The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) and the Fletcher Africa Business Group at The Fletcher School, Tufts University, have announced the publication of their first collaborative effort. Integration on the Frontier – The East African Community as an Investment Destination draws upon the resources and knowledge of CCA and The Fletcher School, as well as the on-the-ground experience of the authors and businesses already operating in the EAC.
With a combined population of 126 million and total GDP of $80 billion, the EAC is a fast growing mid-sized market by global standards, with a GDP roughly equivalent to Vietnam's. According to the paper, "[p]erhaps the most exciting aspect of the EAC is the rise of an East African middle class. Not only is this emerging group of people a collection of voracious consumers of everything from top-range electronics to movies and popcorn, it also constitutes a broad-based, well-educated, and globalized section of society."
"CCA member companies will find this to be a very useful primer on operating in or expanding into East Africa," said Stephen Hayes, president and CEO of CCA.
"This white paper describes the process of economic integration in the EAC and provides actionable insights and analysis," said Stewart K. Kelly, student co-founder of the Fletcher Africa Business Group. To that end, the paper highlights business sectors with the greatest investment potential, identifies sources of financing, and includes practical case studies of companies already finding success in the region.
Copies of the report can be downloaded from CCA's website at www.africacncl.org or http://fletcher.tufts.edu/news/2010/12/oped/Kelly-Dec20.shtml.
CCA and The Fletcher School have already begun collaboration on their next project with CCA members providing "Reflections from Practice" for The Fletcher School's Center for Emerging Market Enterprises' (CEME) ongoing project entitled "Strategy, Operations and Leadership in Emerging and Frontier Economies," which will culminate in a conference in March 2011.
About The Corporate Council on Africa
Established in 1993, The Corporate Council on Africa is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 180 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. The organization is dedicated to bringing together potential business partners and to showcase business opportunities on the continent. For more information on Corporate Council on Africa, visit: www.africacncl.org.
About The Fletcher Africa Business Group
The Fletcher Africa Business Group is a network of professionals, academics, and students from a range of sectors who share a common purpose to grow and improve the private sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. The group is led by students of The Fletcher School, with support, partnership, and strategic guidance from a select group of leading corporate, public-sector, and non-government stakeholders in African business. For more information, please visit The Fletcher School website at: fletcher.tufts.edu.
CONTACT:
Rashida Petersen, (202) 263-3534, rpetersen@africacncl.org
Ian Davis, (617) 627-6410, ian.davis@tufts.edu
