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The Ivorian government made tourism a priority in its National Development Plan 2016-20, and wants to make it one of the top-three contributors to GDP by 2020, with the goal of attracting up to 5m tourists by 2025. Moreover, the country ranks third in Africa for business tourism, behind Nigeria and Morocco. However, Côte d’Ivoire remains untouched by mass tourism, which could give it a unique advantage compared to other African desti¬nations, and enhance its attractiveness for tourists looking for authentic and preserved places. In this regard, the country is particularly conducive to niche tourism segments such as ecotourism. The improvement of connectivity to the country’s interior, especially via the rehabilitation and construction of a quality road network and additional health infrastructure, is a prerequisite to the development of leisure tourism outside the business district of Abidjan.

Telecoms firms in Côte d’Ivoire are increasingly tap¬ping into opportunities stemming from increased connectivity. In parallel, the private sector as well as the government are applying tech-driven solutions for socio-economic development, and working to make Abidjan a regional centre in the industry. In 2018 the country’s ongoing growth in mobile money adoption sparked financial innovation, which, along with increased internet capacity, is expected to benefit the development of local content along with value-added services. However, stakeholders will need to dedicate more efforts to digitalising private and public structures in order to optimise the sector’s economic impact going forward. This chapter contains an interview with Serge Kouakou, Director, Orange Business.

The construction sector has experienced significant growth since 2011 as a result of heavy public and private investment. Foreign investors have helped usher in new infrastructure projects, which contributed to the rise of local cement production. The govern¬ment is focusing on projects to restore the road network and provide affordable housing. The construction industry may witness some slowdown compared to the 2011-17 period, primarily due to factors external to the sector such as the government’s revenue decreasing due to lower cocoa sales and political risk associated with the upcoming 2020 elections. That said, the long list of ongoing and planned projects — including highways, bridges, ports and stadiums — provide cause for optimism. Beyond public works, the social housing programme is likely to sustain the real estate sector, with a healthy growth rate for the short to medium term. This chapter contains an interview with Cheick Sanankoua, Managing Partner, HC Capital Properties.

Côte d’Ivoire has been undertaking ex¬tensive public infrastructure works with a notable focus on transportation, which accounted for 9% of GDP in 2018. Over €10.7bn is being devoted to roads and the wider transport sector under the National Development Plan 2016-20, yet the great¬est challenge remains developing and maintaining an integrated logistics network. Several projects are under way in air and maritime transportation, such as the continu¬ous development of the national carrier, Air Côte d’Ivoire, and the expansion of the two major ports of Abidjan and San Pedro. These investments are set to secure the country’s position as a regional transit hub. However, the country still needs to address its logistical issues, caused primarily by the fragmented market, though consolidation and investments by international players is starting to address the issue. This chapter contains an interview with Hien Yacouba Sié, General Manager, Autonomous Port of Abidjan.

Côte d’Ivoire’s push for local processing provides the opportunity to add value beyond exportation of raw agricultural resources, specifically cocoa and cashews, thereby increasing revenue from the industrial sector. Major infrastructural projects aim to provide the required logistical environ¬ment for the emerging industrial base. Significant efforts remain necessary to increase competitiveness, particularly in tack¬ling energy costs, training the Ivorian workforce and improving access to financing. The modernisation of the country’s retail model and network is primarily based on rising demand driven by the emerging middle class. Retailers are gaining interest in penetrating the interior regions to access the larger population and prepare for expansion into surrounding sub-regions. To accomplish this, retailers will look to partnerships with local players in order to take on the informal play¬ers and improve logistical networks and supply chains. This chapter contains an interview with Jean-Louis Menudier, President, Large Industrial Firms Union of Côte d’Ivoire.

A number of development strategies estab¬lished by the government, notably the Na¬tional Agricultural Investment Programme, are leading the way for Côte d’Ivoire to increase its production in key subsectors and improve its processing capabilities. In the short term, storage capa¬bilities will be essential to ensuring that agricultural products are maintained at a standard of quality on par with buyers’ expectations. The biggest challenge, how¬ever, remains surpassing current low levels of added value and processing. As a result, efforts to encourage local processing substantially through bonuses and direct payments to processors, as well as with tax incentives and programmes directly tackling constraints to processing will remain a state priority for the years ahead. This chapter contains interviews with Yves Brahima Koné, General Manager, Coffee and Cocoa Council; and Christophe Koreki, Managing Director, Palm-CI.