Africa's Business Revolution ― How to Succeed in the World's Next Big Growth Market

Africa still lags far behind other regions on most key measures. But that's about to change. By 2025 spending by African consumers and businesses will exceed $5 trillion, and by 2035 Africa will have the world's largest urban population and a workforce larger than China's or India's. That points to exciting opportunities for global and Africa-based companies looking to access new growth markets--and to build large, profitable businesses in sectors ranging from resources to manufacturing to services. Their momentum will be fuelled by Africa's young and fast-growing population and by the rapid adoption of technology across the continent. But Africa's business environment remains poorly understood and known to many executives in the West only by its reputation for complexity, contradiction, and corruption.

Africa's Business Revolution provides the inside story on business in Africa and its future growth prospects, and helps executives understand and seize the opportunities for building profitable, sustainable businesses. The authors--Acha Leke, Mutsa Chironga, and Georges Desvaux--are senior leaders in McKinsey's African offices and draw on in-depth proprietary research by the McKinsey Global Institute as well as their own extensive experience advising corporate and government leaders across Africa. Brimming with company case studies and exclusive interviews with some of Africa's most prominent executives, this book comes to life with the vibrant stories of those who have navigated the many twists and turns on the road to building successful businesses on the continent.

Combining an unrivalled fact base with expert advice on shaping and executing an Africa growth strategy, this book is required reading for global business executives wanting to expand their existing operations in Africa--and for those seeking a road map to access this vast, untapped market for the first time.

Acha Leke is a Senior Partner in McKinsey's Johannesburg office and supports clients in their Public Sector, Social Sector, and Private Equity Practices, among others. As a member of the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) Council, Acha also advises MGI on research related to productivity, competitiveness, and growth, particularly in African economies. He started his McKinsey career as a summer associate in the Johannesburg office in 1998 and rejoined the firm in Atlanta in August 1999. He transferred back to Johannesburg in January 2002 to help expand the firm's activities across Sub-Saharan Africa. He relocated to Lagos in 2010 to open the firm's newly established office in Nigeria and returned to South Africa in 2014. He is currently leading McKinsey's expansion efforts across Francophone Africa.

Mutsa Chironga is a Partner in McKinsey's Johannesburg office. The focus of his work is serving major banks on strategy and expansion across the African continent. He is the lead author of "Lions on the Move: The Progress and Potential of African Economies" and a related article in Harvard Business Review, "Cracking the Next Growth Market: Africa." Mutsa frequently addresses audiences in Asia, Europe, and North America on strategies for entering or expanding in Africa.

Georges Desvaux is the McKinsey Managing Partner for Africa. From 2011 to 2015, he was the Managing Partner of Japan. He also worked in Beijing from 1999 to 2006 and Paris from 2006 to 2011. He has supported retailers, financial institutions, and technology companies on international growth, post-merger integration, marketing capabilities, customer satisfaction, lean operations, and organizational design. Georges is a Leader of the Marketing Practice and has authored articles and research on consumer and macroeconomic trends as well as building McKinsey's Consumer Insights and Analytics capabilities.

Author social media/website info: mckinsey.com/our-people/acha-leke, za.linkedin.com/ichaleke, twitter.com/achaleke?lang=en, mckinsey.com/our-people/mutsa-chironga, za.linkedin.com/in/mutsa-chironga, twitter.com/mckinseyafrica/status/674900132610093056, mckinsey.com/our-people/georges-desvaux