CIAN Barometer of Leaders’ Opinion in Africa 2020 : South Africa, Morocco and Rwanda are in the lead
The French Council of Investors in Africa (CIAN) unveiled the results of the first leaders’ opinion barometer in Africa « Africaleads », conducted by the Immar Research & Consultancy Institute. According to the opinion leaders of the continent surveyed, South Africa takes the lead of the podium, followed by Morocco and Rwanda. On the other hand, France stagnates in fifth place among the foreign countries with the best image in Africa, far behind the United States and Germany.
By Bilkiss Mentari, in Paris
With 45% of African opinion leaders saying they are optimistic about Africa’s future and 70% in favour of continental integration, the first barometer of opinion leaders in Africa « Africaleads », carried out by the Immar Research & Consultancy Institute, confirms the trend: Africans do have more confidence in their continent and call for more unity. « These figures attest to a desire for integration and a desire for Africa that transcends geographical, linguistic and cultural divides. This is a fundamental trend, » observed Etienne Giros, Deputy President of CIAN, the French Council of Investors in Africa. Decision-makers, public authorities, and Africa’s public and private partners must take this into account and integrate it into their approaches and strategies towards the continent. »
Thus, and not surprisingly, Morocco and Africa, two African champions who advocate South-South integration and cooperation, are among the top three countries on the continent that enjoy the best image among the continent’s opinion leaders. South Africa is still in the lead with 37% of the responses, followed by Morocco (29%) and Rwanda (25%). On the other hand, France, with 20% tied with Japan, is stagnating in fifth place among the foreign countries with the best image in Africa, far behind the United States (48%), Germany (39%), Canada (32%), China (31%), and Great Britain (24%, +5).
« A willingness to integrate and a desire for Africa that Africa’s decision-makers, public authorities, public and private partners must be taken into account ».
« These developments are beyond any margin of error. The digital revolution, from which African opinion leaders are benefiting, is credited to the United States, which is the original home of the GAFA. This contributes to strengthening their global soft power, » analysed Mohamed El Kalchi, Director of Studies at IMMAR. Germany remains backed up by strong fundamentals. Finally, Canada, which has a very active migration policy, is perceived as a welcoming country open to students from Africa’s upper middle classes. It is therefore making very significant progress in this ranking.
Having said that, French brands and groups, such as the telecoms operator Orange, continue to be very popular. French companies investing in Africa are establishing themselves on a long-term basis, » emphasizes Etienne Giros. Highly committed to CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), they invest in human capital and promote local skills, which are promoted to management positions in subsidiaries. Their behavior is civic-minded, and their impact is undeniably beneficial. They do a lot, but probably don’t say enough. »
The survey was conducted between November 2019 and January 2020 with a panel of 2,423 leaders in twelve African countries that make up 56% of the continent’s population (four countries in North Africa, four in West Africa, two in Central Africa and two in East Africa), whereas the 2019 barometer covered only eight countries, all French-speaking ones.
