What is a market assessment?
Market assessments involve evaluating market dynamics, trends and opportunities to inform strategic decision making and optimise business performance. It involves:
- Political and economic environment analysis: Evaluating political stability, regulatory frameworks, economic indicators and other macroeconomic factors to assess market feasibility and mitigate risks.
- Market segmentation, market sizing and competitor analysis: Evaluating customer demographics, preferences and behaviours to identify target segments.
- Market opportunity identification: Identifying emerging trends, untapped market segments and potential growth opportunities to capitalise on market expansion prospects.
- Market entry strategy development: Developing strategies for entering new markets, including pricing analysis, distribution channels and regulatory considerations.
Some of the main benefits of market assessments are:
Gain data-driven insights to guide strategic planning in resource allocation
Identify new markets and growth opportunities for business expansion
Inform of market risks and opportunities to minimise potential threats
Enhance products/ services to capitalise on market opportunities
Optimise resource allocation for maximum ROI
Key questions that are answered by market assessments
Market assessments aim to answer several key questions to help guide strategic decision making:
- What is the current size of the market, and what are the growth projections?
- Who are the primary competitors, and what strategies are they employing to succeed?
- What are the key customer segments, and what specific needs and preferences do they have?
- Are there regulatory or environmental challenges that could impact market entry or expansion?
- How should our product/service be tailored to meet the demands of the target market?
In On Africa’s market assessment research services
In On Africa (IOA) has knowledge and experience in market assessments that is vast, covering virtually the entirety of the African continent. Whether it is the agriculture- and oil-rich western region encompassing Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria or the central and southern mining epicentres covered by Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa, we have expertise across the board.
We have expertise in both niche industries and mainstream sectors, spanning most African countries. Many of the market assessments that IOA has conducted for clients have included in-depth analysis of business, economic and political dynamics, evaluation of the competitor landscape (see competitor intelligence), assessment of viability for market expansion and identification of potential partners on the ground (also see partnership identification).
Our in-house team of analysts delves into many of the intricate details which form part of market assessments, dissecting the variables and teasing out the insights. Likewise, they are complemented by our partners and consultant network on the ground across the continent in executing primary research and building relationships to help ensure our clients’ long-term success.
We also provide our clients with maintenance services following market assessment work, offering ongoing monitoring and intelligence services to ensure that they are kept updated and informed on relevant trends, developments, opportunities and risks.
Market assessment project case study:
In-depth multi-country assessment of energy, ICT, transport and water infrastructure development
Client:
Asian development bank
Country:
Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania
Methodology:
Desktop research and +60 in-depth interviews with a wide range of industry experts, government stakeholders and potential partners
IOA was contracted by a large Asian development agency to conduct comprehensive assessments of the infrastructure development landscape and related opportunities for investment in six African countries, relating specifically to energy, telecommunications, transportation and water.
The research was reported through in-depth country-specific reports (approximately 100 pages per report), which primarily focused on five areas of investigation:
- Policy landscape: Assessment of infrastructure-related policies, government capabilities and commitments, state of public finances, donor relations, key political figures, etc.
- Legal and regulatory framework: Overview of relevant laws, regulations, procurement process, barriers to trade, impact assessment standards, governing bodies, etc.
- Historical risk assessment: Overview of past expropriation, nationalisation, forced closure, repossession, law changes, discrimination, material breach, sanctions, civil war, etc.
- Microeconomic analysis: Assessment of the market size, supply and demand, growth prospects, opportunities in each sector, etc.
- Partner and competitor assessment: Detailed analysis of major players, competitors, recent bids, partnership opportunities and related factors of interest to our client.
Key project outcome:
Our client used the results of the research to advise businesses and organisations within their country (a large Asian market) on opportunities and risks for investment in infrastructure within the six target markets.
Find out more about how IOA can assist you with market assessments in Africa.
Read more about IOA’s various service offerings and examples of our past work.
Related services offered by IOA:
Business Development & Strategic Support | B2B Research | Competitor Intelligence | Due Diligence Investigations | Geopolitical Research | Industry, Sector & Market Intelligence | Opportunity Assessments | Partnership Identification | Risk Assessments