Kansai Africa Business Forum Company Case Studies
At the "Kansai Africa Business Forum" held in Osaka on August 23, six Kansai companies operating in Africa introduced their specific initiatives. Each company's practical cases demonstrate the balance between solving African social issues and sustainable business development.
Healthcare and Medical Sector Initiatives
Saraya: Locally produces alcohol-based hand sanitizers in Uganda. In Kenya, develops food value chains by supporting local seafood transportation and introducing sanitary processing equipment to restaurants. Sells local frozen fish such as tilapia and catfish under the "SARAYA brand."
Ohara Pharmaceutical Industry: Entered the African market in earnest through a strategic capital and business partnership with Nigeria's FIDSON Healthcare in 2019. Nigeria has the world's second-highest number of pediatric (0-14 years) HIV infections (approximately 22%), providing medical solutions toward the UNAIDS goal of eliminating pediatric infections by 2030.
Sysmex: As a medical device development, manufacturing, and sales company focused on blood testing, provides testing equipment for malaria and HIV-related diseases in Africa. In Ghana, implements maternal and child health and nutrition improvement projects through a three-company collaboration with the Ajinomoto Foundation and NEC.
Infrastructure and Technology Sector Business Development
Otowa Electric: Develops lightning protection business in Rwanda. The country has world-class lightning occurrence density due to its equatorial high-temperature, high-humidity environment. With rapid ICT industry growth, power and communication infrastructure suffer severe damage from lightning, contributing to lightning protection through lightning rod installation and guidance and training courses on management methods.
Sunda Technology Global: Provides prepaid water fee collection systems to rural areas in Uganda. Residents can access water by inserting IC tags charged with mobile money. Before introduction, responsibility for wells was ambiguous and often abandoned when broken, but now quick repairs and maintenance are performed with small payments, achieving sustainable water supply. Over 300 units have been installed, serving approximately 100,000 people.
KUBOTA KENYA: Initially expanded through Japanese ODA and economic cooperation, but private-led African projects began in earnest in 2022. Currently has distributors in 15 African countries, mainly selling agricultural machinery and generators.
Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Technology Initiatives
Tsubame BHB: Possesses new ammonia production technology and expects implementation potential for small distributed ammonia synthesis equipment in Africa.
Ebara Corporation: Has strengths in hardware foundations such as pump technology directly linked to long-distance hydrogen transportation and storage.
Both companies evaluate Africa's renewable energy potential with abundant solar radiation and wind conditions, showing policies to meet "local production for local consumption" needs where regions generate and consume their own energy.