The Project Dancing Raisins

The African businessmen are organized in networks


(MFI) Isolated, African entrepreneurs are powerless against the instability of laws, bureaucracy or lack of capital. Grouped in clubs, associations and networks, they form effective lobby groups that promote reforms . Contractors are starting to come together, according to regional criteria or thematic, and weigh more.


Titan Impex, a conglomerate of Thai origin, is looking for distributors in Africa to transport its divisions, construction, telecommunications and energy. Integral Ghanaian company located in Italy and specializes in sourcing, wants to help African importers to find suppliers. As for Environmental Products & Technologies Corp., based in Belgium and exporter of medical devices and veterinary products, it intends to find representatives on the continent. All these operators have published their ad on the network entrepreneurs in West Africa (WAEN in French, English Wean). This network is the first of its kind in Africa. Created in 1993 at the initiative of the United States (U.S. AID) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), it aims to remove the creative and business leaders deprived of their isolation.
"In the African political and economic context, running a business is a real uphill battle. Besides the shortage of capital, it must face the difficulty of access to information, paperwork and instability laws governing business, "says a member of the first hour of WAEN. By coming together, entrepreneurs are able to send messages to political leaders and share their local experiences. They are now 350, originating from 13 countries to join the WAEN through national clubs. Three sectors are particularly strong: the import-export, banking and public accounting. It is not, as we see too often in Africa, an association responsible for collecting grants from international agencies, but a club of businessmen talking business and self-finances its activities.

Local Actions and comprehensive claims

Neither union nor lobby, the network manages to influence national economic policies. In Nigeria, a member of WAEN weighed heavily in the reform of the investment code, which penalizes businesses too. In Mali, the Minister of Finance has linked the network to the structural adjustment negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Since then, the World Bank does not take a decision critical to the country without consulting the members of businessmen WAEN. In Ghana, one of the most significant actions was to relax the rules for introducing foreign companies in Accra bourse.
local actions in addition to more general claims. Like the one on the taxation of high-tech equipment, the last battle horse of the group. "Governments should reduce taxes," said the Senegalese Mabousso Thiam, president of the network, once approved by the African Development Bank (ADB) has announced the creation of a special fund for information and telecommunications , but the amount remains to be defined.
WAEN The early success has inspired businessmen in Africa Southern. In 1998, they, in turn, created a regional network, dubbed Southern Africa Enterprise Network (SEAN). It covers Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. And brings together 105 members, including many more Zambians and Angolans. The network focuses primarily on regional integration, with the support of intergovernmental organizations. But the principle is the same as WAEN: self-financing of all actions and exchange of business opportunities. Local governments and Western quickly realized they could draw the interest of SEAN: The network brings together the very best in private enterprise in a region of 130 million and totaled $ 150 billion gross domestic product. Many are seeking the attention of local investors, small individually, but which, taken together, weigh heavy.

Promote access to private African materials used industrial

entrepreneurs from the diaspora also begin to mobilize to build north-south links between businessmen. Among the latest networks created by these businessmen operating from Paris, Montreal, New York or London, they include: Club Africagora, business club founded in Paris by the Ivorian Dogad Dogoui. Its activity is currently limited to the organization of business meetings. In the same slot, thirty African entrepreneurs from Guinea, Senegal, Gabon, Chad, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Togo have established, after a business forum held in Montreal few months ago, the Network of Entrepreneurs Canada Africa (RECA), which also includes African Business living in Canada. "We are primarily a communication network and support," said the chairman of RECA, Madamou Oumar Dembele.
We even see the first emergence enterprise networks around specific themes. Example: Network Trust, whose sole ambition is to facilitate investor access to private African industrial materials used. "The material stored, which represents 20% of purchases of African industrialists, is often less fragile than the sophisticated new equipment, less suitable for working conditions in Africa, 'the promoters of Trust. Other Network Theme: Pan Africa Bicycle Information Network, dedicated to the world of cycling. Importers and manufacturers to find business opportunities. Other network embryos develop in the areas of food processing and leather goods. The consolidation movement is still in its infancy.


Yolanda S. Kouamé