Africa is the new emerging market, with an unstoppable growth of its population, four of the five countries that spend the most on food are in the continent. Nigeria tops the list with a staggering 56.4% of food expenditure followed by Kenya with 46.7%, Cameroon 45.6% and Algeria 42.5%.

As the continent becomes more urbanized, people are buying more imported processed or semi-processed foods, which cost more than those produced locally. And in most countries wages have not kept pace with inflation.

Foodibev International is one of the Spanish companies that set its eyes on the African continent and over the years has managed to succeed and maintain its position. Its secret, a deep knowledge of international markets, logistics, customs and import procedures, and a good sales team that has been traveling assiduously to different countries to know their domestic market first hand.

Foodibev International produces energy drinks in Zaragoza but does not market any in Spain. For the moment, its strategy is working: its Double Seven brand, an energy drink launched in 2017, has managed to position itself as a sales leader in West Africa, specifically in countries such as Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.

The company’s merit is even greater when you consider that there are more than a thousand energy drink brands worldwide, with Monster and Red Bull leading the way. However, the Foodibev International concept has caught on in these parts of Africa and the reason is that “there is a certain ‘brandism’ in Africa. When they trust a product because of its brand, they continue to buy it,” explains Sebastien Defawe, director of Foodibev International.

In the case of the Double Seven energy drink, marketing has also played a key role. “In each country we have made consumers feel that our brand, Double Seven, is a drink with a local feel. Despite being an international brand, collaborations with artists from the world of music and sports have given us the differentiating factor compared to the competition,” adds Defawe.

Foodibev’s growth over the last few years has been unstoppable, with a 30% increase in turnover every year. The company has an annual turnover of 50 million euros in products that are distributed to more than a hundred countries around the world. Its three main markets are Africa, where 70% of its production goes, Asia, which accounts for 20% of sales, and the Caribbean, with another 10%. With its flagship product, Double Seven, it is selling 60 million cans a year.