Getting started exporting to Africa markets means dealing with many new and unfamiliar challenges. You are, after all, marketing your products or services in places where English may not be the language of commerce, where the business culture can be subtly or even dramatically different, where logistics can be problematic and where regulations and laws can be opaque. For example:

1. Africa customers will be quite different from your local buyers, and this extends beyond the difference in language. Living standards, social norms, business etiquette and cultural tastes will often diverge in important ways from those in your local market. The old saying that “people are the same everywhere” does not apply to many aspects of international business.

2. Africa economic, legal and political systems can also be very different from local ones,

3. Operating in Africa exposes you to far wider and more intense competition than at home.

4. Contracts are more complex and must be carefully structured to prevent misunderstandings and the costly litigation or arbitration that can result.

5. Payment tends to be slower – sometimes much slower – than at home. This can affect your cash flow for the worse, so you need to plan your financing accordingly. Exchange rates are also a factor, so you may need to use foreign exchange hedging to protect your profit margins.

6. Logistics are more complicated and more prone to delays.

7. Your goods may be subject to customs controls and tariffs.

8. Local regulations and technical standards that apply to your goods may require you to modify them before they can be sold in the foreign market.

In general, the complexity of foreign trade will add significantly to your management tasks. To address those challenges you need a local export consultant that understands the market, speak the local language to help you in setting up your distribution channel. Are you looking for anagent or distributor?