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MARKET RESEARCH of customer needs.” (McKinsey Quarterly as the burgeoning middle class, rapid as would allocating the lead-up to representative as well, albeit in Africa is part The skill set of researchers also May 2013. ‘Developing Winning Products technological changes, economic Christmas as a fieldwork research period. an irregular pattern – as befits a of the research needs to evolve to stay in sync with for Emerging Markets’.) progression and regression, disparate Understanding some communities continent with 54 countries (Harvard the changing context. According to The face and pace of market research political systems and varying levels also requires a keen grasp of cultural Business Review). transformation international market research company is changing globally, which is a natural of stability. Undertaking fieldwork for nuances, as certain rural people lend One-third of Africa’s countries have Forrester, the future market researcher: reaction to the cycle of shifting consumer research purposes is also difficult and themselves more to a collective rather GDP growth rates of more than 6% and a. thinks about strategy and not just behaviour and the resulting change in expensive because of Africa’s diverse than an individual viewpoint. In such there is rapid middle-class growth – as research; marketing strategies. Africa is very much climate and topography, coupled with circumstances, permission and trust from around 350-million Africans are now penetration is already providing a strong b. is better able to hear and translate a part of this transformation, given that poor infrastructure and challenging community chiefs needs to be gained earning between US$2 and US$20/day. platform for quicker and more efficient ‘soft signals’; businesses operating on the continent are transport links. first, before researchers are allowed to Furthermore, the share of the population ways of data collection. As the continent c. uses an expanded research toolkit; and not immune to the ripple effects of global Another significant obstacle is interview individuals in that area. living below the poverty line dropped continues to develop, the breadth and d. is fast and agile. changes like the recession and global generating robust representative Sadly, it is also unsafe to conduct from 51% in 2005 to 39% in 2012 quality of this data will improve. All these attributes could not be more warming. But African market research samples, which is due to many countries proper research in some countries and (African Development Bank 2013). However, while this wheel of true as to what will be required to realities are also moulded and significantly lacking integrated master sampling regions due to political turmoil. Recent So the macro-factors influencing progress is in motion, it will continue unpack credible insights in Africa, as the influenced by local dynamics. frames and updated, reliable census and cases include certain geopolitical regions market research are good; but to be necessary for researchers to use continent looks towards a new era of One of these realities is that administrative data. Some maps are also of Nigeria, rebel strongholds in the what does it mean for researchers less formal, but extremely valuable, prosperity and greater consumerism. conducting research in Africa is complex not up to date, which makes enumerated Democratic Republic of Congo and parts at a more practical level? One ways of gathering information via local “It is not the strongest species that because the goal posts are shifting area sampling very difficult to implement. of the Central African Republic. answer is to expect more hybrid or networks. This will help guide qualitative survive, nor the most intelligent, but the markedly as a result of factors such However, lest this all sound like a very multidimensional research methods. conceptualisation of the landscape and ones most responsive to change.” negative outlook for market research in Research industry The growing mobile and online scoping out the ensuing opportunities. – Charles Darwin Africa, let me point out that inroads have performance been made in reducing this complexity So how has the market research industry First quarter 2014 strategicmarketingafrica 47 and the African consumer is now far performed in the region? According to better understood by comparison with the European Society for Opinion and two decades ago. Market Research (ESOMAR), in 2012 According to Dimitri Sanga, Director global market-research turnover increased of the African Centre for Statistics of the to US$33,5-billion, which represents an United Nations Economic Commission annual increase of 3,8% and 0,4% after for Africa (UNECA), some progress has adjustment for inflation. been made in generating more robust The Middle East and Africa household and population data via pan- experienced a slight increase in turnover, African organisations such as the African with an annual growth of 4,8%, a decline Union Commission (AUC) and African of 1,3% when inflationary adjustments Development Bank (AfDB), which have are taken into account. This is a tale of joined forces to advance the statistical two regions, as the Middle East recorded rejuvenation agenda in Africa. “Through its first net growth (1,9%) after two such vehicles, the Statistical Commission consecutive years of decline. This was for Africa (StatCom-Africa) and other driven by Israel and the Gulf peninsula. organisations have worked with African However, the Arab Spring impacted, and international partners to strengthen with the Egyptian revolution almost Africa’s capacity to produce and use suspending any market research activity quality statistics,” he said. for approximately two months in that Andrea Rademeyer is the CEO and founder of SA-based market country. South Africa (Africa’s growth research company Ask Afrika The diversity dilemma driver in 2010) declined by 3,5%. SA and African Chair for WIN/GIA Conducting professional market accounts for 37% of regional market- International (an international research on the continent also requires research turnover, although there was consortium of independent market research and olling fr s . he simple common sense and sensitivity growth in West Africa, driven by Nigerian was also the SA representative at to circumstances. Taking diversity market-research activities. the European Society for Opinion into consideration, for instance, is and arket esearch A fundamental to ensuring that the Future of African research PHOTOS: ISTOCKPHOTO, SUPPLIED ntil . ade eyer is registered with the South African Marketing quality of output is high. What does the future have in store for Research Association and as a For example, scheduling data market research in Africa? The continent’s research psychologist with the Health collection during Ramadan in Muslim governments are not just becoming Professions Co ncil of o th Africa. regions would be a serious oversight, more stable, they are becoming more 46 strategicmarketingafrica First quarter 2014