The middle classes will drive consumption over the next ten years in French-speaking Africa, according to Kantar TNS

The latest study by Kantar TNS, presented on Friday May 5 in Abidjan, describes the major consumption trends linked to the emergence of the African middle classes over the next ten years.

Presented Friday, May 5 in Abidjan in front of an audience of multinationals such as Ecobank, Orange or Sgbci, a subsidiary of the French banking group Société Générale, the survey by Kantar TNS – the marketing research division of the British advertising giant WPP – forecasts an increase of the African middle classes over the next ten years, linked to “a strong will to undertake and an increasingly high purchasing power”.

“Africa is at the heart of the strategies of large groups because the middle class is growing rapidly and consumption habits are growing. 50% of a brand’s clientele is renewed, everything is on the move in these countries, ”explained Ndeye Diagne, French-speaking Africa Insights Director at Kantar TNS.

Confidence in the future

Senegal, Cameroon and Ivory Coast, which are the bridgeheads for growth in this area, served as the basis for this study. In these three countries, annual consumption projections will reach $ 1.4 billion until 2020.

In Côte d’Ivoire, 63% of Ivorians surveyed by Kantar TNS have confidence in their country’s future, which they consider promising. 81% of them are optimistic about their personal success. In Europe, this figure hovers around 14%.

African consume

The study also analyzes the uses of social networks on the continent, which are different from those in Europe or Asia. In Ivory Coast for example, Facebook and WhatsApp have become real e-commerce platforms. The study states that only 8% of Ivorians with an internet connection do not have a Facebook account.

Kantar has also studied buying reflexes on the continent. These tend to focus on products that show pride in belonging to Africa, hence the lead of local companies over multinationals setting up shop. According to Kantar, 53% of Ivorian internet users make their purchases on this membership basis. In Côte d’Ivoire, brands and retailers have recognized that innovation and creation are an important factor for consumers.

Kantar TNS presented the same study in Dakar on Wednesday May 3.