Packaging in Africa: Fast-Moving Consumer Goods
Bagged milk, foil-wrapped cashews, and paper-wrapped take-away of an oily African dish are the headaches of daily life in Africa. Such packaging no-no’s are not a problem if you are selling the product on the street to a passersby and anyone else who does not have an extra few minutes to decipher between a good product and a bad product.
There are numerous variables that make a good product. But ultimately packaging is the one variable that can always make a good product look like a bad product. This week’s article looks at packaging in Africa and its intricate role in the development of Africa’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.
When you talk fast-moving consumer goods in Africa, the opportunity is generally built around consolidating the value chain onshore within the country. Africa’s growing consumer class pays higher prices for imported products and partially imported products (i.e. those products that largely include imported raw materials).
Africa's Emerging Market Boom
These days, the mere mention of emerging markets is probably enough to make investment bankers break out in a cold sweat. Recent darlings of the investment world—India, Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Russia and others—have all stumbled, in part as a result of the US Federal Reserve’s decision to dial back its economic stimulus. Yet African markets appear more buoyant relative to their emerging market peers.
Currently home to five of the world’s dozen fastest-growing economies, Africa’s comparably strong performance over the past five years is about more than commodity supercycle and the boon of debt relief. Improved macroeconomic management has played its part, and increasingly, so has the rise of the African consumer.
African Packaging Organisation officially launched
The World Packaging Organisation (WPO) has endorsed the creation of the APO, which aims to improve the standard of packaging throughout Africa by various means, including support of its member organisations, building packaging capability in Africa, and seeking to increase trade throughout the continent.
Founder membership of the APO includes Institute of Packaging Professionals (Kenya), Packaging Council of South Africa, Tanzanian Institute of Packaging and Institutes of Packaging in Ghana, Nigeria, Tunisia and South Africa (IPSA). All WPO members are also included.
At the first meeting, the Kenyan Bureau of Standards participated as an observer. Joseph Nyongesa, from Institute of Packaging Professionals in Kenya, was elected as its first president and Ahmed Alex Omah, from Institute of Packaging, Nigeria, as first vice president.
Roger Cary-Smith from IPSA, who has served as interim secretary during the formation stages, was confirmed as general secretary of the new organisation.
Read more: African Packaging Organisation officially launched
Plastics, Printing & Packaging industry bets big on MENA market
Visitor turnout and participation at the 2nd Plastivision Arabia, 2nd Arabia Mold, inaugural Print Pack Arabia, and the 5th International Conference for Plastics Conversion (PlastiCon) was high on the first three days of the event. The three trade fairs and the conference opened at Expo Centre Sharjah on April 7 and will conclude on April 10.
"The first three days were fantastic. With one more day to go, we are expecting further surge in visitors to the multi-industry events. Most of the exhibitors are optimistic about the MENA and GCC growth story and are planning to expand their presence in the region," said Mr. Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah .
The World Bank Group's latest regional economic update projects growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to accelerate from an average of 2.6 per cent in 2013 to 4.6 per cent in 2015.
Read more: Plastics, Printing & Packaging industry bets big on MENA market
