Synthesis of a study conducted by Thierry DJEUMO, International Strategy Consultant (Formerly McKinsey Paris), Manuella ZAGBA, Chartered Accountant and CEO of Cabinet DYESE (Photo), and Bassirou DIAO, Operational Efficiency Expert, Certified Master Black Belt Lean Six Sigma.
As the business world undergoes unprecedented disruptions, a crucial question arises for African leaders: what role does Africa play in the new economy of performance? This is the question addressed by a landmark study signed by Thierry Djeumo, international strategy consultant (formerly McKinsey Paris), Manuella Zagba, chartered accountant and CEO of Dyese, and Bassirou Diao, operational efficiency expert, certified Master Black Belt Lean Six Sigma.
Published under the title “Operational Excellence of African Companies: an Untapped Disruption Lever“, the report calls for a collective awakening around a clear observation: African companies have the potential to become global champions, provided they place operational excellence at the heart of their strategy.
The Silent Revolution of African Processes
Driven by demographic growth, digitalization, and the emergence of an urban middle class, Africa is undergoing a profound economic transformation. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the rise of mobile money, the crisis has paradoxically accelerated a large-scale digital transformation. However, warn the authors, the “growth race” is now reaching its limits: organizational complexity, rising costs, and operational risks are hindering profitability and competitiveness.
Therefore, it is time for a redefinition of internal models.
“Operational excellence is no longer a luxury reserved for Western multinationals. It is a strategic imperative for African companies that want to stand out in the global competition,” say the authors.
An Uncompromising Diagnosis
The study, conducted in seven French-speaking African countries (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Togo, and Mauritania), paints a contrasting picture. Nearly 89% of the surveyed executives acknowledge that operational excellence is a strategic priority, but only 33% have a formalized roadmap. The findings are severe:
- 70% of companies do not have a clear mapping of their internal processes;
- 30 to 40% of working time is consumed by redundant manual tasks;
- Operational overruns reach 8% of turnover;
- Internal validation delays remain disproportionate, hindering responsiveness and customer satisfaction.
“Everything goes through the CEO, even buying a 5,000 MRU ink cartridge,” confides a Mauritanian industrialist interviewed in the report.
This centralism, often cultural, weighs heavily on productivity and innovation. The consequence: a slow, costly, and vulnerable execution, even as Asian and European competitors focus on simplification and automation.
Five Pillars to Build African Excellence
The authors propose a framework adapted to the realities of the continent, centered around five fundamental pillars:
- Inscription in the strategic agenda: integrating performance into the long-term vision.
- Leadership commitment: providing collective meaning and clear governance.
- Process optimization: identifying bottlenecks and productivity drivers.
- Innovation and implementation capabilities: strengthening technological monitoring and applied research.
- Employee support and engagement: training, empowering, and engaging teams.
These pillars, far from being theoretical, constitute a transformation methodology adapted to African realities—where cultural diversity, youthfulness of the population, and the coexistence of formal and informal demand hybrid and pragmatic approaches.
From Diagnosis to Transformation
For Djeumo, Zagba, and Diao, the transformation towards excellence is based on a trilogy: “Decipher – Transform – Perpetuate”. In other words, understanding the flaws of the current model, defining concrete action plans, and anchoring a culture of performance sustainably. This sequential approach aligns strategy, technology, and human capital—three components often dissociated in African organizations.
“The challenge is not the absence of ideas, but the absence of a structure to bring them to life,” they summarize.
Investing in Human Capital
The study emphasizes a often overlooked point: continuous training. Nearly 80% of surveyed executives acknowledge a major deficit in employee support. The lack of training programs, the cost of certifications, and the turnover of qualified personnel maintain a vicious circle of underperformance. Breaking this cycle involves considering competence as a strategic investment, not as a burden.
Towards Sovereignty of Performance
In conclusion, the authors advocate for an African vision of performance: adapted, inclusive, and sustainable. Rather than imitating Western models, Africa must build its own, rooted in its realities and potential. Technologies are available, talents exist, growth is present: what is needed now is a concerted will to make it happen.
“Operational excellence is no longer an option. It is the passport to African competitiveness in the global economy,” conclude Djeumo, Zagba, and Diao.
