Unveiling East Africa exposes the untapped opportunities in the region. It has become one of the fastest growing regions not just in Africa but globally.
In the world of business, East Africa have become a place that provides attractive direct investment opportunities and an enabling environment for private equity investments.
Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Zoscales Partners and a Member of the Investment Committe, Ashenafi Alemu, finds his inspiration from the situation of millions of Ethiopians who need basic consumables such as food, personal care items and healthcare services.
With years of experience in infrastructure investments, economic policy, and management consulting, both in East Africa and Europe, the Ethiopian entrepreneur isn’t giving up anytime soon—until investments meet the true needs of people.
In Ethiopia, there are 105 million people who will need basic consumables such as food, personal care items and healthcare services – Ashenafi Alemu
According to Zoscales Partners as one of the economic growth leaders in East Africa, the region which has over 370 million in population has an expected GDP growth rate of 5-10% in the next 10 years. And to achieve sustainability—the life’s blood of economic growth, there’s a need for a broad industry diversification accompanied with low dependency on commodities.
One of the major reasons the region is becoming so attractive for local and international investments is because it is currently experiencing an improved political stability, conducive human and social environment, and hopefully the “long-lasting” peace remains for continuous regional cooperation.
Significantly boosting the ecosystem is of course not a job for one man, his partners, or an investment company alone.
The entrepreneurial culture in East Africa is something to talk about as the SME space remains vibrant. According to Zoscales Partners, “successful small and medium-sized companies are tapping into the growth in consumer affluence and discretionary spending, providing more than 30% return on investments.”
By Elijah Christopher
