When a company or institution starts research in Senegal, the first weeks usually go to two things: securing meetings with institutions and arranging travel in the country. SUCRECUBE Japon has had a subsidiary in Senegal since January 2020 and takes on both tasks for Japanese companies, contractors of JICA projects and research institutes. The area covered is French-speaking Africa, with most experience in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.
What SUCRECUBE Japon takes on
| Service | Content |
|---|---|
| Field research, on your behalf or alongside you | Surveys in towns and villages and market research carried out by the company. On site visits, a member of the team accompanies the client |
| Meeting arrangements | Meetings with Senegalese government bodies (Ministry of Health, Ministry of National Education), international organisations such as UNICEF, companies and educational institutions |
| Remote research | The subsidiary links online meetings held from Japan with contacts in the field. Research proceeds without travel |
| Interpretation and translation | Japanese, French, English and Wolof |
| Transport and accommodation | A vehicle and driver matched to the group size and the region visited: passenger car, four-wheel drive, minibus or coach. Depending on the destination and budget, a light aircraft can be chartered. For regions with little information online, the company recommends accommodation known locally |
| Setting up a local company | Support with the procedures for setting up a company in Senegal |
Outside the capital, paved roads have potholes and most roads are unpaved. In the dry season the interior is hot and dusty. Without air conditioning, research does not get done. That is why the company checks the maintenance record of each vehicle and the driving history of each driver.
Track record
| Date | Assignment |
|---|---|
| February 2019 | JICA SDGs Study Tour (universal health coverage), selected project. Senegal and Uganda |
| August 2019 | Survey mission of NTT Communications in Senegal |
| March 2021 | Joint demonstration with Kansai Electric Power: telecommunication services in unelectrified villages |
| October 2021 | Support for the establishment of the Senegalese subsidiary of a major Japanese construction company |
| October 2021 | Survey of telecommunications business in Africa for Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications |
Why SUCRECUBE Japon
The company has a direct relationship with the Government of Senegal and has signed memoranda of understanding with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Meeting requests are made on the strength of this relationship.
Interpretation and research are handled by French and Senegalese staff who have lived in Japan, and by Japanese staff who have lived in French-speaking countries for many years. All of them are members of the team developing the company’s business in Africa. Greetings, courtesies and business customs differ between Japan and Africa. Our interpreters do not translate word for word. They account for these differences so that the discussion moves forward.
Visits
Dakar sits on a peninsula at the westernmost point of Africa, surrounded by sea on three sides, with around 300 sunny days a year. The company receives short visits and arranges tours of its two sites in Sandiara.
See the field before deciding
For companies that have seen the field, the next step is to place their product at a SUCRECUBE Japon site and observe how it is used. Research is the first step.