African Markets and the Utu-Ubuntu Business Model. A perspective on economic informality in Nairobi


Book Description

The persistence of indigenous African markets in the context of a hostile or neglectful business and policy environment makes them worthy of analysis. An investigation of Afrocentric business ethics is long overdue. Attempting to understand the actions and efforts of informal traders and artisans from their own points of view, and analysing how they organise and get by, allows for viable approaches to be identified to integrate them into global urban models and cultures. Using the utu-ubuntu model to understand the activities of traders and artisans in Nairobis markets, this book explores how, despite being consistently excluded and disadvantaged, they shape urban spaces in and around the city, and contribute to its development as a whole. With immense resilience, and without discarding their own socio-cultural or economic values, informal traders and artisans have created a territorial complex that can be described as the African metropolis. African Markets and the Utu-buntu Business Model sheds light on the ethics and values that underpin the work of traders and artisans in Nairobi, as well as their resilience and positive impact on urbanisation. This book makes an important contribution to the discourse on urban economics and planning in African cities.




Africa's Business Revolution


Book Description

The Definitive Guide to Doing Business in Africa For global and Africa-based companies looking to access new growth markets, Africa offers exciting opportunities to build large, profitable businesses. Its population is young, fast-growing, and increasingly urbanized--while rapid technology adoption makes the continent a fertile arena for innovation. But Africa's business environment remains poorly understood; it's known to many executives in the West only by its reputation for complexity, conflict, 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 enterprises. From senior leaders in McKinsey's African offices and a leading executive on the continent, this book draws on in-depth proprietary research by the McKinsey Global Institute as well as McKinsey's 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 looking to expand their existing operations in Africa--and for those seeking a road map to access this vast, untapped market for the first time.




Understanding African Real Estate Markets


Book Description

This book brings together a broad range of research that interrogates how real estate market analysis, finance, planning, and investment for residential and commercial developments across the African continent are undertaken. In the past two decades, African real estate markets have rapidly matured, creating the conditions for new investment opportunities which has increased the demand for a deeper understanding of the commercial and residential markets across the continent. The chapters consider issues that pertain to formal real estate markets and the critical relationship between formal and informal property markets on the continent. With contributing authors from South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, the book considers the achievements of African real estate markets while also highlighting the complex central themes such as underdeveloped land tenure arrangements, the availability of finance in both the commercial and residential sectors, rapidly growing urban areas, and inadequate professional skills. This book is essential reading for students in real estate, land management, planning, finance, development, and economics programs who need to understand the nuances of markets in the African context. Investors and policy makers will learn a lot reading this book too.




Black Markets and Militants


Book Description

Understanding the political and socio-economic factors which give rise to youth recruitment into militant organizations is central to grasping some of the most important issues that affect the contemporary Middle East and Africa. In this book, Khalid Mustafa Medani explains why youth are attracted to militant organizations, examining the specific role economic globalization plays in determining how and why militant activists emerge. Based on extensive fieldwork, Medani offers an in-depth analysis of the impact of globalization, neoliberal reforms and informal economic networks on the rise and evolution of moderate and militant Islamist movements. In an original contribution to the study of Islamist and ethnic politics, he shows the importance of understanding when and under what conditions religious rather than other forms of identity become politically salient. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.




Emerging Business Opportunities in Africa: Market Entry, Competitive Strategy, and the Promotion of Foreign Direct Investments


Book Description

Despite its often mismanaged economy, Africa remains the third largest continent in land mass and population. It continues to offer unexploited business opportunities for entrepreneurs, global corporations, and institutions. Emerging Business Opportunities in Africa: Market Entry, Competitive Strategy, and the Promotion of Foreign Direct Investments presents the basic business modeling for developing appropriate strategies in exploiting these business opportunities in the emerging economy in Africa. This book offers insight into the challenges and successes aiming to encourage researchers and students of business in creating a value for doing business in Africa.




E-marketing


Book Description

For courses in Internet Marketing or E-marketing This book teaches marketers how to engage and listen to buyers, and how to use what they learn to improve their offerings in today’s Internet- and social media-driven marketing environment. It brings traditional marketing coverage up-to-date with a thorough, incisive look at e-marketing planning and marketing mix tactics from a strategic and tactical perspective. The focus is on the Internet and other technologies that have had a profound effect on how marketing is approached today. Included is coverage of marketing planning; legal and global environments; e-marketing strategy; and marketing mix and customer relationship management strategy and implementation issues. A major revision, this seventh edition reflects the disruption to the marketing field brought about by social media. As such it covers many new topics that represent the changes in e-marketing practice in the past two years. Because of the ever-changing landscape of the Internet, the authors suggest reading this book, studying the material, and then going online to learn more about topics of interest. Features: Better understanding of new concepts in today’s electronic marketplace is accomplished as the book puts that new terminology into traditional marketing frameworks. Readers are encouraged to exercise critical thinking and attention to their own online behavior in order to better understanding the e-marketer’s perspective, strategies, and tactics–to think like a marketer. Although the focus is on e-marketing in the United States, readers also see a global perspective in the coverage of market developments in both emerging and developed nations. An entire chapter devoted to law and ethics, and contributed by a practicing attorney, updates readers on the latest changes in this critical area. Readers are guided in learning a number of e-marketing concepts with the help of some outstanding pedagogical features: -Marketing concept grounding helps readers make the connection between tradition and today. Material in each chapter is structured around a principle of marketing framework, followed by a look at how the internet has changed the structure or practice, providing an ideal bridge from previously learned material. -Learning objectives set the pace and the goals for the material in each chapter. -Best practices from real companies tell success stories, including new examples of firms doing it right. -Graphical frameworks serve as unique e-marketing visual models illustrating how each chapter fits among others. -Chapter summaries help readers review and refresh the material covered. -Key terms are identified in bold text within the chapter to alert readers to their importance. -Review and discussion questions are another device to be used for refreshing readers’ understanding of the material in the chapter. -Web activities at the end of each chapter help readers become further involved in the content. -This revision reflects the disruption to the marketing field based on social media. A major revision from the sixth edition, it includes many new topics, as dictated by changes in e-marketing practice in the past two years. -Three important Appendices include internet adoption statistics, a thorough glossary, and book references. NEW. Students get a broader look at social media as it is now integrated throughout the book, instead of confined to one chapter. NEW. A look a new business models continues and strengthens the approach of learning from real life examples. Added and described in detail are such models as social commerce (and Facebook commerce), mobile commerce and mobile marketing, social CRM, crowsourcing, and many important be less pervasive models such as crowfunding, freemium, and flash sales. NEW.Chapters 12, 13 and 14 were completely rewritten to reflect the move from traditional marketing communication tools to the way practitioners current describe IMC online: owned, paid and earned media. NEW. Readers see examples of many new and interesting technologies that are today providing marketing opportunities, both in the Web 2.0 and 3.0 sections. NEW. The chapter-opening vignettes continue to play an important role in illustrating key points. Two new vignettes and new discussion questions about each chapter opening vignette are included. NEW.Included are many new images in every chapter, plus updated “Let’s Get Technical” boxes. NEW.Other chapter-specific additions that further enhance understanding of the concepts include: -More social media performance metrics (Ch. 2) -“Big data” and social media content analysis (Ch. 6) -New consumer behavior theory and “online giving” as a new exchange activity (Ch. 7) -Social media for brand building (Ch. 9) -App pricing and web page pricing tactics (Ch. 10)




Africa Rising


Book Description

With more than 900 million consumers, the continent of Africa is one of the world’s fastest growing markets. In Africa Rising, renowned global business consultant Vijay Mahajan reveals this remarkable marketplace as a continent with massive needs and surprising buying power. Crossing thousands of miles across the continent, he shares the lessons that Africa’s businesses have learned about succeeding on the continent...shows how global companies are succeeding despite Africa’s unique political, economic, and resource challenges...introduces local entrepreneurs and foreign investors who are building a remarkable spectrum of profitable and sustainable business opportunities even in the most challenging locations...reveals how India and China are staking out huge positions throughout Africa...and shows the power of the diaspora in driving investment and development. Recognize that Africa is richer than you think Africa is richer than India on the basis of gross national income (GNI) per capita, and a dozen African countries have a higher GNI per capita than China. Aim for Africa Two Opportunities exist in all parts of the market, particularly the 400 million people in the middle of the market. Find opportunities to organize the market From retailing to cell phones to banking, companies are succeeding by building infrastructure. Develop strategies for the most youthful market in the world Companies are recognizing opportunities from diapers to music to medicine in a market growing younger every day. Understand that Africa is not a “media dark” continent From Nollywood to satellite to broadband, media is exploding on the continent. Recognize the hidden strength of the African diaspora The African diaspora brings resources and knowledge to African development and expands the African opportunity beyond the continent. Build Ubuntu markets Create profitable businesses, sustainable growth, and social organizations by meeting basic human needs.




African Market Women


Book Description

“A wonderfully evocative compilation of seven life histories from Kumasi, Ghana, of women Gracia Clark encountered in the course of a lifetime of fieldwork.” —African Studies Review In these lively life stories, women market traders from Ghana comment on changing social and economic times and on reasons for their prosperity or decline in fortunes. Gracia Clark shows that market women are intimately connected with economic policy on a global scale. Many work at the intersection of sophisticated networks of transnational commerce and migration. They have dramatic memories of independence and the growth of their new nation, including political rivalries, price controls, and violent raids on the market. The experiences of these women give substance to their reflections on globalization, capital accumulation, colonialism, technological change, environmental degradation, teenage pregnancy, marriage, children, changing gender roles, and spirituality. Clark’s commentary illuminates the complex historical and cultural setting of these deeply revealing lives. “Shows, in direct speech, how family, kinship, marriage and age/generation work together in a daily life which is shaped by political, demographic, cultural, and wholly accidental change in people’s circumstances.” —Jane Guyer, Johns Hopkins University “Overall, this is an excellent book: it will be useful in undergraduate teaching and makes an important contribution to our understanding of the richness and variety of women’s lives in West Africa.” —Journal of Africa “Clark . . . offers intriguing insights into the lives of seven Akan women traders . . . Recommended.” —Choice




Marketing Brands in Africa


Book Description

This contributed volume serves as an authoritative reference and guide for anyone looking to study or build a brand in Africa. Despite being touted as the ‘last frontier’ of global brands, very little research exists that examines brands and branding in this emerging market. Authors cover crucial topics such as the history of branding in Africa, branding approaches used by start-ups, religious organizations, political parties, and businesses in the informal economies of Africa, as well as marketing Africa as a brand using practical cases, empirical and critical approaches. With the world’s youngest population and the second-fastest growing economies, Africa has quickly become a hotbed for marketing and consumption of local and global brands. While past research has mostly focused on examining the brand image of Africa and African countries, or on branding Africa as a place for tourist consumption, what is missing is a comprehensive guide that discusses the theory and practice of branding and brands in and from Africa. Through theoretical and practical contributions, the authors of this book seek to fill the knowledge gap about branding in and from Africa.




Markets and States in Tropical Africa


Book Description

Following independence, most countries in Africa sought to develop, but their governments pursued policies that actually undermined their rural economies. Examining the origins of Africa’s “growth tragedy,” Markets and States in Tropical Africa has for decades shaped the thinking of practitioners and scholars alike. Robert H. Bates’s analysis now faces a challenge, however: the revival of economic growth on the continent. In this edition, Bates provides a new preface and chapter that address the seeds of Africa’s recovery and discuss the significance of the continent’s success for the arguments of this classic work.