Morara Kebaso has provided a list of facts about Burkina Faso. Here is the lawyer’s observations:
OPPORTUNITIES IN BURKINA FASO
1. Environment- The government has just banned plastic paper bags. There will be a market for biodegradable shopping bags.
2. Technology- Most businesses/ institutions don’t use POS or ERP systems to manage their sales, stock etc. We can provide this.
3. Telecommunications- the mobile service provider Orange dominates the market but there is no orange money app, you have to use USSD. Similarly the network is 4G while in Kenya we have 5G.
4. Film and Media- the quality of videos on tv, films and music is very low and not properly edited. Surely it can be made better.
5. Automotive Industry- There are all manner of cars including those we see in movies like the latest Cadillac Escalade. But most of the population prefers mid-suvs like Rav 4, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sorento, Skoda Elroq. The electric car market is picking up very fast they even have cars made in Burkina Faso called ITAQUA very high quality and beautiful cars. The problem is in mantainance of these cars. The carwashes are almost non existent in a country adjacent to the desert with alot of dust. Only one if not two carwash in the whole of Ouagadougou has a vacuum cleaner that can pull dust from floor mats etc. Car upgrades to new models is almost non existent. People ignore scratched and dents because services like car paint and buffing of scratches are only found in big service centers. This is a very big gap.
6. Beauty and cosmetics- the women in the city do not look like they have skin care routine like what I see in Kenya. Am sure they would want to look better. So there is a market for skin care products. Things like papaya or coffee scrub to remove dead skin, serum to even out the skin tone etc. The quality of manicure and pedicure also looks like it should definitely improve.
7. Construction and Real estate: the quality of finishing is wanting. The design architecture of new houses in the upmarket estates like Ouaga 2000 is also wanting especially the flat roofs, most of those houses do not come close to what we have in Ruiru Mugutha or Kitengela Milimani. Our architects can surely help somewhere. The designs of doors is also wanting. Furniture is not good quality or design but very expensive. Something can be done.
8. Food industry and agro-processing- Burkinabes believe they should eat what they produce and produce what they eat. They love fish and chicken. Their chicken tastes good but the fish is something else. It doesn’t taste good at all.
They love locally packaged juice more than soda. Their main fruits are pineapples, oranges, mangoes, boabab, hibiscus and tamarind. Some of what they eat comes from cote d’ivoire and neighbours because the agroprocessing sector has not grown enough to serve the market.
The quality of service by waiters is very low. Although i must mention burkinabes are very respectful and humble but the finesse is lacking.
8. Electronics are poor quality and expensive. If the quality improves it would be better.
9. Textile industry- they love clothes made by their own cotton. Therefore it would be better if you don’t venture into this sector. But you can ship their clothes to Kenya. It will be loved by Kenyans because it is very good quality cotton.
Therefore chinese and turkey clothes are slowly entering the market, unless the government restricts them they may soon flood the market. But why go into a market that might be regulated soon to your disadvantage?
10. Financial Sector- the main banks are Eco Bank, Coris Bank, Vista Bank and Societe Generale however there is a missing gap in microfinance. Things like quick logbook loans and payslip loans take quite a process in the bank. There is okoa jahazi by Orange but there is no fuliza or mobile loan apps like Timiza, Zenka, Branch etc. If they exist they are so rare that i hardly heard or saw it.
11. Large shopping malls or supermarkets- Here there is a large gap. Most people rely on the small supermarkets in the estate.
12. Entertainment and clubs: If i show you the picture of a club in Ouagadougou you will sink into depression. An empty field with plastic chairs. What the hell is that? Someone should bring life to Ouagadougou with something like Quiver Lounge.
HOW EASY IS IT TO SET UP A BUSINESS
Your greatest challenge will be the language barrier. You may need to learn basic french for a start.
Corruption exists but very low. The word Burkinabe means land of upright people or incorruptible people. Therefore you may not need to bribe anyone for any papers. Warning, you and your Kenyans bad manners, don’t be the first to offer a bribe, you might be arrested.
Crime rate is very low. Your car can be parked outside overnight and in the morning all side mirrors will be there. You don’t need high perimeter walls with electric wire as i see in Kenya. There is some level of trust in the population.
Watchmen and private security companies in the big malls and hotels have high caliber automatic machine guns not pistols. This is because lately they have had terrorist attacks from jihadist muslim extremist in the north who once in a while attack establishments in the city. Why is it always in the north?
Don’t talk about politics while in the country. There is freedom of speech but not after speech.
Main advertising platform should be Facebook and TikTok. Instagram and Twitter are barely in use there.
Don’t use your phone when driving. The fine is 12,000 CFA francs.
Don’t skip a red-light at a traffic stop. Don’t even think about it. The citizens will arrest you themselves.
