Dear readers,
The year 2022 ended with strong growth for ActissAfrica, both in terms of the number of missions and in turnover. The Woodin brand also ended the year on a good trajectory, thanks in part to an Actiss Africa mission, which we present to you below.
Sales management assignments are rather rare, yet we particularly like them at Actiss Africa, because what could be more exciting than seeing sales take off. It is in essence the sign of hope, of the near success of a project, or of getting out of the tunnel.
Enjoy your reading.
The Actiss Africa partners
Mission of implementation of a commercial strategy at WOODIN, by Actiss Africa Abidjan
Mission of implementation of a commercial strategy at WOODIN, by Actiss Africa Abidjan
Alongside Vlisco, and Uniwax, the Woodin brand is the premium, young, “trendy” element of the Vlisco Group. When she gets in touch with Actiss Africa, the Managing Director of the Woodin brand has got the ambition of making Woodin the Star product of the Group, the one that will be on the rise and that will represent the sales of the coming years, repositioning the Group at the head of a fluctuating market with new consumer habits.
It soon appears that the Retail and Web channels are the most relevant to operate this pivot. However, we must not neglect the wholesale channel, which, although in decline, still represents the majority of sales. The Institutional channel must also be explored. The Web channel, although fundamental, falls under another function within the Group.
The Actiss Africa mission starts in April 2022, with the structuring of the Retail segment: recontact of all the players in the segment, implementation of target contracts, actions on inventory reduction, management via KPI’s
From September, the mission focuses on consolidating the Wholesale channel
At the same time, focus on export (Mali, Congo, Ghana…), and first contacts with players in the Institutional channel (Orange, GIM-UEMOA, Ministries…).
The results at the end of the mission:
The sales channels are structured, and can be developed on this basis by the team.
The Woodin brand, thanks to the combined effects of the Actiss Africa’ s assignment and an offensive product creation, is the only one that is growing within the Group, thus allowing the positioning of Woodin as the Star brand of the group, which must allow the Vlisco group to pivot and reposition itself “in the race” on changing, moving, copied, volatile markets.
African Investments Forum & Awards 2023
Actiss Africa was present at the AIFA in early February in Paris. Many talks with investors and companies operating in Africa. What stands out: The entrepreneurial spirit and the desire to develop in Africa are still going strong. The opportunities are great…but sometimes remain at the stage of opportunities. Because the obstacles are always the same: political systems that do not promote transparency and efficiency everywhere, tax systems made for those who cheat but rather penalize those who play the game, investments not always well targeted.
Alumni networks and Africa
Last October, Patricia Charlec led a conference of the “Club Afrique at Essec Business School Alumni, of which she is the President, around the theme “The challenges of banking in Africa by 2035”. And Gilles Marque for his part gathered around the Africa Club of Business School Neoma Alumni, which he co-hosts, some HRDs for an event on “HR in Africa”. The next topics: cybersecurity, women entrepreneurs in Africa.