Africa’s most important marketing conversations unpacked in latest mag

Also under the spotlight in this issue is the annual Global Trends Study by Ipsos, which this year analysed the evolution of personal values among consumers in three key African countries. While many of the shifts in thinking are applicable across the globe, others are Africa-specific and highligh why brands should approach their engagement with African consumers with a keen sense of cultural awareness and modernism. Read the article on page 14.

An important new social media trend

A keen understanding of social media has become an increasingly important tool in the arsenal of African marketers. But this landscape is constantly changing and one of the important new trends is the rise in global popularity of TikTok. While it’s not yet quite as popular here as on some continents, our marketers are cautiously studying and investing in the platform, which some see as a gateway to tapping into Africa’s young and newly connected audiences in large numbers. Read the article on page 30.

Coffee is a money spinner for many African countries, with the number of nations who are involved in its production and export numbering upwards of 30. Competition is tough, though, given that around 70 countries worldwide are coffee producers and exporters.

Recently, both Ethiopia and Rwanda enrolled members of their respective diplomatic missions as temporary coffee marketers to help them tap into new customers in China and increase their exports to the Asian nation. China’s booming e-commerce market – it has around a billion internet users and massive online marketplaces such as Alibaba – provided a perfect platform for their innovative strategies. Read the article on page 20.

You will find all these stories, and much more, in Issue 1 2022. Strategic Marketing for Africa is the new voice of African marketing and the official publication of the African Marketing Confederation (AMC). It is available quarterly in Digital and Print editions.