The Business Challenges and Expectations of Egypt's CEOs in 2017

Egypt has had a tough few years, but the results of OBG’s inaugural Business Barometer: Egypt CEO Survey suggest the worst is finally over.

Since 2011 the country has seen its GDP growth slow, the value of its currency drop and its foreign reserves shrink. Inflation has spiked, debt is creeping upward and the deficit has widened. The country’s tourism sector, a key foreign exchange earner, suffers from security concerns, while a shortage of natural gas has curtailed industrial output.

These challenges have not proven easy to solve, and are made all the more urgent by Egypt’s youthful 92m citizens, who are searching for jobs and hoping for a better life.

However, while there is still a lot of work to do, recovery is – at last – gaining crucial momentum.

For example, this year GDP growth should see a slight increase of 20 basis points. A much-needed process of fiscal reform is also under way, resulting in a new value-added tax, a reduction in fuel subsidies and a slate of proposed privatisations – all of which have the capacity to bring the deficit down to single digits.

A number of other policy decisions are helping to stabilise the economy. The floating of the pound has driven up inflation but improved the competitiveness of exports. The government has also been working on a new investment framework, which will reduce licensing time, improve dispute settlement and simplify the land acquisition process. And there are other factors playing in favour of the Arab world’s most-populous nation: a recent Mediterranean gas field is expected to double the size of the country’s gas reserves, while the rollout of 4G networks last year will spur digitalisation.

Things are looking up.

But you don’t have to take my word for it.

OBG’s first-ever Business Barometer: Egypt CEO Survey, which measured business confidence and sentiment over the past two-quarters, reveals a striking bullishness on the part of the country’s chief executives and chairpersons.

Nearly four-fifths of the survey respondents, for example, were positive or very positive about local business conditions for the coming year. That this comes in spite of high unemployment and inflation, and a weak sovereign rating, is a reflection of Egypt’s political stability and a testament to the government’s macroeconomic and monetary reforms.

This optimism has the potential to make a real impact on growth, particularly since the businesses surveyed collectively employ roughly 72,000 people. Three-quarters of survey respondents said they are either likely or very likely to make a significant investment over the next year, for example.

Of course, this is not to imply Egypt’s recovery is assured. In addition to the weak public balance sheet, sagging currency and slow growth, the country continues to face other, more mundane challenges. As in many frontier and emerging markets, access to credit remains a significant problem, with 57% respondents characterising commercial borrowing as either difficult or very difficult. Fewer than 5% see it is very easy.

Clearly, there is still plenty of work to do in Egypt, but the results of this survey suggest the country’s business leaders believe the economy has turned the corner; a long-overdue recovery has begun. Stay tuned for the release of our next Egypt Business Barometer to see whether time bears this out.

About OBG Business Barometer

OBG Business Barometer: Egypt CEO Survey Copyright (c). All rights reserved.

This survey has been designed to assess business sentiment amongst business leaders (Chief Executives of equivalent) and their outlook for the next 12 months. Unlike many surveys, the OBG Business Barometer is conducted by OBG staff on a face-to-face basis, across the full range of industries, company sizes and functional specialties. The results are anonymous.

OBG Business Barometer is based on data from companies with revenue within the following parameters, among others:

• 95% of companies surveyed were private
• 47% of companies surveyed were international
• 16% of companies surveyed were regional
• 37% of companies surveyed were local

The top sectors represented were:

• Industry and retail (24%);
• Construction and real estate (21%);
• Energy (16%); and
• Financial services (16%)

The data generated allows for analysis of sentiment within an individual country, as well as regionally and globally. Additionally, comparisons can be drawn between both individual countries and regionally. The results are presented statistically within infographics and discussed in articles written by OBG Managing Editors.

OBG provides this survey, infographics and accompanying analysis from sources believed to be reliable, for information purposes only. OBG accepts no responsibility for any loss, financial or otherwise, sustained by any person or organisation using it.

For further information on the content of the survey, please contact: Robert Tashima, Managing Editor for Africa, at rtashima@oxfordbusinessgroup.com

Should you wish to reproduce any element of this survey, infographics and accompanying analysis please contact mdeblois@oxfordbusinessgroup.com. Any unauthorised reproduction will be considered an infringement of the Copyright. For further details about OBG and how to subscribe to our widely acclaimed business intelligence publication please visit www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com

About Oxford Business Group

Oxford Business Group  is a global research and consultancy company with a presence in over 35 countries, from Africa, the Middle East and Asia to the Americas. A distinctive and respected provider of on-the-ground intelligence on many of the world’s fastest growing markets, OBG has offices in London, Berlin, Dubai and Istanbul, and a network of local bureaus across the countries in which we operate. 

Through its range of products, OBG offers comprehensive and accurate analysis of macroeconomic and sectoral developments, including banking, capital markets, tourism, energy, transport, industry and ICT. We provide business intelligence to our subscribers through multiple platforms: Economic News and Views, OBG Business Barometer - CEO Survey, Roundtables and conferences, Global Platform - exclusive video interviews, The Report publications and our Consultancy division.