The Business Council for Africa West and Southern (BCA W&S) is a membership organisation supporting companies and entrepreneurs with business interests in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Now established for almost 60 years, the Council boasts a network that enables it to provide support to over 400 companies and entrepreneurs operating across the continent.

Reconnect Africa spoke to Jonathan Howard, CEO of the BCA W&S, about the opportunities and challenges Africa offers for business. 

ReConnect Africa: The BCA has been in operation for almost 60 years.  How would you define the key missions of the organisation?

Jonathan Howard: As a membership organization, we operate according to our members’ needs. Our members range from the large multinationals, many of whom have operated in Africa for a considerable time, down to the SMEs and indeed even a few NGOs. Their needs are very varied but, in essence, what underpins our organization is helping companies and entrepreneurs to trade and/or do business in Sub Saharan Africa - both for their benefit but also for the long term sustainable economic development of the countries involved. We firmly believe that it is trade, not aid, which will enable this in the long term.

ReConnect Africa: What do you see as the key challenges to UK-based companies seeking to operate in Africa?

Jonathan Howard: Doing business anywhere, of course, creates challenges and one mustn’t forget that we are talking about 54 different countries in Africa and therefore, although you can generalize, the challenges can be very diverse depending on a particular country and its history.

For British companies, for instance, wanting to operate in Francophone or Lusophone countries, it is likely to be more demanding than in Anglophone ones. I should also stress that the BCA is not a British organisation, as we have members from all over the world. Of course, with the main office in London, we have a preponderance of British companies. With all this is mind I wish to highlight three challenges often identified by our members:

ReConnect Africa: How do members benefit from being part of BCA?

Jonathan Howard: I have already highlighted some of the ways that BCA can help members deal with three specific challenges of doing business in Sub Saharan Africa. We like to focus on the practicalities of doing business at most of our meetings in the UK.

There are normally over 30 of these events each year. As well as inviting high profile speakers, such as African and British Ministers and Ambassadors to speak, we regularly focus on companies successfully operating in a specific country enabling them to articulate both the challenges but, more importantly, the solutions from which other member companies can benefit. Many members also like to host or sponsor meetings and we provide opportunities to do this.

I guess that one of the greatest benefits for our membership is our extensive network. Our Board of Directors and staff in the UK possess considerable expertise of operating in Africa, in addition to our Africa network. With a large membership covering most sectors, there is an opportunity for members to interact with companies operating in almost all the countries in Sub- Saharan Africa.

Over the last year, we have also formed partnerships with other business related organizations which has helped extend our outreach and network. These include the Eastern Africa Association, with whom we now hold joint meetings, British Expertise, The African Business Group at SOAS, The Royal Africa Society, UKTI, Developing Market Associates and the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Moreover as a member of the European Council for Africa and the Mediterranean (EBCAM), we meet with like-minded European colleagues representing private investors in Europe. Indeed, we will be holding a joint meeting with them in London at the end of November 2013. In November last year, we started to work closely with the business related Diaspora Groups and prominent Business Schools in the UK. 

Each month we put together for members a monthly report from our representatives in Africa who are asked to provide an insight i.e. a ground-level view of business related issues that may affect companies operating in their specific countries. Nigeria has its own detailed monthly report. Further market intelligence is provided from EBCAM and through fortnightly newsletters, business news blog and security updates on our website.

Finally, members can benefit from our exclusive offers on hotels, professional services and flights. They can also promote their services free of charge on the BCA Marketplace section of the website.

ReConnect Africa: How does BCA’s network on the ground set it apart from other member organizations with a focus on Africa?

Jonathan Howard: A key aspect of BCA is to provide for our members an African network. In 32 of the 36 countries in West and Southern Africa where we particularly focus, we have someone on the ground to help as a first point of contact and with the ability to give practical advice.

In 3 of those countries (Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon) we have a Council or an association in their own right with their own membership base able to assist. In the other countries we have selected a local business person who is well placed in the business community and committed to assisting BCA members. Valuable in-country support includes; a trusted point of contact on the ground, assistance for visa, accommodation, transport and other contacts.

Over the long term, our hope is that more Councils will be developed in Sub-Saharan Africa and that the network will provide assistance between these Councils. It may be that it will play a small part in encouraging more intra-African trade which at present is still at a depressingly low figure of about 11%.

ReConnect Africa: How does the BCA seek to engage with the African diaspora in the UK in its mission?

Jonathan Howard: The BCA is building new partnerships with Diaspora business groups who share our mission to encourage better business and trade in Africa for the benefit of our respective members.

A targeted study to identify and engage with Diaspora groups actively doing business in Africa was conducted in 2012 and, from an initial pool of 83 organisations, 8 leading Diaspora business groups in the UK and France were invited to take part in the BCA Diaspora initiative.

Officially launched in November 2012, the Initiative aims to expand business networks, leverage trade and investment opportunities, exchange ideas and increase the flow of information.

Two key events have been held to date; a roundtable meeting with the Diaspora Heads and a high level networking event with a panel of leading experts to discuss the challenges and solutions for doing business in Africa. The event was a success and provided an independent and shared networking platform for our members and leading Diaspora business groups to meet and network.

BCA is now working closely with the Diaspora business groups to build new partnerships, develop mutually beneficial relationships and actively support ventures being organised by individual groups within the initiative.

ReConnect Africa: How can readers find out more about BCA?

Jonathan Howard: The best source of information is our website: http://www.bcafrica.co.uk/   However, we are always keen to meet up, perhaps at one of our events (http://www.bcafrica.co.uk/events/forthcoming-events) and talk more about the benefits of membership and particularly how we may be able to assist with a company’s individual needs.

For more information please contact: info@bcafrica.co.uk  or phone: 02078363854.