Professional and technical services firm Aecom plans to leverage its extensive base in South Africa to expand its presence across Africa in a strategy that could see the company’s revenue from the continent doubling from $150-million in the next few years.
CEO for Africa Carlos Poñe tells Engineering News that it plans to build on an already established base, with particular focus on East African countries.
While Africa is integral to Aecom’s growth plans, considering the expansive size of the continent, the company does not want to enter “with a shotgun approach”, indicating that a more focused and strategic plan is required, guided by three pillars.
Based on gross domestic product size and growth and the ease of doing business in each region, Aecom will invest in and strengthen its presence in, among other countries, Kenya, which will be the platform for growth into East Africa, particularly Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda. Mozambique and Ghana will also be critical areas of focus over the next two years.
Expansions in Nigeria, Botswana and South Africa are also being considered, as the next phase of targeting the ‘Tier 2’ countries kicks in.
Aecom, Poñe says, will also follow clients into Africa or follow “very large” projects that could differentiate Aecom from its competitors.
Aecom already has a permanent presence across 15 African countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa, where the bulk of the company’s 1 200-strong African workforce is based.
Project offices are currently scattered in Ethiopia, Guinea, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire and Congo.