Go-to-market strategy development Africa
The African continent is in demand for new, innovative, products and solutions that improve the efficiency of operations and bring healthcare out of clinic, closer to home.
We have seen globally an unprecedented digital transformation offering enormous opportunities for telehealth solutions (diagnosis and triage of patients at a distance).
Let us support in creating a successful go-to-market strategy by looking at following aspects:
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Product and service offering: which products of your portfolio offer good opportunity in the market given the existing competition, procedures, and price levels? Do they need customization given local culture, language and usage?;
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Regional strategy: Africa is very large and individual countries and regions differ from each other. Which area to focus on? A selection of a few markets might be the best entry strategy. The 7 countries mentioned in more detail are among the most advanced markets and cover probably more than half of the continent’s potential. Within these markets, it makes sense to focus on certain, more populated regions (depending on the solution you bring to the market). South-Africa is partly very well developed but a large part of the population does not have private insurance and relies on public healthcare facilities. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa (and still growing fast) with a large part of the population living in the south in cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt. Algeria is relatively closed, highly regulated but on its own a very interesting and potentially large market;
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Pricing strategy: since most manufacturers work with different distribution partners to cover the continent, an overall pricing strategy is important to align pricing across markets and prevent distributors competing each other cross border instead of outperforming the competitor in their home market;
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Channel strategy: assess what the preferred distribution channel for your product is and what role medical endorsement plays in reaching your objectives. How to reach your potential customers (e.g. through local congresses) and determine what you expect from your local reseller;
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Organization and support: how are you internally going to support the African operations and manage local partners? What resources are required (for instance in product localization, marketing or even local manufacturing)?;
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Communication: it’s important to know your customer. It’s true that either English, French or Arabic are spoken in many of the countries. Understand who will be using your products and where. Make sure you connect to them and that they can read your labeling or Instructions For Use.
