SPARK co-organizes the second ‘Regional Entrepreneurship Fair’
SPARK partner, the Netherlands African Business Council (NABC), has published its first systematic book about Dutch entrepreneurship in Africa with the Berenschot and Partnerships Resource Centre. ‘Doing Business in Africa: A Strategic Guide for Entrepreneurs’, was officially launched on Thursday, January 18th during a meeting with International Trade and Development Minister, Lilianne Ploumen in Amsterdam.
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Providing an overview of opportunities and challenges in Africa, it analyzes the position of the Dutch private sector and presents a clear vision on how to achieve a sustainable competitive position on the continent.
Read an excerpt of ‘Doing Business in Africa: A Strategic Guide for Entrepreneurs’:
Over two thousand Dutch firms are today engaged in business in sub-Saharan Africa. The large majority is involved in imports or exports. Their strategies require relatively little investments and allow for quick withdrawals if circumstances so require. This approach was well-suited to the days of great political and economic instability that have characterised many African countries for long. It is increasingly less appropriate to the Africa of today: an emerging continent with booming business opportunities. This book argues that innovation and partnerships with governments and NGOs in the strategies of Dutch firms is needed to better seize the chances, contribute to development and obtain a sustainable competitive position in Africa. The book develops a novel approach to internationalization in which firms have to manage a large variety of distance dimensions at the same time, whilst taking three different types of risks into account: operational, strategic and sustainability risks. The book thereby offers managers a number of practical tools to realistically assess their risks and overcome obvious barriers of effectively doing business in Africa. Africa, according to the authors, is increasingly become a ‘normal ‘ region to do business in.