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In line with economic development, the telecoms industry has undergone a period of significant growth. On top of a strong increase in the penetration of mobile communications services over the past few years, the market is now being revitalised with the expansion of 4G networks, combined with a rising focus on the provision of data services by the three mobile network operators. With investment in infrastructure set to continue and data usage expanding, the industry should maintain its positive performance over the medium-term. This chapter contains an interview with Bruno Nabagné Koné, Minister of Communications, Digital Economy and the Post.

In current prices, the construction sector’s value-added was equal to 5.9% of GDP in 2016, according to the BCEAO, up from 1.7% in 2010. Overall, strong demand for residential units and office space, as well as government-led social housing initiatives and falling mortgage interest rates, should underpin continuous development and sales growth over the medium term. This should be bolstered by planned investment under the 2016-20 National Development Plan, which puts a large emphasis on infrastructure construction. The real estate sector has witnessed strong activity in recent years, as stability has returned to the country and a large shortfall in property availability across market segments has attracted international investors and developers. Challenges for the sector include difficulties accessing financing and rising land and cement prices. However, measures are being undertaken to tackle some of these hurdles, including the expansion of domestic cement capacity and the launch of a national land registry. This chapter contains interviews with Claude Isaac Dé, Minister of Construction, Housing, Sanitation and Urbanism, and Clyde Fakhoury, Administrative Director, PFO Africa.

The transport sector has undergone rapid development in the past few years, and the country is now re-emerging as a leading regional transport centre. Several projects are under way or in the pipeline, such as the expansion of ports in Abidjan and San Pedro, the rehabilitation of the national railway, and increased handling capability at Abidjan International Airport for both cargo and passengers. Key challenges for the sector include the maintenance of roads and strengthening of links between major ports. Government authorities and private investors alike are seeking to address such issues via the programmes outlined in the 2016-20 National Development Plan, as well as through public-private partnerships. This chapter contains an interview with Amadou Koné, Minister of Transport; and Philippe Eponon, President, Ivorian Group of Construction and Public Works.

Political stability and continued economic growth are fuelling the development of the retail industry. This is attracting new consumer goods manufacturers to the country and driving the development of new shopping outlets with diverse offerings to cater to changing consumer habits. The number of retail points is growing through both brick-and-mortar expansion and e-commerce platforms, as more Ivorians – especially in the major cities – gain access to the internet. Competition is also picking up in modern retailing as international players look to expand their networks of both large-scale supermarkets and hypermarkets. Abidjan has been the main focus of this development, however, as the market matures vendors will likely allocate more resources to less-developed areas. This chapter contains an interview with Nasser Seklaoui, Director-General, SOCIAM/NASCO.

With a wide variety of crops and a high number of cultivation regions, agriculture has long been a valuable economic sector. Fertile land, sought-after cash crops and a favourable climate have all contributed to the industry becoming a crucial source of revenue. Besides being the number-one cocoa producer in the world for many years, Côte d’Ivoire has become one of the largest cashew nut exporters as well. The government is also seeking to raise the amount of domestic processing and in-country value addition by implementing new measures to advance the sector and provide it with a competitive advantage when difficult global market conditions arise. This chapter contains an interview with Pierre Billon, Managing Director, SIFCA Group.

Greater involvement from private energy companies, espe¬cially on the production side, has led to increases in electricity production capacity, which reached 2020 MW in 2017. While gas-fuelled thermal power plants accounted for 80% of production that year, plans to boost hydropower capacity, and upcoming biomass and solar power projects, will be critical to diversifying the energy mix and meeting future demand. Although increasing electricity production capacity is a key part of the govern¬ment’s energy policy, it also emphasises a contin¬ued rise in hydrocarbons output, with the authorities announcing in July 2016 that the goal is to double crude oil and natural gas production by 2020. This chapter contains interviews with Thierry Tanoh, Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energy Development; and Amidou Traoré, Director-General, CI-Energies.