Greater awareness and understanding of the key dimensions of culture can help us to communicate better with customers across different markets and regions in more subtle ways. By being both more culturally sensitive and communicating more compelling messages, you can significantly grow your business beyond your home market.

1. CULTURE and MARKETING
The African Context

2. Global Marketing
• Global marketing is now vital for firms
wishing to sell their products abroad
While most international companies
conduct thorough research and market
surveys, they often fail to consider the
impact of culture on their global
marketing strategy
• This absence of cultural sensitivity can
create huge financial and credibility
losses even for world renowned brands

3. Marketing
• Companies desiring to sell their
products in a new market need to
carefully consider the differing attitudes
and expectations between their
domestic and their international
customers
• Perceptions of key elements such as
brand, colours, packaging, selling
methods and slogans can vary widely
from one culture to another. Failure to
acknowledge and understand this
carries significant risks

4. What is culture?
• Culture is defined as the collective mental
programming of the human mind which
distinguishes one group of people from
another.
• This programming influences patterns of
thinking which are reflected in the meaning
people attach to various aspects of life and
which become crystallized in the
institutions of a society

5. The cultural challenge
• Targeting a global market is not only a linguistic challenge, but differences in
culture can present a additional barriers to success
• Cultural sensitivity is the awareness of specific cultural factors that can
influence market entry and growth
• For brands to be successful in a new market, they need to be aware of local
cultural nuances and develop appropriate marketing strategies and
messaging that engage their ‘proposed’ target customers
• Brands that are serious about engaging with consumers in foreign markets
need to offer a more culturally relevant connection with their audience

6. Sub-Saharan African Market
• In an age of growing interdependence where Western,
Chinese, and Indian companies alike are rapidly moving
to create more business opportunities in sub-Saharan
Africa, greater sensitivity to African culture should
prove beneficial to the bottom-line of companies
• Hence, a more refined understanding of African cultural
realities should facilitate marketing practices in the
African marketplace
• Given the underlying differences among cultures
throughout the world, understanding and appreciating
the similarities and differences of cultures in the context
of the African market has become necessary for
marketing success

7. African cultural context (1)
• African culture differs from other cultures in the ways Africans construct
meanings, negotiate social contexts, and make sense of their environment
• Understandably, to envisage a monolithic African culture may be misleading
because of strong national differences. Within African national states, a
myriad of cultures and subcultures exist. Nonetheless, there are certain
indigenous trends of thought, cultural influences, and value orientations that
are shared by the majority of people in sub Sahara Africa
• The common modal characteristics and value systems include a hierarchical
social structure, the importance of kinship, primacy of the group, time
orientation and the driving norms of human interdependence, virtue of
symbiosis, and reciprocity

8. African cultural context (2)
• Despite the gradual shift away from the traditional high collectivism in urban
areas because of economic hardships and the influence of Western business
and marketing practices; the vast majority of sub-Saharan Africans who live
in small towns and rural communities are slow paced in the changing culture
taking place around the world
• Cultural values change at a “glacial pace” and that, despite convergence of
economies and consumption patterns, people usually hold traditional
attitudes, values, and beliefs rooted in the history and core culture of the
country in which they live
• Although, the nature of culture in cities/urban areas in sub Saharan Africa is
changing, many urban residents still possess many of these traditional
values and beliefs; which influence consumer behaviour

9. Dimensions of Culture

10. Power Distance
• Authority is inherent in one’s position within a hierarchy in high power
distance cultures. There are strong dependency relationships between
parents and children, bosses and subordinates and a significant social
distance between superior and subordinate
• Most sub Saharan African cultures exhibit high power distance. Respect for
elders is an important guiding principle for behavior. Nowhere is power more
evident than in the most senior member of the group
• The elderly are seen as (a) the true repositories of wisdom and knowledge,
(b) examples for the youth to emulate, and (c) the forbearers or gate-keepers
of society. Individuals treat elders with deference, respect, and dignity
• The respect for hierarchies fosters respect for authority and seniority,
enhances the enforcement of rules and regulations, and facilitates the
establishment of discipline

11. Individualism vs Collectivism
• Whereas individualism describes the importance of the individual and the
virtues of self-reliance and personal independence; collectivism emphasizes
the interrelationships of persons and the importance of relationships in
connecting people
• African cultures exhibit high collectivism because of the prevalence of the
extended family social fabric that characterizes these societies
• Africans gravitate toward people, since a man is what he is because he lives
in his community. This philosophy is reflected by a Southern African ‘Ubuntu’
phrase, “Umuntu ngu muntu nga bantu” (i.e., a person is a person because of
other people. This collectiveness fosters group dynamics, building of team
spirit, and minimizes conflicts as well as creating loyalty, generating trust, and
fostering a friendly work environment

12. Uncertainty Avoidance
• Uncertainty avoidance is the extent to which cultures focus on ways to
reduce uncertainty and create stability inherent in life
• Uncertainty avoidance cultures prefer structure and consistent routine,
whereas uncertainty acceptance cultures exhibit positive responses to
change and new opportunities.
• In East Africa (i.e., Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia) and West Africa (i.e.
Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone) study shows the intermediate position on
the uncertainty avoidance dimension
• Thus, the evidence strongly suggests African cultures are in the moderate
category of the uncertainty avoidance spectrum

13. Masculinity vs Femininity
• This refers to a society’s orientation based on traditional male and female
values, and describes the extent to which “traditional” male orientations of
assertiveness, competiveness, materialism, ambition, and achievement are
emphasized over “traditional” female orientations of nurturance, quality of life,
relationships, and interpersonal harmony
• The high affiliation orientation within African culture strongly suggests that
some African societies exhibit some degree of femininity, and, in fact, some
market research studies show that African cultures/societies tend toward the
feminine side, while others tend towards masculinity. For example Nigeria
tends towards masculinity, while Ghana has feminine orientation

14. Long and Short Term Orientation
• Time orientation covers the temporal aspect of human life and whether time
is directed at the past, present, or future. People make decisions with respect
to events in the past, events in the present, or events in the future
• To the African, time is simply a composition of events which have occurred,
those which are taking place now and those which are inevitable or
immediately to occur.
• Even the term "deadline” which infers a race to the completion of a task, is a
notion that is absurd to Africans, due to the belief that schedules and time
should not dictate life or one’s actions
• Time within the African culture is socialized. Socialized time is the use of time
that does not sacrifice social duties and human relations at the altar of clock-
time punctuality

15. Restrain and Indulgence
• Countries with a high indulgence allow or encourage relatively free
gratification of people's own drives and emotions, such as enjoying life and
having fun. In a society with high Restrain score, there is more emphasis on
suppressing gratification and more regulation of people's conduct and
behavior, and there are stricter social norms
• In restrained cultures, the general attitude veers towards pessimism and
cynicism, as stricter morals and social rules are enforced on the populace
This contrasts with indulgent cultures, which are prone to be more carefree,
encouraging people to enjoy leisure time and take advantage of opportunities
to gratify their impulses
• African countries have a mix. The northern part of Africa is much different
culturally than the western and southern parts of Africa. The North tends
towards Restrain while the west has high Indulgence.

16. Cultural context and Marketing strategies
Cultural
dimensions
Marketing
questions
African
cultural
dimensions
Marketing strategies
Power distance Does society
value equality or
inequality in
interpersonal
interactions?
High power
distance;
respect
Differences in wealth and status should be
apparent in advertisements. Marketing
strategy should focus on the society rather than
on individual enhancement. Emphasis should
be placed on endorsers and testimonials. Word-
of-mouth and recommendation of family
members or an elder in the information source
Uncertainty
avoidance
What is the
attitude toward
risk in society?
Moderate
uncertainty
avoidance
Marketing must be simple
and focus on the decision process. Consider
haggling on price as part of negotiation.
Negotiation should work towards mutually
beneficial deal. Capitalize on consumers’
preference for established brand and their
reluctance to switch brands.

17. Cultural context and Marketing strategies
Cultural
dimensions
Marketing
questions
African
cultural
dimensions
Marketing strategies
Individualism–
collectivism
Do people rely on
themselves or others
(i.e., group)?
Collectivism Place more importance on the approval of
others especially people with status or seniors.
Advertising appeal should foster
relationships and group cohesiveness.
Promote cultural values and loyalty.
Humorous appeals that break the ice and focus
on socialization and relationship building may be
effective.
Masculinity–
femininity
To what extent and to
whose expense
should the weaker
members of the
society be cared for?
Feminine (in
most African
countries)
Advertising appeals should portray
modesty and “win-win” relationships.
Marketing and sales management should
ensure soft-sell and not hard-sell.

18. Cultural context and Marketing strategies
Cultural
dimensions
Marketing
questions
African
cultural
dimensions
Marketing strategies
Time orientation What is the
orientation of
humans to time?
Past–present–future,
traditional–linear?
Past–present;
circular;
polychronic;
elastic
Marketing should appreciate the extended family.
There is no need to rush in negotiation; rather,
emphasis should be placed on
relationships. Contracts and sales targets will
not occur at the same rate as in cultures with
linear view of time (e.g., the West).
Indulgence vs.
Restraint
Do people show
restraint or high
indulgence?
Indulgence -
Satisfaction is
good (In West
Africa)
Marketing material should reflect indulgent
cultures, and more carefree images, depicting
people enjoying leisure time and taking
advantage of opportunities to gratify their
impulses.

19. Conclusion
• Africa is a continent composed of a multitude of nations; consisting of a
multitude of cultures, languages, religions and traditions. While many
marketers plan and execute campaigns on this basis, there are still many that
fall back on the one-size-fits-all plan; with the belief that what works in South
Africa, will work in Mozambique, Kenya, Nigeria or Rwanda, or any other
African state
• Understanding these multicultural markets is critical, as is partnering with the
right agency or marketing consultants that have knowledge of these markets
• The ability to address culture during the execution of marketing practices
(e.g., branding, advertising, selling, pricing, positioning, customer service)
more effectively in Africa, particularly given the contrast between African and
Western cultures, is an important research query

20. About Afribiznis
• Afribiznis is a Strategic Marketing Company based in the United states
• We provides market research and strategic planning services to businesses:
startups and existing, wanting to enter and expand their businesses into
Africa's emerging market
• Margaret Essien, is the founding President. She is a marketing and
communications consultant with over 19 years work experience in Africa and
in the United States. She has been privileged to have worked for corporate
clients across various industries in Africa
• For interests in Africa Market research please contact her at:
margaret@afribiznis.com