Aim Africa! Japanese company promoted TICAD participants to PR August 28, 19:59

In conjunction with the TICAD-Africa Development Conference, which opened on the 28th, a large-scale trade show was launched in Yokohama where Japanese companies that are trying to make full-fledged business in Africa publicize their products and services.

Over 150 companies, including Japanese companies planning to operate in Africa, participated in the event held by JETRO-Japan External Trade Organization.

Among them, a machine manufacturer in Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, jointly with a manufacturer in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, developed a water purifier that cleans water using rice husk.

This water purifier can make drinking water by rotating the pedal of the bicycle, moving the pump, and passing the sucked water through a filter containing charcoal.

In Africa, the business environment of companies has improved, including the fact that payments via smartphones and electronic money have become popular, enabling smooth exchange of funds.

At the venue, an IT company in Sendai City was showing a service for mothers who checked their children's health status using a smartphone app, and business people from Africa were eagerly listening to explanations.

The president of the company that developed the app said, “Africa is very attractive because it is less regulated and can be used to test new technologies.”

JETRO Director Katsumi Hirano said, “There is an increasing number of young Japanese business owners who are entrepreneurs aiming for the African market, so we would like to actively support this trend.”

Increase in Japanese companies, but France and China are five times as much as Japan

Africa continues to grow.
According to the UN estimates, 2050 will account for 1 in 4 people in the world, and the number of Japanese companies aiming for business opportunities is increasing.

According to the JETRO-Japan External Trade Organization, the number of Japanese companies operating in Africa has increased by 1.5 times from 2010 to 795.

Behind this is the fact that the population continues to expand in Africa and that there are abundant natural resources, as well as the rapid spread of advanced technologies such as smartphones and electronic money.

Until now, Japanese companies have mainly focused on resource development and infrastructure investment by major trading companies, but recently there have been a succession of small and medium-sized enterprises and venture companies. It covers a wide variety of satellites.

On the other hand, if you look around the world, Japan's presence in Africa is by no means high.

According to JETRO, the balance of investment by Japanese private companies in Africa totaled $ 8.7 billion as of the end of December last year, and has remained flat for the past few years.

On the other hand, French and Chinese private companies have recently invested more than five times in Africa.

With this TICAD, Japan is attracting attention as an opportunity to boost its presence in Africa with the intention of boosting the African business environment, such as by cooperating with local human resource development.