Business Strategies for the Bottom of the Pyramid (Collection)

3. The Power of Africa Two

Significant opportunities abound today across diverse segments of the African market—from the elite shopping malls to the poorest rural village. And at the center of the African opportunity is Africa Two, some 400 million strong, a huge market waiting to happen.

In almost every country where I traveled in Africa, companies divided the market into five segments (A, B, C, D, and E) based on income and other indicators, as is a common practice in other parts of the world. The exact definitions of these segments varied from country to country, and the percentages allotted to each segment varied somewhat, too, but the overall picture was the same. Most of the early focus in the market, particularly by global firms, was on ...