Localisation for the African Market: Best Examples

Africa is a vast market comprising 54 distinct countries, cultures, and identities. Traversing a business landscape so diverse comes with its unique challenges. One of the biggest mistakes international companies face is using a one for all approach.

With over 2000 languages spoken on the continent, a generalised approach for different markets or even in the same region doesn’t work. It’s a lesson some companies have learned the hard way. It’s essential to translate African languages for marketing and advertising.

Nevertheless, Africa remains a good place for business and investment, hosting some of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Not just that, consumer spending in Africa is poised to hit a $4 trillion mark by 2025.

Why is Localisation Important For the African Market?

If the recent business history in Africa is an indication of anything, it’s that African markets respond better to a personalised approach. What may have been successful in South Africa may not work in Ghana.

Each region and country on the continent has its own culture and norms, which strongly impact consumer behaviour. For instance, in Nigeria, haggling for prices is a common practice that allows consumers more control to save on their purchases.

When Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel expanded in different countries in Africa, their marketing campaigns failed to make the mark. Using actors from South Africa that people in other countries barely knew and showing lush greenery in some of the driest regions of the world, they didn’t relate to the people.

Taking a one-size-fits-all approach in Africa has serious consequences. Moving to a new place to start a business, whether small or big, requires a lot of money and effort. If you fail to attract consumers, your business is bound to fail.

African communities, in general, are very proud of their culture and heritage and don’t necessarily welcome change so quickly. Therefore, a foreign company that also appears very foreign can have a hard time penetrating the market.

Interestingly, this problem is not unique to Africa. American fast-food chains have been failing in Vietnam, a country with a dominant street food vendor economy.

The fast-food giant McDonald’s failed to make a mark because it couldn’t cater to the local taste buds or impact the street food culture. However, it has been relatively successful in neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Role of Language in Localisation

Another important aspect of localisation in the African market is translating African languages between the different local markets. Even if a company has no footprint on the continent, they can hire African translation services to help translate their campaigns.

In Africa, using the local language for communication can make a big difference. Megacities like Lagos and Cairo are multilingual, and English may work there. However, for the most part, using their native languages is essential, especially for suburban areas.

From packaging to advertisements, using a language that most people can’t read is only a recipe for failure.

According to the ‘Can’t Read: Won’t Buy’ international survey by Common Sense Advisory, 75% of participants preferred shopping online in their native language.

Best Examples of Localisation in Africa

There are many examples of multinational companies finding success in Africa by taking the local approach. Here are some of them:

Little Cab

Africa is a hot market for ride-hailing services, which have been a global success. Many local and international ride-hailing services have popped up due to the lack of car ownership and inadequate public transport.

The biggest competition for all is Uber, which dominates some of the most populated cities. However, other companies are grabbing market share by incorporating benefits for the local population.

Some African countries don’t yet have a high internet penetration. However, mobile phones have become universal. Owing to this fact, the ride-hailing company Little Cab by tech giant Safaricom introduced ride requests by SMS in Kenya. With this, even people without a smartphone could book cab rides.

They can dial *826# and share their location for a cab to arrive. It was a smart move to use existing technology that everyone in the country was familiar with.

Tecno

The Chinese mobile company Tecno had a tough time in South Asia and Southeast Asia. However, it has thrived in Africa and is now exclusively focusing and even manufacturing in Africa. Owned by Transsion Holdings, the company has a mobile factory on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Today, Tecno is the top smartphone brand on the continent. But how did it reach this level of success in a place that has been traditionally more moderate in adapting to technology? The simple answer is by using the local language.

Tecno makes its mobile operating software as well as applications in many different African languages. This has allowed the consumers to adapt their phones much faster than other brands.

KFC

Africa, in general, is developing an appetite for fast food. With average consumer spending rising every year and the middle-class growing, people have more readily available money to spend on burgers and pizzas from international chains.

KFC has had the most success, especially in South Africa. In some regions, they took a localised approach to cater to local taste buds. In Nigeria, the KFC menu includes a Jollof rice-inspired dish. Similarly, in Kenya, they introduced Ugali as one of the ingredients.

Other fast-food chains have taken similar routes, with Dominos offering Jollof topping for the pizza.

It’s still a growing sector as most franchises focus only on big cities. With more personalised menus, there’s no reason why they won’t be successful in smaller countries.

Africa presents a unique business opportunity for both local and international companies. While some businesses site geopolitical reasons as a hurdle, the real challenges lie in localisation. However, there are success stories to take home some inspiration.

With a local strategy, companies can target potential customers more efficiently. With the issue of language barrier out of the way, products and campaigns can have a much more substantial and more authentic impact.