[Interview] Frans de Pater, Managing Partner at AfricanWise, The Netherlands
Frans de Pater is former commercial director of Vlisco, Ivory Coast, and the current Managing Partner at AfricanWise.
Frans is co-host of the Africa Business Communities Networking Event, Amsterdam, March 8.
Would you please introduce AfricanWise?
AfricanWise supports organizations that want to conduct or expand business in Sub-Saharan Africa by supplying project development, business development, interim management, funding, and investment. Also we support African businesses that want to enter the European market by trade and trade development. Our keywords are: understanding business culture, developing inclusive business models, Africa the new world economy, facilitate the making industry, sustainable energy and knowledge transfer.
In which industries does AfricanWise operate and who are your clients?
We operate in any given industry as we can cover this with our network of Project Partners who have lived and worked in Africa, in a wide variety of industries and countries.
Currently we have projects in renewable energy, agriculture, tourism, garment- and textile industry, consumer electronics and industry supplies.
Clients are SME’s and multinationals from various countries. They have in common that they realize that doing business with/from Africa requires long term views and goals. They are used to doing international business and have support from their share/stakeholders.
What can you say about the targets and ambitions of African Wise in 2016?
We are aiming to double our revenue stream, working more ‘inclusive’, focusing on creating a textile/garment platform, founding a High Impact Inclusive Investment Fund. We are also working to open offices in Finland and Spain.
As co-host of the Amsterdam Business Networking Event, with whom would you be most interested in connecting?
With all professionals who share the passion for the African continent, even though there are financial constraints due to the oil price. Also those who want to join us into getting the European Private Sector to conduct business in SSA on an ‘inclusive’ basis: financial, environmental and social sustainable.
What would you want the participants to contact you for?
To drink a cup of coffee. Building relationships is underestimated in some parts of the world. We focus always on deals and results. But the better you know each other, the better the result will be if you work together.
What is the business aim of this event, and how does it benefit the participants?
Actually it is a gathering of people and knowledge – I can’t imagine anything more profitable in every business sense. Participants can benefit from that if they want to enter or expand in Africa.
Africa Business Communities Networking Event
Tuesday 8 March 2016
5:00 - 7:00 PM
Amstel Hotel | Amsterdam | The Netherlands
amsterdam.intercontinental.com/en/
After great editions in Hamburg, Lagos and Accra the Africa Business Communities Networking Event is returning to Amsterdam!