Investing in Africa, a continent with the growth of emerging countries

Since 2000, Africa has on average an annual economic growth of 5%. This leads to say that there is economic stability and that overall the continent is resistant to the global crisis. The African economy is therefore in a phase of sustainable growth.

Africa is not only a reservoir of raw materials but also a place of production and an interesting market. African companies are increasing their local investement and production and contribute to the African's economic and social growth.
This dynamic is supported by the following major factors:

• Africa sees in recent years the rise of an intra-African investment increased by 21% over the last decade and a growth of foreign direct investment. According to the firm Ernst and Young, on 2015, these investments will be in the range of $ 150 billion, about 120 billion euros.

• Africa is a market of about 150 million people who will represent the next 10 years the middle class because of job creation growing.

• The African continent has a young population. 50% of the African population is under 15 years. It is this largely educated youth and in contact with the world through new technologies that will make the difference in the next 20 years.

In addition there is an emergence of an African entrepreneurship encouraged by the development of hub and incubators for start-ups here are some examples:

• CTIC Dakar, Senegal for companies in new technology.
• Konza Technology City, Kenya. This is the Silicon Valley of Africa.
• Agro-hub in Cameroon.
  
• ARIO, regional incubator for West Africa
• Hub-rural West Africa.
• Angel Hub, South Africa. etc ...

Given its potential, Africa is an emerging continent for the future and investing in Africa is the priority of global corporations currently present in most markets that tend to their saturation. So in the coming years there will be more sustained trade between African companies and the rest of the world.

By Martin Diatta