Introduction
East Africa, which recorded an economic growth rate of 5.9% in 2017, is the fastest growing region on the African continent. The region, where counterfeiting is rampant, is also one of the world’s most rapidly expanding markets for security printing. Professional printing service providers perform a critical role across all sectors of the regional economy. Driven by economic development, urbanisation and population expansion, demand for packaged consumer goods has soared across the region in recent years, presenting a multitude of opportunities for printers of packaging and labels. Although the East African printing market remains relatively untapped, many stakeholders believe that the industry offers high-growth potential. This report examines East Africa’s regional economy in general, with a particular focus on the printing sector in the East African Community member states and Ethiopia.
Strengths
• East Africa has a rapidly developing printing sector which offers a comprehensive range of services.
• Innovative developments have been made in the security printing segment.
• Larger regional printers have harnessed new technologies and enhanced their service offerings.
• Print packaging, securing printing and textile printing are growth segments.
• Professional printing service providers, notably security printers, perform a critical role across all sectors of the regional economy.
• The EAC Common Market Protocol provides for the progressive transformation of the EAC into a single market that allows for free movement of goods, persons, services, labour and capital.
Weaknesses
• Corruption, notably the printing of copyright-protected material and the production of illicit labels for counterfeit products, is rampant.
• East African print service providers are generally uncompetitive as production costs are high.
• Regional printers are highly dependent on imported inputs and, as such, are exposed to pricing challenges resulting from exchange rate volatility.
• Technical service support is inadequate or absent in most East African cities.
• The industry is capital intensive.
• There is a critical shortage of people with the requisite skills and experience to operate sophisticated printing and finishing systems.
Opportunities
• Exporting to other African markets, where there is growing demand for printed packaging, printed labels, educational printed matter, electoral security printing, textile printing and flatbed UV printing.
• In the security printing segment, the development and roll-out of anti-counterfeiting measures offers high-growth potential.
• The commercialisation of 3D printing.
• The expansion of digital printing services, particularly for the packaging and textile markets.
Threats
• Political and economic instability.
• Security risks.
• The declining consumption of material in print format, which is being driven by the uptake of digitisation.
Outlook
The high-growth East African bloc has emerged as a regional powerhouse on the African continent. Despite the fragility of some East African states, the overall economic outlook for the East African region is positive and the African Development Bank forecasts that growth will remain on an upward trajectory in 2018 and 2019. Role players say that opportunities for companies in the printing sector are plentiful, particularly in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. Demand for print services in these countries is expected to remain robust, notably in the security, packaging and textile markets. In keeping with global trends, stakeholders expect to see greater convergence of traditional and digital printing solutions taking place across East African markets.
The Printing Industry in East Africa
2018
Full Report
R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $107.74 (USD)*
Industry Landscape
R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 75.42 (USD)*
Table of Contents
[ Close ]| PAGE | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | INTRODUCTION | 1 |
| 2. | OVERVIEW OF THE REGION | 1 |
| 2.1. | Geographic Position | 3 |
| 3. | DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY | 6 |
| 3.1. | Industry Value Chain | 8 |
| 4. | SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY | 9 |
| 5. | STATE OF THE INDUSTRY | 11 |
| 5.1. | Local | 11 |
| 5.1.1. | East African Trade | 14 |
| 5.1.2. | Corporate Actions | 15 |
| 5.1.3. | Regulatory and Policy Environment | 15 |
| 5.2. | Continental | 16 |
| 5.3. | International | 16 |
| 6. | INFLUENCING FACTORS | 18 |
| 6.1. | Economic Environment | 18 |
| 6.2. | Socio-Political Environment | 20 |
| 6.3. | Digitisation | 23 |
| 6.4. | Labour | 23 |
| 6.5. | Rising Input Costs | 24 |
| 6.6. | Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation | 24 |
| 6.7. | Environmental Concerns | 26 |
| 7. | COMPETITION | 27 |
| 7.1. | Barriers to Entry | 27 |
| 8. | SWOT ANALYSIS | 28 |
| 9. | OUTLOOK | 29 |
| 10. | INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS | 29 |
| 11. | REFERENCES | 30 |
| 11.1. | Publications | 30 |
| 11.2. | Websites | 31 |
| APPENDIX 1 | 33 | |
| Summary of Major players | 33 | |
| COMPANY PROFILES | 36 | |
| AFRICA PRINTING PLC | 36 | |
| AGUTEX LTD | 37 | |
| ARTISTIC PRINTING ENTERPRISE | 38 | |
| AVIQ PRINTERS AND STATIONERS | 39 | |
| BECONNECTED INDUSTRIAL PLC | 40 | |
| BERHANENA SELAM PRINTING ENTERPRISE | 41 | |
| CENTRAL PRINTING PRESS PLC | 43 | |
| COLORZONE STUDIO PLC | 44 | |
| COLOURS LTD | 45 | |
| DE LA RUE PLC | 46 | |
| ECLIPSE PLC | 48 | |
| GENERAL PRINTERS LTD | 49 | |
| GIANTS PRINTING AND DESIGNS SOLUTIONS | 50 | |
| IN-LINE PRINT SERVICES LTD | 51 | |
| INKPASTE PRINTERS AND STATIONERS | 53 | |
| IPRINT LTD | 54 | |
| JAMANA PRINTERS LTD | 55 | |
| KAPARI LTD | 57 | |
| KULGRAPHICS LTD | 58 | |
| MANIPAL INTERNATIONAL PRINTING PRESS LTD | 60 | |
| MEX BURUNDI | 62 | |
| MINISTRY OF INTERIOR & COORDINATION OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT | 63 | |
| NAMPAK KENYA LTD | 65 | |
| NEJASHI PRINTING PRESS PLC | 66 | |
| NEW VISION PRINTING AND PUBLISHING COMPANY LTD | 67 | |
| PICFARE INDUSTRIES LTD | 71 | |
| PRINTEX LTD | 73 | |
| PRINTFAST KENYA LTD | 74 | |
| RAMCO PRINTING WORKS LTD | 76 | |
| RODWELL PRESS LTD (THE) | 78 | |
| RWANDA PRINTING AND PUBLISHING COMPANY LTD | 80 | |
| SKANEM INTERLABELS NAIROBI LTD | 81 | |
| STANDARD LABELS LTD | 83 | |
| TANZANIA PRINTERS LTD | 85 | |
| TANZANIA PRINTING SERVICES LTD | 86 | |
| TECHNO MARKET LTD | 88 | |
| UNIVERSAL PRINTERS COMPANY LTD | 89 |
