Purchase OBG Publications

With a varied offer and clear development potential, Côte d’Ivoire is attracting large sums of capital investment to its travel and tourism industry. While business tourism and domestic spending continue to represent the largest shares of sector contributions to GDP, there are ambitions to develop leisure tourism and increase international tourist arrivals in coming years. However, additional investment in transport infrastructure and tourism accommodation is required to facilitate access to tourist sites and improve the quality of accommodation in line with international norms. This chapter contains an interview with Georges Philippe Ezaley, Mayor of Grand-Bassam.

With high headline growth opening up new business opportunities, Côte D’Ivoire’s telecoms sector continues to grow on the back of newly inaugurated 4G networks, expanding coverage and a series of regulatory reforms, which include the revocation of some licences for smaller operators and the issuance of a licence for a new entrant. These moves are helping to reshape a market and sector that had previously been hampered by high competition, limited infrastructure and inconsistent service. In parallel, a government-led plan to expand broadband infrastructure across the country is helping to improve fixed and backbone connectivity. Improving conditions for domestic IT companies will help ensure that the expansion taking place in the sector can be maintained for the coming years. This chapter contains an interview with Bruno Nabagné Koné, Minister of Communications, Digital Economy and the Post.

As Côte d’Ivoire continues to recover from the instability of the previous decade, construction remains a key driver of growth, with a swath of new projects either launched or planned in various sectors, including several that form part of the government’s main infrastructure programmes. There have been some bottlenecks, however, particularly in terms of project delivery. The outlook for the short and medium term is encouraging, with the government stressing capital spending and the economy posting strong figures. As is the case throughout the region, real estate demand in Côte d’Ivoire is generally high, surpassing existing offerings in most, if not all, segments. Thus, public and private initiatives to expand real estate offerings are likely to continue. Progress on the government’s large-scale social housing programme has been slow, but action on home loans may help it pick up speed. The development of the new industrial areas will also provide space for firms to set up shop. This chapter contains interviews with Stefan Heeb, Former CEO Côte d’Ivoire-Guinea, LafargeHolcim; and Kinapara Coulibaly, Director-General, National Office for Technical and Development Studies.

While Abidjan may serve as Côte d’Ivoire’s commercial centre, San Pedro – 350 km to the west – is the key gateway for the country’s exports. The city, which is situated in the San Pedro Region of the Bas-Sassandra District along the Gulf of Guinea, ranks as Côte d’Ivoire’s second-largest city in terms of economic activity. Growth has been driven in large part by the construction of a deepwater port, which has emerged as the main portal for the country’s primary export earner, cocoa. However, a number of other sectors, including cash crop processing and mining in the northern and western stretches of the country, have also helped boost activity in the region.

After missing out on needed maintenance and expansion work over the past decade, Côte d’Ivoire’s transport infrastructure is receiving some overdue attention. Expansion of transport networks across the country has become imperative, with a headline growth rate of 8.4% in 2016, and increasing urbanisation putting pressure on existing networks. Increased congestion, from both higher domestic and international trading, is putting added strain on roads, ports and railroad systems. However, recent reforms have bolstered the transport sector’s physical infrastructure, including the growing use of the public-private partnerships as a means to attract private financing and management into strategic infrastructure such as ports, airports and land transport routes. This chapter contains interviews with Ibrahima Koné, Director-General, Quipux Afrique; and Abdoulaye Coulibaly, Chairman, Aeria & Air Côte d’Ivoire.

Agriculture has been the largest single economic growth driver in Côte d’Ivoire in the years following independence, supported by a diverse selection of cash crops that have benefitted from strong government support and promotion, fertile land, a favourable climate and growing conditions, and abundant water resources. Agricultural development has taken priority in recent years, as evidenced by increased public spending and development of a long-term sector strategy emphasising innovation, land allocation and crop diversification. Value-added processing, particularly in the powerhouse cocoa sector, is also a major priority for the authorities, although drought and recent political unrest could weigh on production and investment.