Advertising has become more data-driven and personalized, as technology allows for greater targeting and measurement of ad campaigns. And yet advertisers have, at large, ignored or overlooked the African continent.
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Advertising has become more data-driven and personalized, as technology allows for greater targeting and measurement of ad campaigns. And yet advertisers have, at large, ignored or overlooked the African continent.
Africa is one of the most significant emerging digital markets in the world. Since 2020, the continent has seen an acceleration in its startup and investment rollout. In 2022, Africa was the continent homing the largest number of fintech startups in the world, and received a total of $63.8 Billion of investments. Despite structural hurdles, the African market has seen continuous economic growth, and this growth is technology driven.
Still, the continent only represents 1% of the global ad market and 0.47% of global investments. Brands, international agencies, and international platforms have either discarded the market as a no investment zone, or had a zero commitment approach and remotely catered their actions. This resulted in lack of data, misrepresentation, and a general lack of quality and self promotion.
Despite this striking lack of investment in the past, Africa is now emerging as a place of infinite opportunities for all seekers of creativity. With 60% of the population under 24 years old, the rising advertising market is young, diverse. This market is rapidly growing, powered by the advances of technologies of all forms in African societies that are now reaching a growing middle class. The rise of local advertising agencies is coinciding with the increasing importance of home grown champions.
Although the space needs to work on its standards to impose its voices in the global advertisement chorus, it should not result in the continent losing its characteristics and westernizing its identity. Creativity in Africa is a mosaic of the 100, 000 years depth of the cultures it hosts and has generated for the world. It navigates through the complexity of hyper-localisation, a contemporary past, regional and international present, and multilayered futures.
In a world of leaders glorifying uniformity, Africa is standing up to the great challenge of building its power with cultural ownership at the center of it. With historical radiations in the world’s art, science, and spirituality sectors, Africans are now on a mission to build pride, authenticity, modernism, value and intellectual property.
Some key aspects of creativity in Africa include:
A lot like during the independence movements of the 60’s, there is an exceptional dynamic to welcome the diaspora in the narrative–from experience, expertise, stories, soul-searching, values, and (re)defining what success means and looks like. Then, the challenge is to catalyze creativity to be profitable and dignifying for the countries and the people.
But beware, as in all cultural things, it is easy to come with your own bias and narrowed tropes. Although you are rich from your amazing journey, it is your duty to not reproduce imperialist and exploitative mindsets.
In its pursuit for spaces of experiment, ambition and empowerment, Orchid is leveraging its understanding of the makers & thinkers dichotomy. Pushing it to both incubate internal initiatives and be a catalyst for partners and clients.
In Africa Orchid sees the extent of all possible, the appetite for quality and the need for genuine and benevolent understanding.
Orchid will seek holistic wins and long term commitments where it envisions the future to be .