South Africa, Rwanda, Ghana and Morocco have the best image with African opinion leaders

The results of the 4th edition of the “CIAN Barometer of opinion leaders in Africa” ​​carried out by the IMMAR Institute (Africaleads) were made public this Thursday, March 10 on the occasion of the Africa 2022 Forum organized by L’Opinion and the CIAN. While the image of almost all of the European powers has been affected by the context of the Covid pandemic, that of France is changing favorably: it has gained a place in the ranking compared to last year and moved to 6^e position.

Asked to name the African countries of which they have the best image, opinion leaders continue to place South Africa in first position (42%) despite a harsh recession, while Rwanda, Ghana and Morocco remain on the podium thanks to their economic dynamism and their good governance.

As the situation stabilizes following the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic downturn of 2020 and 2021, the priorities of African opinion leaders have shifted. The digital sector remains in constant progress according to 68% of the panel. Conversely, the sectors that have deteriorated the most are employment (61%) and the economy (58%). The latter is now considered a priority for the future, along with health and education. As for security, it also remains the subject of concern because of the geopolitical upheavals at work in Africa.

The image of most of the industrialized powers has deteriorated, with the exception of China and France. The alleviation of France’s image deficit, Canada’s progress ahead of Germany, as well as the reduction of the gap between the United States and other countries are the main lessons of this Africaleads 2022 barometer. For Etienne GirosDeputy Chairman of the French Council of Investors in Africa (CIAN): “ these results show an improvement in France’s image, which has not been seen for three years. This is largely due to the action of its companies, which are recognized for their high-impact investments. This progression reflects the situation of our European neighbours, which is losing momentum. The CIAN is pleased that the collaboration with IMMAR for the past 4 years has provided a useful analysis tool for understanding the continent’s environment. »

Asked to name the African countries of which they have the best image, opinion leaders continue to place South Africa in first position (42%) despite a harsh recession, while Rwanda, Ghana and Morocco remain on the podium thanks to their economic dynamism and their good governance.

Regarding international companies, the big names in automotive (Toyota), distribution (Coca-Cola, DHL) and tech (Samsung, Apple, Microsoft) monopolize the first places of the classification. As for French brands, Orange ranks among the companies most appreciated by African opinion leaders.

The preferred pan-African companies are well established in their respective sectors, namely the airline sector, construction, telecoms and banking-finance.

According to Mohamed El Kalchi, Director of Studies at IMMAR: “This 2022 barometer is the most representative in terms of diversity on the African continent since the launch of this study. The sample this year includes 14 countries with the addition of South Africa and Angola. 2,895 face-to-face interviews were carried out between November 2021 and January 2022, a large-scale task that fed into all the indicators. This diversity is also found in the profiles of opinion leaders – business leaders, but also political decision-makers, representatives of civil society associations, media professionals… – among whom 30% are women. A panel, which corresponds to 70% of the population of the continent, which we are proud to present alongside the CIAN. »

Africaleads

Barometer carried out with a sample of 2,895 opinion leaders in fourteen African countries: Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Angola and South Africa. The interviews were conducted face-to-face between November 2021 and January 2022. The notion of opinion leaders encompasses decision-makers in the public and private sectors, media professionals, prominent members of civil society (including religious leaders) and influencers. About 30% of women were interviewed in each country.

Le CIAN

The French Council of Investors in Africa (CIAN) brings together and supports in their deployment most of the French companies invested in the African continent (its members carry out 80% of the volume of French business with the continent). The CIAN is also a force of influence with public and private development decision-makers in France, Africa and internationally.

By WritingEditorial committee –