Thanks to African Loft I learned, that there is a market analysis about China and their business in Africa. Excerpt:

“While America is preoccupied with the war in Iraq (cost: half a trillion dollars and counting), and while think-tank economists continue to spit out papers debating whether vital resources are running out at all, China’s leadership isn’t taking any chances. In just a few years, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has become the most aggressive investor-nation in Africa.”

My question: What does Germany, what does Europe do? (I think, they just spent money and hope, the Africans will think good of them.)

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At Novatech ITC Africa in Addis Abeba I held a presentation about ‘how to make business with IT companies in Europe’ - and, of course, about ‘Open Source Africa’.

Download the Presentation as a PDF file:
Presentation Joachim Graf Novatech ITC Africa: How to make business with IT companies in Europe and about Open Source Africa

Speech Outline

Title:

Generating New Business with Europes SMEs in the IT-field

Speaker: Joachim Graf,

Publicist and Editor iBusiness Germany

Founder and Managing Director of HighText Verlag, Munich Germany

Generating New Business with Europes SMEs in the IT-field.

The presentation outlines how African IT companies can set up a business relationship with European IT and media companies.

About 90 percent of German IT companies in the SME sector have fewer than 10 employees. The decision makers in these small companies neither have the time nor the expertise needed to conduct systematic partner research for their growing outsourcing needs. In order to be visible to German companies seeking outsourcing partners and to have access to them, African IT companies have to be virtually or physically present with their profile and company information. This information is targeted to show them as trustworthy and technically competent partners. An appropriate, up-to-date and sufficient online networking platform would be a huge opportunity for African companies to get in touch with Germanys IT sector. More important than low prices are visible technical and project skills and a powerful networking strategy. Additionally, the presentation will describe the planned online networking platform and how it brings African and European SME companies into partnership.

At Novatech ICT Africa in Addis Abeba I have the pleasure to discuss with Hon. Nabilah Sempala Naggayi, Woman Member of Parliament for Kampala District in the Parliament of Uganda, the role of IT development in Eastern Africa, the situation of the educational sector - and the lack of marketing, German companies do (or better: didn’t do) on African markets.

Additional, Hon. Nabilah Sempala, who speaks fluently German, pointed out, how high the benefits are, Ugandas IT industry can receive out of the Open Source Africa project. Something – of course – I was very happy to hear.

Today, I leave to Addis Abeba. On the ICT Africa, the big conference from Novatech for the IT business in East Africa, I will present Open Source Africa. Iam very curious about Ethopia and all the African IT guys. I look forward to meet a lot of interesting people and potential project partners in the UN conference centre in the center of Addis Abeba.