The Ict Market in Ivory Coast 2015
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THE ICT MARKET IN IVORY COAST 2015 I - MARKET OVERVIEW The Ivory Coast is the second largest economy in Africa and the largest economy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). Since 2011 the Ivory Coast has registered remarkable growth. Indeed, GDP growth was at 8.8% in 2013 and 9.2% in the third quarter of 2014. This positive performance comes after years of sluggish performance and was facilitated by many factors mainly the devaluation of the CFA franc, higher cocoa and coffee prices, growth in non-traditional primary exports such as pineapples and rubber, debt relief and rescheduling, as well as the discovery of oil and gas reserves. The Ivory Coast records the 4th highest growth rate amongst African countries, with an average annual FDI growth rate of 43.1%, between 2007-2012. Lebanon is Ivory Coast’s leading investor. Capital Yamoussoukro Largest city Abidjan Government Presidential Republic Currency West African CFA franc (XOF) Official language French Area 322,463 km2 Population 22,848,945 (July 2014 est.) Calling code +225 Economic snapshot 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 GDP (% annual growth rate) 3.7 2.4 -4.7 9.5 9.5 9.9(Q3) Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) 50.7 50.5 53.8 48.4 48.4 - Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) 39.8 43.2 37.3 44.2 44.2 - ICT goods imports (% total goods imports) 3.9 3.3 3.1 2.5 2.5 - CONTENT Inflation (annual %) 1.0 1.7 4.9 1.3 1.3 - Exchange rate (per USD) 472.2 495.3 471.9 510.5 510.5 494.4 I. Market Overview p.3 Source: World Bank II. Trade Outlook p.4 Sector Contribution to GDP in the Ivory Coast | 2011 III. Business Opportunities p.6 IV. SWOT Analysis of the Market p.8 V. Key Players p.8 VI. Trade Fairs 2015 p.8 VII. How Can IDAL Help p.9 VIII. Useful Contacts p.9 Source: OECD 1 Ernst & Young’s Attractiveness Survey on Africa, 2013. 2 3 II. Trade Outlook III. BusinessIII. Business Opportunities Opportunities The Ivory Coast’s largest city, Abidjan, is home to the second largest port in Africa. Its main imports Trade volumes between Lebanon and the Ivory Coast (2010-2013) The IvoryThe Coast’s Ivory Coast’s ICT sector ICT has sector persistently has persistently expanded expanded and proved and provedlucrative. lucrative. In 2013, In it 2013,generated it generated include mineral, vegetable and chemical products, machinery and mechanical appliances, a total ofa totalaround of around5,000 direct 5,000 jobs direct and jobs 50,000 and 50,000indirect indirectjobs and jobs contributed and contributed to around to around6- 7% of6- 7% of electrical equipment, sound and television image recorders and reproducers. Total Lebanese Exports to Ivory Coast | USD Million GDP, theGDP, second the secondlargest contributionlargest contribution after agriculture, after agriculture, amounting amounting to roughly to roughlyUSD 600-800Billion USD 600-800Billion1. 1. The Ivory coast has Free Trade Agreements with the European and African community, making 37.793 The IvoryThe Coast Ivory is Coast currently is currently West Africa’s West Africa’slargest internetlargest internet market market and is mainly and is basedmainly onbased mobile on mobile them the main associates. However, no Trade Agreements have been conducted with Lebanon yet. connectivity.connectivity. Indeed, Indeed,the Ivory the Coast Ivory had Coast an estimatedhad an estimated mobile penetrationmobile penetration rate of 88% rate ofin 88%2014, in one 2014, one South-South trade is expected to thrive with Asian partners on the rise as main trade partners, 29.451 of the highestof the highestin Sub-Saharan in Sub-Saharan Africa. MoreoverAfrica. Moreover there are there currently are currently six mobile six operators,mobile operators, all of them all of them 28.410 26.583 especially India and China. 24.576 backed backedup by renowned up by renowned international international operators: operators: MTN and MTN Orange and Orangeare the areleaders the leadersin the market, in the market, and other’sand other’sinclude includeMoov (owned Moov (ownedby UAE’s by ItisalatUAE’s andItisalat sold and to soldMaroc to TelecomMaroc Telecom in 2014) in and 2014) KoZ and KoZ Ease of Trade (owned (ownedby the Lebanese by the Lebanese Comium Comium Group)2 Group). 2. Importing a standard container of goods into Ivory Coast requires This highThis increase high increase in mobile in mobilephones phonesand internet and internet penetration penetration opened opened the door the to door various to various opportunitiesopportunities for mobile-related for mobile-related businesses businesses and a particularly and a particularly promising promising market marketfor service for servicesector sector applications.applications. Software Software systems systems are also are increasingly also increasingly sought aftersought across after variousacross variousindustries industries in order in order 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 to enhanceto enhance customer customer experiences. experiences. The country The country also has also an hasimportant an important telecommunications telecommunications infrastructureinfrastructure giving it giving a comparative it a comparative advantage advantage in the region in the3 .region 3. Source: Lebanese Higher Customs Council (2014) Total Lebanese Imports from Ivory Coast | USD Million Ivory CoastIvory telecom Coast telecom sector -sector Market - MarketPenetration Penetration Rates (estimates) Rates (estimates) | 2014 | 2014 26.706 17.770 19.363 8.178 7.324 Source: ResearchSource: Researchand Markets and report Markets report Main exporters to the Ivory Coast 1. e-Government1. e-Government The IvoryThe Coast Ivory startedCoast startedits e-government its e-government initiatives initiatives in 2004 in by 2004 posting by postinginformation information online ononline on 1 Nigeria 6 United States 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 naturalization,naturalization, legal texts, legal surveystexts, surveys and documents and documents on immigration, on immigration, as well asas wella number as a number of of 2 France 7 Germany downloadabledownloadable forms4. formsIn 2011,4. In the 2011, Government the Government adopted adopted the e-GOUV the e-GOUV scheme, scheme, which consists which consists of of Source: Lebanese Higher Customs Council (2014) 3 China 8 Vietnam two majortwo axes;major e-Administration axes; e-Administration and e-Services and e-Services5. The SNDI5. The is SNDI also isworking also working to implement to implement ICT ICT 4 India 9 Spain solutionssolutions in all government in all government activities, activities, including including nance, nance, health care, health and care, education, and education, with the with goal the of goal of 6 6 5 Thailand 10 Netherlands providing,providing, by the year by the 2020, year all 2020, government all government services services available available online in online developed in developed countries countries. Hence, Hence,the e-government the e-government subsector subsector is growing is growing at a rapid at arate rapid in therate Ivory in the Coast Ivory and Coast presents and presents an an Source: Observatory of Economic Complexity (2012) abundanceabundance of potential of potential programs programs and applications and applications7. 7. Top Lebanese Exports to the Ivory Coast 2013 | Tons, Net 2. e-Agriculture2. e-Agriculture Tons Net A comprehensiveA comprehensive national national e-agriculture e-agriculture strategy strategy document document was validated was validated in 2012. in This 2012. strategy This strategy has has 1 Beverages, spirits and vinegar 1,043 the aim theof modernizingaim of modernizing the country’s the country’s agricultural agricultural sector andsector enhancing and enhancing its productivity: its productivity: increasing increasing 2 Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery… 971 the country’sthe country’s export ofexport cocoa, of cocoa,coffee andcoffee other and produce, other produce, and decreasing and decreasing food imports food imports8. The 8. The 3 Plastics and article 811 strategystrategy requires requires suitable suitable access accessto information to information services services and data and centers data centersas part asof partan ICT of an ICT 4 Printed books, newspapers, pictures… 739 packagepackage aiming toaiming make to real-time make real-time market marketinformation information systems systems available available via mobile via mobilephones phonesand and tablets9.tablets Esoko9 .is Esoko an Agriculture is an Agriculture mobile applicationsmobile applications used to usedmarket to informationmarket information for businesses for businesses and and 5 Furniture; bedding, mattresses, mattress supports… 693 6 Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp 582 7 Miscellaneous edible preparations 512 8 Miscellaneous manufactured articles 460 9 Tanning or dyeing extracts; tannins… 311 10 Electrical machinery, equipment and parts 284 Source: Lebanese Higher Customs Council (2013) 4 5 private individualsprivate individuals in Ivory inCoast Ivory10 .Coast Partnering10. Partnering with the with government the government for the developmentfor the development of similar of similar programsprograms will be highlywill be protable highly protable since agriculture since agriculture is the biggest is the biggestsector in sector the Ivory in the Coast. Ivory Coast. 3. e-Health3. e-Health In countriesIn countries such as such the Ivoryas the Coast, Ivory whereCoast, the where number the number of mobile of phonesmobile phonessurpasses surpasses that of xedthat of xed lines, e-Healthlines, e-Health and m-Health and m-Health seem to seem be ato