Africa Facility Management Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Africa Facility Management Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Africa Facility Management Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.2% during the forecast period (2021 - 2026). Facilities management includes factors such as travel booking, waste disposal, security, plumbing and drainage, air conditioning maintenance, handyman services, decoration and refurbishment, and others. The most crucial factor responsible for high facilities management market share is the surge in the building of infrastructure activities. Construction of new infrastructure further propels the demand for other sectors mentioned above, thus boosting the overall market growth.

Key Highlights

• Increasing demand for outsourced facility management, infrastructural developments, and investments in the private sector are some of the key drivers responsible for the growth of the market. Africa’s population growth, economic dynamism, and rapid urbanization are also expected to generate opportunities for businesses, provided that investments are made to enhance infrastructure and regional connectivity, in line with the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063.
• While foreign direct investments have been growing slowly, several other African players have expanded their footprints within the region. Some notable examples include South African firms expanding into Namibia (e.g., Standard Bank) and strategic investments and partnerships made by Ethiopian Airlines to revive struggling African airlines across the continent.
• However, operational cost-related challenges and infrastructure gap in the region is expected to hinder the growth of the market. In Nigeria, growth in the non-oil sector has been sluggish, while in Angola, the oil sector remained weak. In South Africa, low investment sentiment is weighing on economic activity. As a result of slow economic growth, the presence of local players is more in the region, and hence the penetration rate is low. These players provide single and bundled services more as compared to integrated facility management. In the long run, government initiatives and global support activities for infrastructure development are expected to provide business opportunities in the region resulting in better growth prospects for facility management in the area.
• COVID-19 is expected to impact the facility management market in African countries negatively. As China is Africa’s biggest trading partner, the adverse effects of COVID-19 are also seen in Africa. With China having shut down its manufacturing centers and closed its ports, there has been a resultant decrease in demand for African commodities. Importers in China are canceling orders due to port closures. As a result of a reduction in consumption in China, sellers of commodities in Africa are being forced to offload products elsewhere at a discounted rate. The above factor factors, along with an increased emphasis on hygiene, resulting in increased cost, are expected to hinder the market growth of facility management in short to medium term.

Key Market TrendsInfrastructural development continue to open up new opportunities for FM vendors ​

• The residential, commercial, industrial, and public infrastructure sectors are the most served sectors in Africa. Oil and gas companies, banks, sports, and healthcare facilities are the upcoming sectors.​ Furthermore, it seems that increased awareness among the buyers of the market is prompting facility management operators to match the pricing accordingly.​
• The increasing emphasis on the adoption of green buildings across developing sectors such as retail and real estate is expected to stimulate the growth of outsourced facility management in the region. For instance, South African developer Growthpoint Properties has pledged that all its new office developments will achieve at least a four-star Green Star SA rating from the Green Building Council South Africa, and the green performance of its existing office buildings will be improved.
• Retail mall developers are also committing to building green. For instance, Novare Equity Partners, a developer of malls and retail stores across Africa, recently sought green certification for the construction of the Novare Great North mall in Lusaka, Zambia, to attract well-known African retailers Shoprite Holdings and Pick n Pay. The mall’s resource-efficient measures were implemented at a minimal additional cost, and utility bills are expected to reduce by over 40%.
• However, the ongoing pandemic has severely impacted the airline industry. With little traffic, operational costs are rising across the sector. For instance, in 2019, State-owned South African Airways, which is a key end-user of facility management services, are expected to lay off its entire workforce and faces liquidation after the government refused to provide the 86-year-old carrier with additional financial aid.

Nigeria is Expected to Witness Significant Growth

• Government-led initiatives and support from international bodies are boosting the investment in infrastructure development in the country. For instance, the International Development Association (IDA) has committed more than USD 45 billion in development lending worldwide in the last two fiscal years, of which USD 30 billion went to Africa. Nigeria is one of the growth-oriented countries and is expected to witness more infrastructural growth in both public and private sectors due to such initiatives and thus will provide opportunities to facility management vendors to further penetrate the market.
• Moreover, the EU-Africa partnership, the World Bank’s infrastructure projects, and NGO activities are fundamental tools for the development. Mobilizing private capital for Africa is a key priority. Hence, international organizations with the EU up front are devising innovative ways to come up with the right combination of funding, technical assistance, and political dialogue to attract private investment. The cooperation between international organizations and the private sector holds promising potential. This will further drive the market for facility management in the region.
• According to the Institute of Workplace and Facility Management, outsourcing facility management is on the rise in the office property sector in the region. However. The opposite is the case for the new retail property sector. Around more than five years ago, a large percentage of the retail property sector outsourced its facility management. Recently, however, there’s been an almost 40% tilt towards internal facility management.
• Moreover, the increased emphasis on green buildings is proliferating the growth of the market. For instance, EchoStone plans to build 182,000 affordable, certified green homes in Lagos, Nigeria, by 2023. By working with local banks, it ensures that home buyers have access to low-interest rates and long mortgage tenors.
• On the other hand, the facility management vendors in the region are mostly private and small to medium-sized companies operating in silos, which makes it difficult to meet international standards, deal with the heterogeneity of services due to varied customer needs and thus difficulty in customer integration. The strategic approach towards partnerships and alliances might be helpful for companies to gain competitive advantage and capture a more extensive customer base, which can result in increased growth.

Competitive Landscape

The facility management market in Africa is moderately fragmented due to the presence of local players and small to medium-sized firms. These major players have adopted various growth strategies, such as new product launches, expansions, joint ventures, partnerships, and others to strengthen their position in this market.

• In June 2020, Apleona GmbH invested in a self-learning technology based on artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of energy and CO2 optimization. The company, which specializes in the integrated facility and real-estate management, has therefore acquired a stake in Bonn-based green tech company Recogizer.

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