Doing media business in Africa, the colourful continent

19 Mar 2012

Africa is often perceived as being aggressive and unstable, with only the bad aspects highlighted. Many South Africans seem reluctant to get involved up north. Celia Collins is one of the few South Africans in this industry who understands media on the African continent. She gives insight into the state of play.

In the last 20 years, media moguls have grown and developed, not based on political connections, but from a position of wanting to add value and promote smarter thinking for all.

Most major networks have realised that Africa is the continent of opportunity - especially in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and cellular industries. Africa may not have the same per capita attraction as Europe, but it certainly has the most potential. If US$100 000 were invested in the United States, the return on investment (ROI) would be insignificant. But if the same amount were invested in Africa, the ROI would be far greater from a market share point of view.

Africa has been rapidly colonised by competition in terms of where agencies and their clients go and where they invest. Political stability on the continent is far better than many people think. For example, there is huge growth in Angola and the DRC, with Zimbabwe also showing underlying development.

Read the full story on www.themediaonline.co.za.