Philips Starts African Roadshow for Renewables

Royal Philips is launching its fifth consecutive pan-African Cairo to Cape Town roadshow to focus on key challenges facing the African energy sector. Figures from Philips’ latest Fabric of Africa Trends Report show that in 2008, nearly three million African deaths were attributable to preventable or treatable NCDs. That figure will rise by more than 25% in the next decade.

 “As investment demand continues to grow in most of Africa, we are very positive about expanding our business footprint on the continent. In the past decade, 6 of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world were in Africa; Philips is therefore aiming for double digit growth in the coming years,” JJ van Dongen, Senior Vice President and CEO Philips Africa, said. “Local entrepreneurship and talent development continue to be key in addressing the complexities of the African market and in developing locally relevant innovations that meet the needs of Africa’s growing middle class.” 

Next to healthcare solutions, Philips will introduce its latest LED and solar innovations during the roadshow. More than 600 million people in Africa currently have no access to electricity; Philips’ off-grid LED solar powered solutions illuminate the most remote areas and provide energy-efficient lighting. Philips has committed to installing 100 “light centers” to off-grid communities by 2015, over a third of these “light centers” have already been installed and more will be inaugurated during the upcoming roadshow. 

Research and innovation are central to Philips’ activities in Africa. The recently launched Philips Africa Innovation Hub in Nairobi, Kenya, will be the center for developing innovations “in Africa-for Africa”. To increase the impact of newly developed solutions, Philips continues to combine the introduction of new innovations with dedicated focus on clinical education and training. Since 2011 Philips has trained over 2,500 healthcare professionals during the Cairo to Cape Town roadshow and clinical education and healthcare training continues to remain a priority.

Philips’ consumer lifestyle portfolio, through innovation and localization, will focus on the continent’s desire for healthier cooking as well as beauty and grooming solutions by introducing new products to meet the aspirational needs of the rising middle class in Africa.

The roadshow brings together key stakeholders including governments, NGO’s, professional associations, and research institutions to exchange best practices, collaborate and develop public-private partnerships aimed at addressing key challenges in Africa.

“We have been in Africa for many years and have a strong installed base of our equipment, but we strongly acknowledge the benefits of dialogue during this roadshow and the need for our company to listen to the local market and understand how we can adapt our products to better serve this continent”, summarizes JJ van Dongen.

The roadshow kicked-off in Cairo on April 14 and will make its next stop in Algiers on May 12, and concludes in Cape Town on September 3.

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