​When working in Africa, one of the things that I love the most is: the networks. 
You see, because doing business can be so difficult there and because Africa is so feared, these networks are generally small and very tight-knit. They facilitate business being done the way I believe to be the most efficient and the cleanest: relying on the people you are dealing with, knowing them well, and making a plan to get the job done. No tenders, no inflation of price or scope to maximize income, just good old-fashioned ‘Let’s make a plan.’

If you have been following my last 2 articles,  "Sourcing from Africa, Part 1" and "Sourcing from Africa, Part 2: Potential found. Now what?", you may know that I recently relocated Hamburg, Germany, location of the recent G20 summit. You probably witnessed the riots with awe and terror, and the violent clashes probably left you wondering how, in a society as regulated and 'proper' as Germany, such things could happen. The more pertinent question, maybe, is 'What happened next?'​

This is a continuation of my last article, "Sourcing from Africa, Part 1". As I outlined last time, Africa and many other developing areas around the world are full of potential. To realise this potential is challenging, but not impossible. ​Though plenty of people may be available to help you, that doesn’t mean you can relax. You still need to be diligent, and in addition to the normal due diligence you undertake in your dealings with suppliers, there are several steps that need to be considered when operating in Africa or any developing region. I hope the following will help you navigate those steps, and perhaps get you thinking in the right way for dealing with such countries.

​Africa, especially Southern Africa, has amazing potential as well as strong resources and infrastructure despite the current political uncertainties there. The engineering industry and the mining industry in particular may be on their knees due to political developments and economic effect, but many of the engineering and mining skills are still there. We just have to be slightly more cautious than usual.

​The rapid globalization has presented a vast opportunities for companies to leverage on developing economy such as China, India, and South Africa as global sourcing destinations. Last week, our CTO Thomas Cheah interviewed Edward Rayner - a procurement consultant and ex-Director of Purchasing at Worley Parsons Supply Hub in China, Vijay Kumar - a supply chain expert with more than 40 years of experience in India, and Lars Greiner - a shipping and logistics specialist who have been developing commodity supply chains throughout Africa. Throughout the interview, they shared about the international trade laws, culture and language barriers, economy and logistics of these countries.

​Success in global sourcing requires the know-how on international trade laws, culture and language barriers, global economy and logistics. This presentation shows you the five key stages of global sourcing.