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The French digital giant with 11 billion euros in turnover is present in 11 countries on the continent with more than 2,500 employees. But the group had a difficult time. Between governance crisis, fall in the stock market and the announcement of a split for July 2023, Atos must meet many challenges to succeed in generating growth. And Africa can be one of the solutions. Interview with Nourdine Bihmane, co-leader of the group since last June.
Historically, Atos is more present in French-speaking Africa than in English-speaking Africa. The group wants to continue to develop its African assets and strengthen its presence on the continent: “ We intend to consolidate our presence in all French-speaking countries and invest in certain English-speaking countries. Now, what we notice is that there are more and more South-South opportunities. A country like Morocco is positioned on several African countries, but we can also see countries like Senegal or South Africa which are developing in Africa. So our choice of investment will also accompany the investments and trajectories of our clients. »
In addition to the growth that it can generate, Atos is also banking on the pool of African talent: “ We have a lack of resources at the global level on several technologies, in several areas. And there, for once, Africa is a source of incredible talents, if we take the time to train them, to support them. So, we will rather use Africa to support the growth of Atos in terms of talent and of course capture all the associated business opportunities. »
For Atos, one of the countries with high potential is Morocco. The group has more than 1,600 employees in the Cherifian kingdom, and its proximity to Europe is one of its strengths: “ Morocco remains important in terms of a talent pool to help us serve the rest of Southern Europe. We have big demands on the French market and our Moroccan collaborators are able to meet them. Now, the local Moroccan market, what we have seen in recent years, is that it is maturing. So Morocco remains important because for me it’s like a prototype of everything that’s going to happen in the rest of Africa. »
The IT giant’s other major partner in Africa is Senegal. The group has mainly developed in Dakar where it is one of the largest employers in the capital: ” What we started in Morocco a few years ago, we replicated it in Senegal with incredible success. Today, we are already at more than 500 employees there. What we are trying to do is to create more sources of talent around this team that we created in Dakar to be able to water all of West Africa. »
From Dakar, among other West African countries, it is Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso to which Atos is turning for its future on the continent.
