The Digital Africa Growth Program aims to help Finnish ICT companies grow their business in Africa through activities like training workshops, coaching, identifying opportunities, and strengthening marketing and sales competencies. The program focuses on entering target African markets together and utilizing cooperation and networking. Its goals are to help 30-40 companies develop internationalization plans, close initial business deals in sub-Saharan Africa, and eventually expand sales further in Africa and into new markets and customer segments over the course of 2.5 years.

1. Digital
Africa
Growth
Program
-­‐
From
Opportuni8es
to
Business
Hanna
Mar'nen-­‐Deakins
©
Finpro

2. Focus
ac8vi8es
of
Digital
Africa
Program
• Training
and
strategy
workshops
in
Finland/at
target
markets
• Coaching
companies
to
conduct
mee@ngs
with
poten@al
clients
and
partners
• Based
on
end
customer
needs,
looking
for
poten@al
synergies
in
offering
and
when
necessary
building
up
busines
consor@a.
Strengthening
Marke8ng
and
Sales
competencies
• Entering
the
target
countries
together
• Conduc@ng
ac@vi@es
together
in
Finland
Co-­‐opera8on
and
Networking
• Iden@fying
new
poten@al
markets,
clients
and
partners
• Increasing
understanding
of
new
markets,
challenges
that
poten@al
clients
have
and
their
needs.
• U@lizing
market
specific
financial
instruments
Iden8fying
opportuni8es
• Conference
presenta@ons,
Road
Shows,
Fact
Finding
tours,
Delega@on
trips,
Media
visits.
• Affec@ng
decision
makers
at
markets/
bringing
them
to
Finland
and
raising
the
awareness
of
Finnish
offerings
at
target
markets
with
various
marke@ng
ac@vi@es.
Impact
through
Marke8ng
and
Communica8on
2

3. Digital
Africa
-­‐
content
12/06/15
©
Finpro
3
Program
scope
30
–
40
companies
Market
study
for
target
market
Interna8onal
marke8ng,
Sales,
Distribu8on
channels
Trade
fairs,
Conferences,
Exhibi8ons
Minister
delega8ons,
Fact
findings
trips,
Road
shows
Export
camp
for
target
market
Interna8onaliza8o
n
plan
and
business
models
Export
camp
on
target
market
Market
study
for
company
group
Digital
Africa
Business
deals

4. Digital
Africa-­‐
in
short
• Digital
Africa
-­‐
enabling
Business
Growth
for
Finnish
ICT
sector
companies
with
Digitalizing
Africa
• Planned
as
2
½
year
program–
targeted
start
in
August
– First
year
target
&
focus
• 20-­‐30
companies
on
board
• Markets
–
Kenya,
South
Africa,
Nigeria
tbc
• Africa
strategy
formed
• Africa
specific
sales
skills
trained
• First
Deals
closed
in
Sub-­‐Saharan
Africa
– Second
and
third
year
• Expanding
sales
acPviPes
in
Africa
• Entering
new
markets
&
customer
segments
12/06/15
©
Finpro
4