The Diplomat
The Spanish Exporters and Investors Club considers that Africa can be a strategic partner and an opportunity for Spain and for the European Union because the future world growth will go through this continent.
In a meeting held last Wednesday, with the participation of the Exporters Club, Madrid Investment Attraction (MIA) and Afrexibank, the experts highlighted that the economic development of the African continent represents a double opportunity, both for Spanish companies and for the African countries themselves, especially in need of infrastructure projects, “vital in countries with a high deficit in this field”, which allow them to “place themselves in an advantageous position for the economic expansion that is expected in the coming decades”.
“Companies should be offered information about a continent unknown to many and which, due to its extension, presents a high level of diversity between countries”, declared the president of the Exporters Club, Antonio Bonet, who highlighted the opportunities offered by national initiatives such as Foco Africa 2023 and the Horizon Africa Plan, both within the action plan of the Spanish foreign policy, and the global strategy for Africa that is being promoted by the European Commission. “The current climate of malleability and change that the global economy is experiencing can be an open door for Spanish companies to enter markets that until now were quantitatively very little relevant for our country”, he added.
For all this, according to the participants, it is necessary to strengthen collaboration between companies and public institutions in order to reinforce the internationalization of Spanish companies in new markets. In this regard, the director of Madrid Investment Attraction (MIA), Daniel Vinuesa, praised the efforts of the Madrid City Council to promote the internationalization of Madrid companies, and Rene Awambeng, global director of client relations at Afreximbank, highlighted the work of this multilateral organization, which is present in almost every country on the continent and which finances trade operations, projects and investments, and information and consulting services.
