Today, Africa is a continent with enormous potential due to its rich resources. In today’s globalized world, trade with African countries is an extremely important factor for the active development of international business and the economy of a large number of countries, including Ukraine.

The MIM:AGENCY team has conducted a global study of import and export trends from Africa, which allows not only to understand the structure of the markets, but also to identify new investment opportunities and ways of future cooperation with these countries.

Our research demonstrates an in-depth analysis of the main trading partners, product categories and strategic directions of trade development with Africa. For example, the study found that Ukraine and Africa are in fact highly interdependent. This is due to the fact that, for example, Ukraine is one of the leading suppliers of corn and sunflower oil to Africa. In 2021, more than half of African countries purchased Ukrainian wheat. For more information on which commodities are in demand for import and export, please see the full study here.

Some statistics on trade relations between Africa and Ukraine:

  • Over the past year, Ukraine exported 13 million tons of food worth $3.8 billion to 52 of the 58 countries on the African continent. 
  • Egypt became the largest importer of Ukrainian goods, and significant volumes are also supplied to Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Ethiopia, and Algeria.
  • Ukraine imported 168,000 tons of food from 39 African countries worth $380 million. In particular, 25% of all tobacco imported to Ukraine comes from Malawi, and 20% of fruit comes from Egypt and South Africa.
  • African countries actively supply coffee and citrus fruits to Ukraine.

So, as you can see, Africa is largely dependent on imports of grains and oilseeds from Ukraine. So does Ukraine.

Here are some statistical facts about the effective cooperation between Ukraine and Africa in the framework of import and export:

  • The structure of bilateral food trade between Ukraine and Africa indicates the possibility of a significant increase in the volume of trade operations.
  • Total imports of fats and oils of animal or vegetable origin to Nigeria amounted to $655 million.

To increase Ukraine’s presence in the African market, it is necessary to develop strategies to improve marketing and expand partnerships with African countries. In today’s environment, it can be argued that domestic export companies have no alternatives to increase their competitiveness. A decrease in the volume of foreign exchange earnings for the country is becoming critically important for the development and implementation of the concept of state marketing, especially in the African market.

Our analysis shows that there are very real opportunities to strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and African countries. Thus, now is the time to develop a strategy to increase Ukraine’s influence in the African market. What can be done in the future:

  • Export agencies should be established on the basis of existing MFA missions in African countries, in cooperation with relevant ministries and services.
  • Develop a strategy of cultural, social and economic influence to achieve national interests in selected countries. Economic expansion is impossible without taking into account the social, cultural and political aspects of interaction between states. 

In the full version of the study, you can see what tasks these agencies will face, in what direction their development will take, and the expected results. At MIM:AGENCY, we offer a thorough plan of how to promote the Ukrainian agenda in Africa and how to develop a powerful network of influence.

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