Many African countries have done much to create a friendly environment to promote local investment as well as foreign direct investment

These efforts -- helped by other factors such as high commodity prices -- have borne fruit in recent years, opening huge opportunities for companies willing to develop their activities in this world area.

Better Business environment:

• Political stability in many countries
• End of the major conflicts
• Efforts to develop infrastructures (ports, roads, internet…)
• Improvement of legal structures
• Effort to improve education and workforce qualification

Strong growth despite the global economic downturn:

• GDP 6% higher in 2008
• Growth forecast for sub-Saharan countries reaches 6.3% in 2009

A large potential market :

• Africa has 14% of the world’s population with 922 millions inhabitants
• Young population with a go-ahead state of mind

Rich natural resources:

• Africa shelters 30% of the world’s mineral resources
• Africa is a large oil and GNL exporter

Easier access to western countries’ markets:

• Many countries in Africa can benefit from special policies from western countries (EU/ACP agreements, America’s AGOA…)
• Low or no import duties for many products when entering those markets

Many opportunities in fast-growing sectors:

• Agriculture
• Tourism
• Infrastructures
• Mining
• Oil & Gaz
• Service outsourcing,