If anything sums up the Brainstorm roundtable discussion on expansion into Africa, it’s the statement that, for any South African business, the only sensible strategy for growth is to be grasping opportunities in Africa because the local economy is unlikely to deliver decent growth.

Says Mark Walker, director: Insights & Vertical Industries, MEA & Turkey at International Data Corporation (IDC): “South Africa’s (ICT industry) growth rate for 2009-13 is around seven percent. If you compare that to other places in the region, they’re all seven to eight percent or above, making Sub-Saharan Africa very attractive right now.”