The challenge of building an African consumer brand abroad
Why African entrepreneurs should think twice before launching in markets like the US and Europe.
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Affiong Williams, founder and CEO of Nigerian dried fruit and snacks company ReelFruit, has long viewed international markets as a major opportunity for her business. With the opening of its new factory and greater production capacity, that ambition has begun to materialise. The company has signed agreements with two distributors in Europe and a large retail group in the US, along with other export deals. In addition to its branded packaged snacks, it now also supplies unbranded bulk produce for both retail and industrial buyers abroad.
By exporting, Nigerian companies can protect themselves against the weakness of the naira, the country’s local currency. In the two years to mid-2025, the naira lost about half its value against the US dollar. “Many Nigerian companies have input costs in dollars, either directly or indirectly. So, the inflationary impact of the devaluing naira is hedged when you export and earn dollars,” she says.
With annual inflation climbing to 25% in 2023 and 33% in 2024, Nigerians’ spending power has been sharply eroded. Against this backdrop, Williams stresses the importance of targeting economies with higher disposable incomes. Even a modest foothold in a dollar-paying market, she says, can help businesses weather Nigeria’s difficult economic climate.
However, she cautions against pursuing an export strategy that relies on building a consumer brand and spending heavily on advertising in developed markets. Food companies in the US and Europe, she notes, have far larger budgets and the competition is intense. A consumer business in America might allocate 25% of its costs to marketing, while ReelFruit dedicates closer to 5% in Nigeria.
