“We believe Nordic companies can make a significant difference in Africa”
Connecting businesses to the right people
AFRICA INNOVATION NETWORK® is now embarking on the most ambitious networking strategy to date. The goal is to create the most comprehensive bridge between Nordic and African ecosystems, clusters, companies and organisations. Inviting existing ecosystems, clusters, investors and local partners in 10 selected African countries to become a part of AFRICA INNOVATION NETWORK®. We are creating what is going to be the largest stimulating Nordic-African movement. In 2019 we started AFRICA INNOVATION NETWORK® South Africa. In 2021 we are starting in Kenya and Nigeria.
Value to your business
1) Finding the right market
One the first barriers to overcome if you are about to enter the African markets, is to determine which country to start doing business in. Africa is a huge continent with +50 countries, different market size, sector focus, national strategy, population and culture. Nordic companies do mainly business in 14-16 African countries depending on which sector they represent. Population in Africa will double within 30 years, 5 of the world largest mega cities will be located in Africa due to massive urbanisation and internet penetration is rapidly increasing due to huge investments in infrastructure, digitalisation and the youngest population at the time being.
2) Your local partner
It is crusial to start up business with the right partner, no matter where you intend to do business. Finding the right partner is often demanding and resourceful and depending on the right network of relevant business people including how to access these.
3) Business model and partnerships
80% of the Nordic companies start doing business with a local partner in a Joint Venture and later a merger/acquisition. Engaging with local partners can be a very good idea as your local partner is well-connected and established in the local community. Starting all over by yourself is the most demanding model.
4) Understanding the African business culture
The African continent is a huge continent consisting of +50 countries and hundreds of local cultures, norms and etiquets, and it is very important to understand, and accept, that the local business context you are about to operate in, can be very different from the business cultures in the Nordics.
A major cultural barrier between our two continents is “perception of time” which often causes frustrations in the partnership. By understanding, accepting and focussing on the business culture, business will run better and the results will come faster.
5) External financing
There are more than 170 funding opportunities available for businesses that would like to start doing business in Africa, allocated to all sectors and all areas of Africa. Especially if you are a smaller and medium sized company, grants and partly funding can make the difference.
6) Stakeholders
Elaborating a stakeholder analysis is mandatory in your business plan. By identifying the most relevant stakeholders in the local environment you are operating in, you will learn this can lead to further business.
Networking, clusters and ecosystems
AFRICA INNOVATION NETWORK® is bridging Nordic and African companies and organisations
Members
Penetration in Africa
Members
Present in African countries
AFRICA INNOVATION NETWORK® comply with UN Sustainable Development Goal nr. 17 “Partnerships”
“Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development”
.
SEMINARS AND EVENTS
AFRICA INNOVATION NETWORK® present a wide range of topics relevant for companies that are doing or wish to do business in the African region. We facilitate 4-5 seminars and a number of business- and roundtable meetings a year, focusing specifically on the daily challenges of doing business in Africa from the Nordic countries where we operate. Furthermore we facilitate workshops, guided tours, country visits and educational modules. From 2019 we facilitate a number of sector business clusters, starting with healthcare, UN and, Fintech clusters.
We also faciliate various business and networking meetings in cooperation with the African embassies present in the Nordic countries.
BUSINESS CLUSTERS
In 2019 we will facilitate various sectoral clusters focusing on business in Africa. We will have 4-5 meetings in each cluster a year. We kindly invite companies to join our AFRICA INNOVATION NETWORK® business clusters within the following industries;
Advantages for Members
Knowledge sharing
Meet companies already operating in Africa and get valuable information about how to do business in Africa
Discuss business
Discuss business opportunities in Africa with potential clients, partners, authorities, organisations and diplomats
Gateway to diplomacy
Meet the African diplomats resident in the Nordics and learn more about the local political agenda in the African countries
Networking
It´s about knowing the right people when doing business in Africa. Meet the right people with the competences you need for scaling up your business in Africa.
Not a member yet?
Large Company
- More than EURO 70 million annual turnover or 250 employees
Medium Company
- Less than EURO 70 million annual turnover or less than 250 employees
Small Company
- Less than EURO 5 million annual turnover or 50 employees
Partner
- As partner you´ll be listed on our webpage and posted on SoMe.
- As partner you must add value to the members of AFRICA INNOVATION NETWORK
The people behind AFRICA INNOVATION NETWORK®
…in the Nordics
Mr. Flemming Sørensen
President, Partner (DK)
fls@africainnovationnetwork.com
Linked in
Ms. Tanja Knoblauch Nielsen
Director, Partner (DK)
tkn@africainnovationnetwork.com
Linked in
Mr. Joakim Hedenstedt
Partner, Sweden (S)
joh@africainnovationnetwork.com
Linked in
Mr. Mads M. Kronborg
Chairman of the Board, Partner
Linked in
…..and in Africa
Mr. Volker Werth
CEO, InterGest South Africa
volker.werth@intergest.com
Linked in
Mrs. Charné Horn
Business Developer, South Africa
charne.potgieter@intergest.com
Linked in
We carry out seminars, conferences, round table meetings and business & networking meetings at the African embassies in the Nordics and in Africa
FOLLOW – SoMe
AFRICA INNOVATION NETWORK® does not collect any special categories of personal data about you (this includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health and genetic and biometric data). Any data we get from you is solely used internally in AFRICA INNOVATION NETWORK® and not submitted to any third party or entity at all. Our Privacy policy
