The Zambian logistics pilot project (I)

The World Bank, The UK Department for International Development, and USAID recently released the results of a logistics pilot project in Zambia, in which the availability of various medical supplies was improved. This is the first of a three-part series in which I talk with two of the team members and finish with some personal [...]

Slums – Beyond the perception

Personally, I am not very fond of the term, slums. I think it is loosely defined term for a type of informal market. However, with all their problems and challenges there is a lot to learn from slums from a business perspective. Entrepreneurism – slum areas are highly entrepreneurial, with a high degree of business [...]

Cold Chain in Emerging Markets: The Heat is On

For many Chinese and Vietnamese consumers, frozen food is still a foreign concept. Large retailers in China and Vietnam continue to focus on fresh food options such as live chickens and in-store fish tanks. However, consumer shopping and buying patterns are changing. Chilled products, including juice and frozen foods are increasingly becoming popular in emerging [...]

Africa mobile technology – learnings from the not-for-profit sector

Mobile phone networks have proven to be a vital piece of technology for Africa. The technology is playing an important part in bridging the infrastructure divide and assisting entrepreneurs and businesses to improve efficiency. The mobile revolution is still in its infancy and organizations are slowly adopting new tools and technology to conduct business.  The [...]

Two-tier distribution in emerging markets – telecom and electronics

What is a two-tier distributor? They buy from manufacturers and sell to resellers. What are their competitive advantages? Two-tier distributors can expand the retail footprint in emerging markets. They normally sell a diverse range of brands and control a large percentage of the local distribution in the telecom and the computer industry. Two-tier distributors understand [...]

Gambia is Good

On a recent trip to West Africa I had a chance to make a short stop in Gambia. As part of our company’s increased interest and research in the supply chain in social products, I made contact with Amy Hause, General Manager of Gambia is Good (GiG). TN: Who is GiG? GiG is a horticultural [...]

Lean: The emerging market challenge

Emerging economies with robust economic growth remain a significant opportunity for companies eager to grow and expand their business. With growth opportunities limited in the U.S. and Europe, these countries will be the battleground for companies in the years to come. Asian companies have improved their skills and practices and are gaining in their ability [...]

Guinea distribution

Guinea Conakry has seen better days. Political instability and an uncertain economic outlook have not helped consumer confidence in this West African country. I have spent the last two weeks assessing a FMCG company’s distribution capability. The data tell an interesting story. Wholesalers – like most of markets in Africa, FMCG companies rely heavily on [...]

Ethiopia’s inclusive distribution model

Arriving in Ethiopia in 1998 the local Coca-Cola operation  was hardly an operation to search for best practices. Today, the picture looks very different. Harvard University (download PDF) recently conducted research on the Coca-Cola Ethiopian manual distribution center (MDC) and published a report on the model. The Ethiopian MDC project, launched in 1999, is today viewed as [...]

Village Billboards and supply chain

Erik Hersman blogs about Zach Lutische, a man with an interesting concept envisioned for rural Kenya. “The concept involves putting up a network of rural billboards around Kenya, using them as a way to gather and create a nexus point for community information. Anyone in the village can put up a notice, news or advertisement [...]

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