In recognition of the considerable investment opportunities that are present in Africa, Nashua Limited has initiated plans to establish dealerships throughout Africa over the next few years. These dealerships will encompass local partnerships with established African companies.

Nashua plans to initially establish dealerships in Zambia, Mozambique, and Angola by the end of this year, with plans to expand into Central Africa in 2013.

Nashua Limited Head of Business Development: Africa, Stephen Henwood notes that that the current global economic climate presents the perfect opportunity for expansion into Africa.

“Africa is rapidly embracing technology, and there is currently great potential for market penetration on the continent. This presents us a great opportunity for investment, especially considering that Nashua can offer the market a customised end-to-end solution, which includes a range of comprehensive products and solutions that increase efficiency and productivity, backed up by our dedicated after sales service model.”

Henwood says that the company decided to open dealerships rather than franchises, as a more methodical and subtle approach is required in order to make the desired impact on the African office automation market.

He notes that this approach entails developing personal relationships with potential business partners, embracing their country’s culture, and understanding their exact market needs before any sort of business transaction is discussed. He adds that Nashua researched market and social conditions in each country for six months prior to attempting to establish dealerships.

Henwood adds that Nashua is looking to build long-term relationships to establish credible brand name recognition in the countries it is investing in, before it will investigate the possibility of opening Nashua franchise offices.

For 25 years, Nashua has established a strong footprint in Southern Africa, and currently has franchises in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Henwood concludes that Nashua has ambitious plans in terms of their investment strategy into Africa.

“We have set specific goals during our first year and are aiming to obtain between 10% to 15% of the market share in each territory we invest in.

“Ultimately, we want to change the face of office automation in Africa, from selling just a box to comprehensive document management solutions, to ensure that companies located in the continent become more profitable, and significantly reduce waste in the office environment.”