Entrepreneurship made in Africa
Transcription
Entrepreneurship made in Africa
Entrepreneurship made in Africa The first cashew factory in the West African nation of Togo is generating employment and creating value in rural Africa. 02 An agricultural nation with potential A model approach to entrepreneurship Togo produces around 15,000 tonnes of cashews each year but the produce is then processed in Asia. The expansion of the agricultural value chain is creating new prospects for this small West African nation. A local visit to the pioneering Togolese cashew producer Cajou Espoir shows how the efforts of a Togolese expat and a Togolese Professor of Economics are driving value creation within the country. Financing growth Cajou Espoir provides 700 jobs over the course of the year and is expanding its business with the opening of a second factory. This growth would be impossible without pre-export financing and investment loans from abroad. responsAbility Investments AG / Cajou Espoir investment case – Cashew processing in Togo responsAbility Investments AG Cajou Espoir investment case – cashew processing in Togo Togo: An agricultural nation with untapped potential R B The small West African nation of Togo has a large agricultural sector, which employs 70% of the country’s workforce. The expansion of the agricultural value chain is benefiting the rural population in particular. Covering an area of approximately 57,000 square kilometres and with a population of around 7.2 million, the Togolese Republic is one of the smallest countries in Africa. It borders on the Gulf of Guinea in the south, Ghana in the west, Burkina Faso in the north and BeninSenegal Gambia in the east. This multi-ethnic nation gained independence Guineafrom France in 1960 and has been led by various militaryBissau rulers or their allies since 1963. Mali Mauritania Niger Chad Burkina Faso Guinea Benin Togo Sierra Leone Togo is one of the world’s largest producers of calcium phosphate and has experienced healthy economic growth in recent years – driven primarily by increased agricultural production, the expansion of the port and the international airport in Lomé, and the construction of new road networks. According to forecasts by the International Monetary Fund, Togo’s economy could grow by 5.5% in the coming years. However, foreign companies operating in Togo often repatriate the profits they generate there. Consequently, private remittances and donor grants from abroad remain an important source of income for the country. A clear population shift from rural to urban areas is currently underway. In addition, many of the younger generation – particularly men – are migrating abroad in view of the high levels of unemployment in Togo. The Togolese economy is highly dependent on agriculture, which provides employment for 70% of the country’s workforce. Agriculture accounts for 40% of Togo’s GDP and generates 20% of its export income. With help from the World Bank, the Togo National Investment Program for Agricultural Development and Food Security was launched in 2012 to support the country’s agricultural sector. Its most important agricultural commodity is cotton, together with cocoa and coffee. The Togolese government plays a key role in the trading of these commodities and finances a large proportion of agricultural production 2 Liberia Côte-D’Ivoire Nigeria Ghana Cameroon – especially that of cotton. The sharp fall in cotton prices impacts directly on producers. Like cotton, cashews are produced throughout the arid central region and in the north of Togo. In fact, cashew crops have often been grown in the place of cotton in recent years. Cashews are mainly grown by subsistence farmers. It is estimated that 15,000 tonnes of cashews are produced each year. Experience gained in neighbouring countries shows that productivity can be significantly enhanced through the use of modern cultivation methods and the introduction of plant varieties that produce higher yields. The major proportion of Togo’s cashew crop is exported to Asia and Europe. The privately-owned company Cajou Espoir offers an economically successful Togolese alternative for the processing of these cashews and thus serves as a model for the expansion of the agricultural value chain in Togo. _Left The capital Lomé, located on the Gulf of Guinea, has a modern deep-sea port. _Second row, left The N1 is the main road linking Lomé in the south with the north of the country. _Second row, centre Lomé is a typical African city where many different styles, influences and traditions meet. _Second row, right In Togo, people use the CFA franc – the currency of the West African Economic and Monetary Union – to make payments. The CFA has a fixed exchange rate to the euro. _Third row, centre A major part of the country is very rural. _Below left The capital Lomé has around 850,000 inhabitants. _Below right Togo is a diverse nation in which 39 different languages are spoken. 3 responsAbility Investments AG Cajou Espoir investment case – cashew processing in Togo A model approach to entrepreneurial success Cashew nuts are a popular healthy snack. They are not only grown in the West African nation of Togo but have, since 2004, also been processed there by a profitable enterprise – generating greater prosperity in the region. responsAbility made a local visit to the pioneering Togolese cashew company Cajou Espoir. The vehicle comes to a halt. Four hours and 300 kilometres from our point of departure in Lomé, we turn off the two-lane road that links the capital in the south of the country to Togo’s deep-sea port in the north and to Burkina Faso and Mali in the interior of West Africa. Leaving the road, we drive through vegetation and then reach our destination: the new factory opened by Cajou Espoir – the first and only processor of cashew nuts in this West African nation. Togo, which is located on the Gulf of Guinea, has a population of just 7.2 million and covers an area of approximately 57,000 square kilometres. This tiny country – which is bordered by Ghana and Benin – is still heavily dependent on agriculture. Many different crops flourish here, including cereals such as maize and rice, as well as soya beans, cotton and cashew trees in the arid northern parts of Togo. Cashew trees, which are indigenous to Brazil, were introduced to Africa by the Portuguese. Between the months of January and April each year, cashew nuts – which are one of Togo’s most sought-after exports – can be found ripening on the juicy apple-shaped fruits that grow on cashew trees. The ground 4 Brand new and only partly operational: The 128-meter Cajou Espoir production plant in Blitta. between the cashew trees is cleared to allow these farmers to pick the cashews, which are then transported to collection points. A leading export The cashews then begin their long journey from the field to the table of an ever-increasing number of end-consumers. Cashew nuts are very popular: between 2009 and 2013 alone, global consumption of the product rose by 30%. This trend is mainly driven by changing eating habits and especially by a growing awareness of the health benefits of cashews, which contain vitamins and minerals. In Asia in particular, cashews have long been a component of many dishes. With a 90% share of the total production volume, India and Vietnam are the leaders in cashew processing, which involves the complex process of extracting the raw cashews from their shell and then preparing them for consumption. A total of 80% of all cashews are eaten as a snack. The US accounts for by far the largest proportion of cashew consumption. At present, 40% of raw cashews are produced in Africa. François Locoh Donou focused on this aspect when considering how he could make a contribution towards sustainable development The raw cashews are stored according to the producer – meaning their origin is clear – and then processed. A sought-after product: The hard shells are removed in an intensive process to prepare cashews for consumption. in his homeland. Born in Togo in 1971, he studied in France and the US before embarking on a career at an American telecoms provider. He returns to Togo twice a year. “My grandmother always used to repeat a Togolese saying that I still remember to this day,” explains François. “She said that you can’t just sit and eat all you want when someone next to you is going hungry. I interpret this to mean that if things are going well for me, I have a duty to do something for others,” says François. Creating jobs to create prosperity One of his first projects was a chicken farm named ‘Ferme de l‘espoir’, which he set up in 1998. However, it proved not to be the type of solution that François was aiming for in the long term. “We were investing USD 200,000 per year, 95% of which had to be used to buy chicken feed. Even after eight years, we were employing a maximum of 30 people and were constantly battling to survive financially.” It then became clear that what was needed was a project that could generate employment and thus create sustained value in Africa. It was necessary to focus on exports to ensure there was a market for the produce, since Togo lacks a middle class with purchasing power that could be targeted as consumers. It was also clear that a company can only survive in the long term if it operates successfully. “Through our activities, we not only wanted to offer something for the employees themselves but also for the community,” explains François. With the help of Maurice Edorh, a Togolese Professor of Economics and family friend living in Lomé, the idea behind Cajou Espoir was born: François decided to process cashew nuts, which are a leading export product, in Togo. Cracked and shelled: Employees work in pairs to remove the cashews from their shells. “Cashew processing is a very labour-intensive process – which is ideal if you want to create as many jobs as possible,” explains Maurice Edorh as we walk through a gate leading to a vast yard. A single tree in the centre provides shade for a group of employees who are crowded around an improvised cooking area. The 128 meter-long Blitta factory stands along one side. We move from the scorching hot area outside the building into the pleasantly cool interior of the factory. The open roof structure allows cool currents of air to pass through the building, and muted sunlight illuminates the inside. Both the roof structure and the machines inside the hall originate from India, according to Maurice, while the foundations and wall components were made in Togo. The factory in Blitta is new and is just being fitted out with equipment – based on 11 years of experience gained from >> “Without financing from international investors, we wouldn’t be able to keep our factory running throughout the year.” Maurice Edorh, a university professor and Director of Cajou Espoir 5 operating the first Cajou Espoir production plant in Tchamba, which is located 400 kilometres or a 6-hour drive to the north of Lomé. “We wanted to find a production site in the heart of the agricultural north of the country when setting up our first factory,” Maurice recalls. “When we began discussing our plans with the authorities, we were immediately given assurances that we would receive all kinds of support, since the creation of 700 formal jobs in a region in which there are few other opportunities was like a gift from heaven,” he adds. The people employed at the plant – 80% of whom are women – were mainly recruited from the rural population in Tchamba. Many of them are farmers who have thus gained a much-needed source of income in addition to their work in the fields. Other employees come from far away – even from Lomé. Jobs are scarce in Togo. On average, a worker at Cajou Espoir earns around USD 50 per month. Female employees value the free childcare offered to them by the company. “How else could I work?” asks one young mother who uses her break time to nurse her daughter. “My two other children are at school but the youngest one needs to be cared for,” she explains. Cajou Espoir employs 700 people, 80% of whom are women. benefits not only direct employees but also the community. “The women who work for us now earn USD 50 instead of just USD 5,” he comments. “When asked how they use this additional income, they say that they can use the USD 25 left over to buy school uniforms for their children rather than having to beg for clothes. They can dress properly and go to family gatherings that they were previously too embarrassed to attend. When I ask why they have only USD 25 left over, the response I get is that they send USD 5 to a cousin who is raising three children on her own, USD 10 to their parents, USD 5 to a sister…” Just imagine! These people share 50% of their income with others even though they themselves have so little! The world could learn a great deal about this type of solidarity from Africa.” A prized commodity The regular discussions that François holds with employees highlight the extent to which this source of income 2,600 tonnes of raw cashews were processed in Tchamba in 2015. The nuts come from the surrounding Transporting cashews within the plant: The nuts are taken to an adjacent building for the next stage of processing. Firing up the furnace to produce steam: Once they have been shelled, the cashews are treated with steam for around 14 hours so that the fine skin around the nuts can be removed. 6 villages – but also from the neighbouring country of Benin. Around 40 buyers set out in trucks to travel to the production areas up to 300 kilometres away and to visit their contacts in the villages. They collect the harvest from producers and store it in local warehouses before selling the produce on. The price that is paid depends on the quality of the cashews, which is assessed here for the first time: the larger the nuts, the better. However, that is not the only factor that counts. There is a high level of demand for raw cashews. In addition to buyers from Cajou Espoir, traders also come to West Africa from India, Lebanon and increasingly also from China to buy up the harvest. Richard Alassani who manages the factory in Tchamba says: “The farmers tend to sell their harvest to the first buyers who appear and offer them cash, even though we have been working with them for years. To ensure we have a large enough volume of raw cashews for processing, we have to start buying As whole, large and white as possible: This is how cashews earn the highest price. responsAbility Investments AG Cajou Espoir investment case – cashew processing in Togo early and must ensure that we can pay the farmers immediately.” This is where financing comes in. François explains: “If we want to produce USD 10 million of cashews a year, which is our target, we need to have around USD 6.5 million of cash available from January of that year in order to pay the producers. Some local banks have little interest in providing pre-export financing. Unlike responsAbility, they are unwilling to accept export contracts as security. It is also essential for the funds to be available in good time. If we have to wait too long, our competitors will buy up the harvest ahead of us and we will have to pay a high price for the produce that is left over.” Investing in growth Blitta, which is home to around 30,000 people, is approximately the same size as Tchamba. The large available workforce is one of the reasons why it was chosen as a production site. The rate of unemployment currently stands at 50%. Richard explains to us that in Tchamba, employees sometimes come to work but not always. They may be busy in the fields, especially during the harvest, or they may have to stay at home because they have a sick child. The employees are paid daily based on the volume of nuts processed. “Over the course of the year, we employ an average of 700 people but it is virtually impossible to say in advance how many employees will be present on a specific day,” he explains. However, this is not the only reason why financing is vital. The factory in Blitta, which opened its doors in 2015, was built using a long-term loan from responsAbility. It will enable Cajou Espoir to double its production volume to 7,000 tonnes of cashews by 2019 and to create another 700 jobs. In addition, a new machine that is being financed by responsAbility will allow the company to produce cashew shell oil, which has both industrial and medical applications – providing another use for the raw product. Maurice hopes that in Blitta, a degree of competition between employees will encourage them to appear for work more regularly – which would also mean that Cajou Espoir’s production plant can work to full capacity. It will take some time to achieve this. Cajou Espoir has, nevertheless, reached an important milestone, as Maurice Edorh points out: “We want to show people that it is possible for a business run by Africans to operate successfully in Africa – thus setting an example for the entire continent. Africa needs to be developed by Africans. I am proud that we have succeeded in doing so.” Final check: The last stage of production requires great concentration and is therefore well paid. Ready: After numerous stages and quality controls, the cashews are ready for export. Cajou Espoir ESTABLISHED 2004 BUSINESS ACTIVITIES Processing of raw cashews Export of processed cashews Production of cashew shell oil (planned from 2016) LOCATIONS Tchamba (since 2004), Blitta (since 2015) PRODUCTION VOLUME 2,600 tonnes of processed cashews (2015) SUPPLIERS 300 farmers (2,000 tonnes from Togo, 600 tonnes from Benin) CLIENTS International (90%) and regional (10%) for processed cashews TURNOVER USD 2.9 million (2015) OWNED BY François Locoh Donou (60%), Maurice Edorh (5%) and 10 others EMPLOYEES 700 PROPORTION OF FEMALE EMPLOYEES 80% SOCIAL BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYEES Childcare provision, healthcare unit, donation of benches to local schools CERTIFICATION African Cashew Alliance (ACA) The cashews are placed in 25 kg packages and exported. responsAbility Investments AG Cajou Espoir investment case – cashew processing in Togo Reliable buyers for the harvest Afimkabié. This quiet village in the heart of Togo has around 4,000 inhabitants. In the midday heat, 40 of them gather in the shade of a large tree in the centre of Afimkabié. They are all farmers. In addition to growing food to meet their families‘ daily needs, they all produce raw cashews. One of them is Mouzouh Balakiy. With 7 hectares of land, he is one of the big farmers in the region. In good years, a hectare of cashew trees can produce up to 1 tonne of raw nuts, he explains. In other years, the trees may only yield 600 kilograms of cashews. Mouzouh not only produces cashews: since 2007, he has also worked as a ‘collecteur‘ for Cajou Espoir – traveling from village to village within the prefecture to buy up the cashew harvest produced by around 7,000 smallholder farmers. Before Cajou Espoir commenced production, it was mainly buyers from Benin who were interested in purchasing the raw cashews, according to Mouzouh. “There was a lot of uncertainty. Sometimes, they came and other times they didn’t,” he recalls. With Cajou Espoir, he now has a reliable buyer for the harvest that has been collected. “We are paid immediately in cash – and that is of great importance to us,” he adds. At his farm, Mouzouh introduces us to his two wives with whom he has six children. The two eldest children – a daughter and a son – are both 28 years old and are also employed at Cajou Espoir. Having finished his education in Lomé, Mouzouh’s son now works as a secretary in the office. His daughter works in production, sorting the cashews according to their size and quality. All of his children have gone to school and learnt something, Mouzouh says proudly. They nevertheless still help him with his farm work. In terms of his next project, he explains: “I am looking for new seedlings that I can plant when the first rains come. They should provide an even better income in the future.“ _Above right Preparing for the harvest: In order to pick the raw nuts from the ground, it has to be cleared of vegetation. _Centre right Harvest time: Between January and April, cashew trees bear apple-shaped fruits on which cashew nuts can be found ripening. _Above left “We are paid in cash immediately.” Mouzouh Balakiy from Afimkabié has 7 hectares of cashew trees and values the fact that Cajou Espoir is a reliable buyer for his harvest. _Below left Claudine Damsaga from Afimkabié carries her harvest to the collection point. She makes the 10 km journey on foot three times. _Below right Farmers in Afimkabié are pleased they can sell their harvest to a cashew processor in Togo. responsAbility Investments AG Cajou Espoir investment case – cashew processing in Togo “I work whenever I can!” Tchamba. We meet Christine Yade, aged 28, in the yard outside the cashew factory. Christine comes from Aní, around 200 kilometres from Tchamba, and has been working for Cajou Espoir for one year. She is part of the ‘White Group’ – employees with white headscarves who work in the peeling department. After shelling the cashews and heating them for a number of hours, the women perform the intricate task of peeling away the fine skin that still covers the cashew nuts at this stage. This is demanding work that requires accuracy and concentration. Christine works whenever she can. “I have three children. The two elder ones who are aged 4 and 11 go to school but my youngest, Angèle, is just 18 months old. When she is fine and I can take her to the crèche, then I can work.“ The provision of childcare is one of the social benefits provided to employees by Cajou Espoir free of charge – a welcome offering in a country in which, on average, women have almost five children. _Above Christine Yade works at Cajou Espoir in Tchamba, while her 18-month-old daughter Angèle is cared for in the company’s free crèche. If everything goes well, Christine can earn USD 45 per month. Her husband, who works in the sorting department at Cajou Espoir, earns USD 60 per month. They pay USD 10 for the room where the entire family lives and they are unable to save any money. Consequently, they are very grateful that the company has its own healthcare unit. “Particularly since I have a baby, I am very glad that I can ask for advice on healthcare matters here,” says Christine. _Centre Welcome additional income: Women use their earnings to buy school uniforms, among other things, and to support their families. _Below left The road to work: Christine left her village and moved to Tchamba where she and her husband work. _Below right Working in the ‘White Group’ to peel the skins from the cashews. 9 responsAbility Investments AG Cajou Espoir investment case – cashew processing in Togo Financing growth The first and only cashew processing company in Togo, where cashews are grown, was launched by a Togolese expat who wanted to give something back to his homeland. He is dependent on international financing to fund the company’s operations as well as the further expansion of the business. “The search for financing is one of the largest challenges in the cashew sector,” explains François Locoh Donou, the founder and majority shareholder of Cajou Espoir. The calculation is simple: Around 65% of turnover is spent on purchasing raw cashews. “If we want to produce USD 10 million of cashews, which is our mid-term target, we need to have USD 6.5 million of cash from January.” The harvest season begins in February and ends in April. All of the raw cashews that are to be processed in the course of the year need to be purchased during that time. Since famers tend to sell their raw cashews to the first buyer who offers them cash for their produce, cashew prices are usually lower at the start of the season. Buyers who purchase the cashews at a later point in time often receive a product that is of poorer quality and yet more expensive. To ensure it can buy the produce in good time, Cajou Espoir obtains financing from funds managed by responsAbility. Export contracts that are already in place serve as security. “Banks don’t generally accept this type of collateral,” explains François. “Without loans from international investors, we wouldn’t be able to keep our factory running throughout the year.” 10 It is not only working capital that the company needs: Cajou Espoir has also taken up a seven-year investment loan from responsAbility to fund the further expansion of the business. This has, among other things, enabled it to buy equipment for the factory in Blitta and machinery that will be used to produce cashew shell oil in future using waste products from the processing of the nuts. “We tried to obtain a loan from an African development bank,” François recalls. “After 18 months, we had still not received an answer and then 15 months later, we were informed that we could have the money but still didn’t receive it. With responsAbility, it took less than three months to obtain a definite answer and we received the money four-and-a-half months later.” François views this swift response as a sign that responsAbility understands his business and knows how important it is to provide financing promptly. “responsAbility is a partner to us – and without a financing partner, it is impossible to build up this type of business.” According to François, another important aspect is: “The responsAbility team is very professional but not bureaucratic. They ask just the right questions. There is no unnecessary bureaucracy; everything is relevant. I am confident that together, we can continue to grow on this basis.” François Locoh Donou, founder and majority shareholder of Cajou Espoir: “In 1996, I read a book that had a huge impact on me. In Hope for Sub-Saharan Africa, the author Pierre Merlin explains why a more productive agricultural sector will have a decisive role to play in transforming Africa into a middle-income continent. This idea was the inspiration behind Cajou Espoir.” responsAbility Investments AG Cajou Espoir investment case – cashew processing in Togo “Cajou Espoir operates in an enterprising but socially responsible manner.” Why does responsAbility invest in Cajou Espoir? Three questions for Rim Azirar, Investment Officer at responsAbility What makes Cajou Espoir an attractive investment? The company is active in a growth market, obtains its raw materials from smallholder farmers and sells them internationally. It is profitable and has established excellent relationships with various buyers in recent years – thus creating a good basis for its further expansion. Cajou Espoir operates in a sustainable manner, creates employment in underdeveloped regions and provides social benefits for employees. It is an ideal candidate for our agricultural fund to invest in. What are the risks associated with this kind of investment? The greatest challenge for the company is to source its raw materials at appropriate prices. They can fluctu- ate sharply and cannot be controlled by the company. However, we believe that the associated risk for Cajou Espoir is limited in view of its good relationships with producers in Togo as well as in the neighbouring country of Benin. We are convinced that Cajou Espoir will develop into one of the most important cashew suppliers in the region. How can Cajou Espoir help drive development in Togo? At present, Cajou Espoir employs around 700 people over the year as a whole – making it a rare asset in Togo. In the past, large numbers of people – especially women – left rural areas in order to search for work in the city. If they are able to find a job at home, they can stay there and help to strengthen the community. For example, this means that more and more children can attend school there. It is mainly women who benefit, since they represent 80% of the workforce. Thanks to the availability of free childcare, they can work and contribute to the family income – often also helping their extended family. Cajou Espoir pays salaries that are slightly above the market rate and officially registers all of its employees, thus giving them additional protection. In addition, the company is active in the community and has, for example, provided money to buy benches for two local schools. Each bench is now shared by two children, instead of five. _Above Rim Azirar, pictured here with Maurice Edorh from Cajou Espoir, on a visit to the newly built factory in Blitta. Rim Azirar, Investment Officer Agriculture for Sub-Saharan Africa, joined responsAbility in 2014. The Moroccan national is based in Paris and spends around one-third of each month traveling. 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