Most companies we deal with are active in the agro supply chain, really from farmer to fork, in Africa. What we see more and more is that the value adding part of the production process is being kept in country, rather than being outsourced to a somewhere overseas, for example to a low labour cost country. Cashew nuts, or nuts in general, are actually a good example of this trend.

When you consider setting up a value adding processing plant or processing structure in country somewhere in Africa, you might want to think about whether or not you will be able to find professionals that can help you set it up locally. It definitely differs per country, but I think a good measuring point is to look in-country and see if there are already any international companies processing their food.

If you are looking for professionals that already have experience with this within the African country you are active in, you’d probably have to headhunt from your competitors. So it makes sense to map the situation within your country, before diving into the deep end of the pool.

If you would like more insights on this, I’d be happy to jump on a call. Feel free to send me an email on inez@jobnetafrica.com.