Boom in innovative projects in Africa from Italy, strategies for doing business

ROME – From the opening of labels for Afro House musicians, to the turnkey delivery of radio studios, up to the construction of bio-architecture villas and the installation of photovoltaic systems. More and more Italian professionals and companies are choosing to focus on Africadeveloping sustainable and innovative projects. But entering these markets alone can be risky: cultural barriers and local commercial dynamics hide numerous pitfalls that should not be underestimated. It was born like this, from an idea of Martino Ghielmi, VadoinAfrica.com, the first Italian-language community which currently brings together over 30 thousand professionals interested in working between Italy and African countries. “A project created to fill a void and facilitate win-win collaborations, making our country rediscover its proximity to one of the regions with the highest economic growth on the planet”, explains Ghielmi, 38 years old, an expert business consultant with the Africa.
The strategies for getting your sustainable business off the ground in Africa will be illustrated during the VadoinAfrica Summit, digital event scheduled from 25 to 27 September, from 6pm to 8pm. The meeting will be an opportunity to share experiences and opportunities in different sectors, from agri-food to construction, through services and creative industries, renewable energy and design. Entrepreneurs, professionals and opinion leaders working in the various regions of the African continent will alternate on the virtual stage. Among these Tomaso Papetti of Ebury, a fintech active in the management of international collections and payments with over 130 currencies, Paul Elom Kpelly, an Italian-Togolese entrepreneur protagonist of a twinning in the coffee supply chain with the Apulian Morola. And again, the trainer Enzo Graziano, sales guru in East Africa, and Mimmo Falcone, aka MoBlack, among the pioneers of Afro House on a global level.
“In my case everything started from a passion for athletics – says Ghielmi – At just twenty years old I went to Kenya to understand the reasons for this excellence. There I realized that it is a rich land and I chose to work there. In many countries today I see the same ingredients of the Italian economic miracle after the Second World War, i.e. risk propensity and demographic increase: between now and 2050, Africa is the only continent where the population will grow, doubling to 2.5 billion inhabitants . The African economy is growing at 3.8% this year, 4.2% is expected next year – he further observes – but there are important differences between countries and often the real values ​​are higher. In Africa, according to Aire, over 71 thousand Italians reside and there is an unknown number of local entrepreneurs with experience and studies in Italy. There is no shortage of demand for Italy but we need to think about how to overcome the uncertainty and lack of information. Italian operators often look for opportunities without risks, something impossible. Among the many beliefs that limit constructive synergies, in fact, there is still mutual ignorance and a firm look at the paternalism of the twentieth century. To generate virtuous processes we must forget about top-down help, exploring equal partnerships with specific methods that will be illustrated during the event. In Africa we look for Italian know-how but these are contexts where a medium-term strategy is needed – states the founder of VadoinAfrica – It is essential not to go there alone because in these markets it is easy to run into scams or unpleasant situations. This is why it is important to refer to already tested networks.”
Registering for the VadoinAfrica Summit, live streaming from Monday 25th to Wednesday 27th (6pm – 8pm), is free from vagoinafricasummit.com