According to the World Bank, 35 of 47 economies in sub-Saharan Africa took at least one step in making it easier to do business in their country in 2015. Rwanda implemented a credit-scoring service; Kenya launched government-run company registration services; Madagascar strengthened minority-investor protections; and Equatorial Guinea took the registration procedure for new businesses from 16+ steps down to four, and the processing time from 120+ days to 10.
As new businesses are created and developed, and oil-based economies work to diversify in the face of low oil prices, business-to-business (B2B) opportunities throughout Africa will thrive. In their report, Lions on the Move II: Realising the Potential of Africa’s Economies, McKinsey Global Institute stated an increase in the number and size of African businesses, saying that: “While the consumer story has generated headlines, the relatively unsung business-to-business market represents an even larger opportunity.”
McKinsey expects B2B demand to grow by US$1tr, bringing the figure to $3.5tr by 2025. African companies spent $2.6tr on the B2B market in 2015 – 40% of which was in South Africa and Nigeria.
