Where should you be investing your money in 2012? Let’s take a look… Yesterday we looked at the best-performing sectors for Africa for the year that was, so today we’re going to look at who’ll come out tops for the year ahead…
By Craig Falck for Africa Report
Photograph: © Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com
Again, we’re going to go with the cream of the crop from last year: ICT, agriculture, and construction. These three will do well in 2012 not only because they have a solid platform to start from, but also because they’re in-demand industries. Infrastructure and telecommunications is vital for any economy to do well on the global market, and Africa is a big place with millions of people and businesses that need to be connected. This can only be done by professional companies who know what they’re doing, so it’s important to look out for these firms – to invest in or to do trade agreements with.
The world’s population blasted past the 6 billion mark last year and that’s a lot of mouths to feed. In fact, there are so many mouths to feed that the demand for agriculture produce far exceeds the supply, and this business sector has boomed across Africa as a result. The ever-growing Asian economy presents a tremendous region for sales on its own, let alone the rest of the world who are also importers of some of Africa’s finest produce. Being involved in the farming sector and providing quality produce for export would be a very wise investment option for the coming years.
Because of the need for infrastructure and Africa’s ever-growing economies, construction will also boom in the new year. More and more people are improving their standards of living and are moving from rural regions to urban meccas and new companies are coming into Africa all the time – they demand buildings, so Africa’s construction industry meets their needs. There could also be an increase in the mining markets, given the record highs that the precious metals are reaching on the global stock markets. Add to that the increasing demand for coal and other fuel sources, and Africa, which has an incredible mining sector as well as natural resources, could see tremendous investment in these industries. More and more people will be employed as new mines pop up around the continent, and their communities will prosper as a result.
Africa is a big place and one of the best to be involved in right now. Its economies are doing well, compared to the rest of the world, and it’s seen as a land of great opportunity for the future. Just make sure that you get your hands in early when it comes to the year ahead and the industries that will make it a profitable one.
