Thierry Djeumo, a former consultant at McKinsey France and an international consultant, is one of the authors of the new study, Operational Excellence: An Untapped Disruption Lever for African Businesses. The study, published by FinAfrique Partners and DYESE alongside co-authors Manuella Zagba and Bassirou Diao, offers an uncompromising assessment of African corporate operations and calls for a managerial, cultural, and technological revolution. The consultant comments on the findings in this interview with Ecofin Agency. 

Ecofin Agency: Your study concludes that operational excellence remains an untapped driver of performance for African businesses, even though it’s now a standard competitive practice elsewhere. Do you see this excellence as an adaptation of international models (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, etc.), or as a uniquely African approach shaped by the continent’s cultural, economic, and social context?

Therry Djeumo: African companies have yet to fully embrace the concept of operational excellence. As a result, the current stage of development in this area doesn’t yet allow for a distinctly African approach. That’s why we favor a hybrid model, building on the principles and practices developed elsewhere, where operational excellence is already well established, and adapting them to Africa’s cultural, technological, infrastructural, and economic realities.

We see this as an ongoing journey. At this stage, our goal is to lay a foundation or milestone that’s both practical and results-oriented. Over time, through continuous improvement, a distinctly African vision of operational excellence will emerge and strengthen.

Your study features several examples of high-performing companies, but it highlights a wide range of maturity levels and approaches. Did you use a common framework to assess this idea of “African operational excellence”? What key indicators did you use to compare the organizations you studied?

Yes, absolutely. In the African corporate context, we identified five key criteria for evaluation. Our goal was to define criteria that are both broad enough to measure operational excellence across different companies and deep enough to assess how it functions within each level of an organization. The idea is that every team, from top management to operational units, can take ownership of operational excellence and make it a shared goal.

These five criteria are grouped into three levels. At the foundation level, we first assess how widely operational excellence initiatives are implemented. We then examine execution, measured by how independently teams can operate and how consistently actions are carried out. Each company should aim to set a clear benchmark for execution.

At the intermediate level, we look at two dimensions. The first is resilience, which gauges the ability to maintain standards under challenging conditions, whether due to team changes, new tools, increased pressure, or other disruptions. 

The second is performance, which considers indicators such as productivity, efficiency, quality, and innovation. Finally, the advanced level focuses on impact. This is evaluated through indicators such as the experience of customers, employees, and partners; recognition and reputation; attractiveness; the ability to attract and retain talent, clients, and partners; and financial, ESG, or other key results.

You stress the crucial role of people and corporate culture. You also note that attitudes toward hierarchy, written procedures, and teamwork often differ in Africa. How do these cultural factors shape the implementation of an operational excellence initiative? Could they ultimately become a competitive advantage instead of a limitation?

Across all regions, people remain both a delicate and decisive factor in any collective transformation. They can either slow it down or drive it forward. The key challenge for African companies, therefore, is to build a corporate culture that actively supports the pursuit of excellence, one in which employees embrace it and make it part of how they work. This demands certain organizational capabilities, such as the willingness to engage in constructive self-assessment, to welcome change, and to integrate it effectively.

The key challenge for African companies, therefore, is to build a corporate culture that actively supports the pursuit of excellence, one in which employees embrace it and make it part of how they work.

At first glance, it might be easy to see some of our cultural traits as obstacles to operational excellence. Take, for example, attitudes toward hierarchy in many African workplaces. To simplify, there are often “chiefs” who act as all-knowing authorities and “subordinates” who remain confined to executing orders with limited scope for initiative. Such dynamics can make it harder to cultivate a culture of constructive self-criticism.

Yet we believe that, on the contrary, these same cultural characteristics can become strong competitive advantages for African companies. African employees, deeply rooted in diverse and extended social networks, have an intuitive understanding of local consumers and clients, a form of expertise that remains largely underused but could fuel breakthrough innovation. In practice, both African employees and customers tend to be highly adaptable and open to change.

One only has to look at how people navigate professional careers, the variety of paths through which they find their place, or the remarkable speed at which new technologies and solutions are adopted. This adaptability creates fertile ground for companies to build collective excellence. Even within hierarchical structures, this dynamic can actually accelerate the implementation of decisions from the top, including those related to operational excellence. Still, leveraging Africa’s cultural strengths within an excellence framework requires a disciplined, gradual approach to be truly effective.

You describe digitization and automation as powerful drivers of transformation. Yet your study shows that most African companies still struggle to define a clear technology strategy. In your view, which technologies hold the greatest promise today for improving operational performance in Africa? And are you seeing genuinely homegrown innovations emerging in this area?

We are living in an extraordinary period in which both knowledge and technology have, in many ways, become widely accessible. This is evident, for example, in the growing openness of markets in Asia and the Middle East, where African companies and entrepreneurs can easily acquire equipment or outsource production. It is also reflected in the vast flow of information available online, now accessible within seconds.

Yet Africa’s contribution to technological expertise remains limited, whether in generating knowledge, developing technology, or combining the two to design solutions relevant to Africa and to the wider world. For us, mastering this expertise is one of the major challenges African companies must take on. It provides greater strategic flexibility in addressing the continent’s most pressing technology issues, including sovereignty, dependence, security, data and standards governance, skills development, and infrastructure control.

It is impossible to ignore the sweeping revolution now underway with Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is only beginning to unfold. This technology is set to transform every sector of activity, primary, secondary, and tertiary. African companies that learn to harness AI effectively and put it to practical use will achieve significant performance gains.

This mastery is particularly vital for Africa, a continent endowed with abundant natural resources, minerals, energy, and agriculture, whose value chains remain largely beyond its control. These resources are essential to the rest of the world and generate vast revenues, yet Africa captures only a small share of that value.

That said, a wide range of technologies is now available, and their relevance to operational performance depends on the company’s sector and specific constraints. Still, it is impossible to ignore the sweeping revolution now underway with Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is only beginning to unfold. This technology is set to transform every sector of activity, primary, secondary, and tertiary. African companies that learn to harness AI effectively and put it to practical use will achieve significant performance gains. In particular, for firms operating in the secondary and tertiary sectors, emerging automation tools such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) will be key accelerators of operational efficiency.

There are also many domains where African innovation is urgently needed: power management to guarantee stable and sustainable energy access; waste management solutions; housing that uses locally sourced materials suited to African environments; health and pharmaceutical research that draws on the continent’s rich biodiversity; and, more pragmatically, intra-African cross-border payments. This is why we are calling for a much stronger mobilization of African businesses to produce knowledge and technology, by financing research and innovation on the continent, whether internally within companies or externally through partnerships with universities, research centers, and innovation hubs.

Your study discusses measurable gains in efficiency, quality, and turnaround times. You cite companies that have shortened production cycles or improved customer service, but you don’t always provide the figures. Can you share some concrete examples of African companies that have achieved tangible results through an excellence initiative? Which sectors seem to be leading the way?

Let’s begin with some concrete examples. As is often the case, Anglophone Africa is leading the way. One of the greatest success stories, a genuine African innovation that has become so widespread it is now viewed as a standard, reliable, and effective service, is Mobile Money. The foundation for this was laid in the mid-2000s with M-Pesa in Kenya and MTN MoMo in South Africa. This Mobile Money revolution has since spawned a wide range of new services, from mobile banking to digital payments, which continue to grow amid intense competition.

In the fast-expanding clean transport sector, several African companies have emerged as leaders with innovative, locally tailored solutions. A notable example is ROAM in Kenya. In air transport, Ethiopian Airlines has dominated African rankings for many years while maintaining a place among the world’s top 40 airlines.

In manufacturing, Morocco stands out: in less than two decades, it has become a major player in global automobile production. This success required alignment with international standards, paving the way for global manufacturers such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Ford, and Renault to establish operations there.

In manufacturing, Morocco stands out: in less than two decades, it has become a major player in global automobile production. This success required alignment with international standards, paving the way for global manufacturers such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Ford, and Renault to establish operations there.

When it comes to which sectors are most advanced, the prerequisites for achieving operational excellence differ considerably across industries. Companies in the services sector benefit more directly from accessible public knowledge and technology, making it relatively easier to roll out operational excellence initiatives. In manufacturing and industry, transformations are more complex and critical. In agriculture and extractive industries, external volatility plays a far greater role and must be carefully factored into any operational excellence strategy.

You point out that in many African companies, leaders themselves can inadvertently hold back change because they fail to delegate effectively or put clear processes in place. How can an African executive turn talk about excellence into lasting practice? Should they create dedicated teams, set specific KPIs, or rethink their governance structures?

For an operational excellence initiative to be sustainable and truly effective, it must be embraced at every level of the company, from senior management to front-line teams. The goal is less to create a dedicated department than to establish a proactive, collaborative, and measurable approach across the organization. Leaders understand that this is a gradual, continuous process that enables the company to reach higher standards of excellence.

For an operational excellence initiative to be sustainable and truly effective, it must be embraced at every level of the company, from senior management to front-line teams. The goal is less to create a dedicated department than to establish a proactive, collaborative, and measurable approach across the organization.

Institutionalizing excellence begins with a clearly defined corporate vision and long-term objectives. This should be followed by a clear strategy and roadmap to achieve those goals. The next step is to turn that roadmap into concrete programs and projects, complete with action plans and measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Finally, it requires putting in place a governance framework that can either build on existing structures or, where needed, create new ones.

The study notes that many companies launch excellence initiatives but struggle to keep them going in the long run because of limited follow-through and resources. What needs to be in place for these efforts to last? And how can companies keep them from losing momentum once the initial excitement fades?

We promote a holistic, structured, and gradual approach to operational excellence. It is holistic because it integrates five key pillars that must work in harmony: embedding excellence in the strategic agenda, ensuring leadership commitment, optimizing processes, strengthening innovation and execution capabilities, and fostering employee engagement and support.

Creating an observatory for operational excellence in Africa, or even a dedicated index, could become a real driver of progress in this field.

 It is structured because it follows a clear framework that we summarize as “Decipher- Transform- Sustain.” And it is gradual by nature, since excellence results from continuous improvement, which we describe in three stages: first, learning to do things well; then, learning to do them better; and finally, mastering how to excel.

Your study calls for an African performance roadmap and stronger regional collaboration to share best practices. Do you envision creating a pan-African network, an observatory, or perhaps a continental index for operational excellence? What might this kind of cooperation look like among African stakeholders?

It’s still too early to tell, as the discussions are ongoing. The ideas are taking shape, especially through the discussions we’ve had since the article was published, and we encourage your readers to join the conversation. That said, creating an observatory for operational excellence in Africa, or even a dedicated index, could become a real driver of progress in this field.

Interview in French by Idriss Linge, 

English Adaptation by Mouka Mezonlin