hampered by a lack of advice and knowledge about African markets. They frequently come to us for guidance on how to strategically marshal each market on the continent. Our team of professionals assists them through the market entry process, giving assistance, insights, and research to ensure their success on the continent.

3) The Impact Development Partners (IDP)

This group of clients is less concerned with profit and more concerned with the well-being of their host communities. Non-profit companies, development institutes, foundations, and charities are looking for highly qualified individuals to implement, manage, and oversee their projects in Africa. They are looking for progress partners who might be their third eye on their impact projects in Africa. Our team of Africa-based consultants got to work, providing monitoring, evaluation, and reporting services to maximise the success of their impact investments in Africa through our project management and implementation services.

4) The Global Expansion Pioneers (GEP)

These are resilient enterprises that weathered the storm, mastered the skill of doing business in a specific African country’s market, and gathered sufficient expertise to establish, maintain, and expand their operations in the dynamic marketplace of the continent. They embody the potential to drive economic advancement and make meaningful contributions to Africa. These clients face the challenge of extending their thriving local operations to new markets within Africa or across other continents. They’ve successfully ventured into markets not only in Africa but also in the United Kingdom, Europe, and various other continents by leveraging our state-of-the-art market expansion solutions, and they are eager to explore additional markets.

5) The Enterprise Stewards for Global Success (ESGS)

These customers come to us for long-term, in-person management of their enterprises. These clients are MSMEs, family-run businesses in a range of sectors, who have worked hard to manage and scale to a desirable level within Africa’s difficult business climate, attain their full potential, and attract investors. These companies have achieved success and sustainability by investing sweat, equity, and personal finances to ensure that they not only survive but thrive. However, for various reasons, they must ‘japa’ to other regions of the world but do not want to abandon their businesses. These clients are confident in the viability of their enterprises but are unsure who to turn to. We ensure the stability, success, and security of their businesses throughout their extended absences by providing managed business services. We collaborate with them to provide additional layers of management to ensure that these enterprises’ high standards are maintained throughout their ‘staycation’ abroad. This enables them to continue focusing on providing outstanding service to their clients and consumers while remaining profitable.

As experts in assisting businesses to expand and scale, we are committed to delivering a variety of business support services aimed at assisting Africa-focused businesses and organisations to achieve their objectives. Whether it’s entering a new African market, expanding into other African markets, strengthening institutional capacities, providing trade support services, or managing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities in Africa, our services have been proven to help our clients achieve their goals.

Regardless of where your company is on the growth curve, ETK can provide insights to guarantee that your targets and goals are met.

Ready to increase your business success in Africa? Let our expert consulting services be the catalyst for your success. Contact us today, and let’s embark on a journey of innovation, growth, and unparalleled achievements together in 2024.

Economic Comeback: Sub-Saharan Africa anticipates a 4.0% growth surge in 2024, says IMF

  • 26th October, 2023
  • 2 min reading

Sub-Saharan African countries have faced yet another difficult year in 2023. For a region still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and inflationary shocks from Russia’s war in Ukraine, which have resulted in higher interest rates and lower demand, economic growth is expected to be slow. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Africa’s growth rate in 2023 is predicted to be 3.3 percent.

However, there is reason to be optimistic, with the IMF Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa projecting a rebound to 4.0 percent in 2024, with growth picking up in four-fifths of Sub-Saharan Africa’s countries and strong performances in non-resource-intensive countries. Africa’s macroeconomic imbalances are also improving, owing mostly to lower inflation and more sustainable uses of public finances.

Is it time to celebrate?

While the projection calls for some sort of celebration, the IMF has cautioned that growth is not inevitable because obstacles such as financial constraints, higher debt payback costs, and expensive debt servicing remain.

The IMF suggests that Sub-Saharan African nations could delay the predicted economic rebound due to a slowdown in their reform efforts, rising political instability, or external risks that might harm growth potential. To achieve the anticipated increase, the IMF has proposed four policy actions.

Managing inflation: To start with, inflation remains in the double digits for 14 African countries, which is far higher than the target in most countries. Addressing inflation in countries where inflation is firmly on track to target levels may be required, whereas monetary tightening may be required in nations where inflation is growing until there are clear indicators that inflation is dropping.

Managing exchange rate volatility: Exchange rate fluctuations remain a major concern across Africa, causing significant challenges for businesses in the region. The IMF has proposed aligning monetary policy demands with the anchor country in order to maintain external stability and avoid further reserve losses. Currency movements in countries with floating exchange rates should be allowed to adjust as much as feasible, because efforts to block fundamental-based movements come at a high cost. Other policy measures, such as tighter monetary policy to keep inflation under control and structural changes to enhance the export industry, should accompany the adjustment, according to the IMF.

Debt management and prudent spending: Debt management while making room for development spending African countries’ debt risks are increasing. Borrowing rates are still high, and rolling over debt is a burden for African countries, with half of the region’s low-income countries at high risk or in economic crisis. Effective domestic income mobilisation, a deliberate approach to expenditure, careful borrowing, and debt restructuring may also be required.

Raising living standards, especially in resource-rich countries: while the recovery is underway, economic disparities within the area are expanding, with per capita incomes in resource-intensive economies remaining subdued. According to the research, increasing income per capita through structural reforms such as strategic investment in education, better natural resource management, improved business, and a true commitment to trade integration will guarantee the growth projection, according to the IMF.

To ensure that the coming rebound is more than a passing fad, African countries must heed the cautions of the global finance agency in that economic stabilising policies are put in place while focusing on reforms that address the region’s development needs.

Photo by Douglas Bagg  and Joecalih on Unsplash

ETK Nigeria Hosts Networking Event for African Trade and Development Stakeholders

  • 4th October, 2023
  • 2 min reading

On the 29th of September, ETK Nigeria hosted a remarkable evening at the luxurious Wheatbaker in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. The event, named “ETK ConnectXperience,” served as a platform for us to introduce ETK to potential partners and share our vision for the future with those who have played a pivotal role in our growth and success in Nigeria.

We had the pleasure of hosting Nigerian development agencies, the UK-based ETK Team, along with other team members and stakeholders from the trade and exports, export financing, and exports sectors. This gathering allowed us to showcase ETK’s accomplishments spanning over 13 years, highlighting our expertise in international trade and business development across Africa. It was not just an event; it was an opportunity for networking and collaboration among our esteemed guests.

During the event, our Group Managing Director, Bolaji Sofoluwe, delivered an insightful presentation. She shed light on how ETK has utilised a combination of people, processes, and technology since our inception in 2010. This approach has enabled us to successfully execute projects in 34 African markets and engage in deals worth over $1 billion.

At ETK Nigeria, we offer a range of consulting services tailored to assist African businesses in achieving their growth and expansion goals. From organisational transformation to capacity building, ESG strategy, reporting, auditing, market entry and expansion services, managed business services, and access to capital markets, we provide comprehensive solutions to empower businesses.

In response to questions from our guests, attendees had the opportunity to engage with our Director of Operations, Brent Barnette. He emphasised ETK’s commitment to supporting companies at any stage of their reporting journey. Whether it’s creating an ESG strategy and framework, conducting an ESG audit, developing mitigation strategies, or offering technology and engineering services, we stand ready to assist companies in their ESG journey.

For more than 13 years, ETK has been the preferred consultant for international companies aiming to grow and expand in Africa’s dynamic markets. We have also assisted African companies in their global expansion plans. As we look ahead, we are eager to continue our collaborations with partners in Nigeria and other African nations. Together, we aim to achieve even greater success and contribute to the growth of businesses in Africa and beyond.