5 Tips for Effective Communication in Africa’s Dynamic Business Landscape

Africa’s business landscape is an intriguing mix of opportunities and constant change. In recent years, we have seen various markers that point to the emergence of sizable economic opportunities on the continent. For example, Africa’s digital economy is expected to reach $712 billion by 2050. By 2050, Africa will be home to a third of the world’s young people and the continent is urbanizing faster than other regions. Disposable income also continues to rise and access to financial services is improving, thanks to recent innovation.

At the same time, you have a wide range of challenges that add various complexities to how people live and work on the continent. From sustainability and food security to healthcare distribution and access to quality education, the continent’s challenges are well documented. These challenges have also created a lot of nonconsumption on the continent, with large numbers of Africans unable to purchase or use products and services that would help them make progress, typically because they are too expensive or inaccessible.

It is in this context that most businesses in Africa find themselves. Particularly for innovative companies that are delivering solutions to these challenges, there is the added challenge of making sure the opportunities they are enabling are not clouded by the narratives that surround these challenges. Without the ability to effectively communicate their value proposition, innovative businesses risk missing out on key growth opportunities.

At Talking Drum, we work with a wide range of innovative companies across various sectors (healthcare, commerce, education, agriculture, financial services and more), helping them to shape perspectives about the work they are doing and effectively communicate with their target audiences. Here are some tips that our clients have found useful.

Clarity is key

Before you communicate anything publicly, it is essential that you are clear on what you are hoping to achieve with your communications. Once you are clear on what you want to achieve, it becomes much easier to build a strategy to achieve your goals. Clarity does not only make it easier to know where you want to go, it also makes it easier to know when you get there. Clarity in your business communications also makes it easier for everyone to pull in the same direction and for any objections or disagreements to be addressed. 

It is important to know that clarity doesn’t just happen. You have to be intentional about it. You have to go through the right processes to identify what exactly you are trying to achieve and how to communicate it effectively. 

Prioritise what you are saying over how you sound

Too often, companies invest too much energy into how they sound rather than what they are saying in their communications. There is nothing wrong with sounding a certain way but it should not be at the expense of the bigger priority - the need to connect with your audience. A good way to avoid that trap is to remember that we are ultimately communicating with human beings and not a faceless, corporate entity. Even in business-to-business communications, the eyeballs and ears that will see and hear whatever you have to say will be human beings with needs, desires and other priorities. 

Regardless of what you are hoping to achieve with your communications, being intentional about what you are saying will make it easier to connect with the people you need to.

Play to your strengths

Innovative companies are typically ambitious. The two attributes often come together. However, many companies often ignore what they have in search of what they want and this is very rarely a wise move. A better tactic would be to leverage what you have to get what you want. For example, if the majority of your users are SMEs but you would like more large businesses to use your products and services, you can start by identifying similar challenges that your SME customers and large businesses face and then build your narrative about how your solutions address those challenges. Instead of completely ignoring the innovation stories you can tell with your SMEs users, you can use them as case studies to attract the larger businesses you want. 

Don’t be afraid to go first

One of the best things about operating in a dynamic landscape is there is no shortage of new opportunities. Unlike mature markets where the lay of the land has been set, the non-consumption that typically exists as a result of the challenges mentioned above means you are constantly exposed to uncharted territories. The same principle applies with strategic communications and there are equally as many stories that are still untold. The challenge is often whether or not businesses are bold enough to start the conversation. 

What the emergence of Africa’s startup ecosystem has shown us is that first movers get a significant advantage in shaping the narrative and cementing their place in the conversation. There are many sectors and opportunities that are brimming with opportunities to tell new innovation stories if only companies are bold enough to push a new narrative.

Focus on the opportunity

In an evolving business landscape like Africa’s, it can be too easy to focus on the challenges and the inconsistencies that you end up projecting them as the beginning and end of the reality on ground. However, a more impactful approach could be to focus on the opportunities that exist within the context of those inconsistencies and challenges. The fact that there are growth opportunities in Africa is not really something to debate. If there is anything to debate, it is how to address these challenges and bring more consistency to support long term growth.

Companies should not refrain from honestly addressing challenges in their communications. However, we need to take a solutions-based approach to realise the opportunities that abound on the continent. For every challenge that is highlighted, a viable solution should be proposed.

Ultimately, effective communication is all about getting the response you want from your audience. It is not just about getting something out there and hoping for the best. In today’s world where we are constantly competing for mindshare with all sorts of interests and distractions, your business communications need to capture your audience’s attention and cause them to act in a way that supports what you are trying to achieve as a company.

If you’d like to hear more about how Talking Drum Communications can help you to communicate more effectively with your target audience, do get in touch - hello@talkingdrumcomms.com.