Close Is Not the Same as Familiar

Africa’s diversity is frequently acknowledged in speeches, reports, and conference panels. Someone says, “ Africa is not a country” or “ Africa is not one-size-fits-all ,” and everyone nods because, of course, it is true. Yet, many of the conversations that follow still refer to “ the African player”, “ the African market”, or “ the African strategy”, as though 54 countries can be understood through one commercial lens. We have become comfortable challenging international companies that enter Africa with products built for other markets, introducing mobile money, signing a local ambassador, and calling it localisation.