Morocco has been taking solid steps to apply its development strategy to improve its economic growth and presence in regional markets.

The success of these projects, driven by the energy and health sectors, has made Morocco a model to follow. In this edition of Target, Daleen Hassan travels to Casablanca, the economic capital of the kingdom, to meet some of the businesses at the forefront.

To accompany these private firms in their activities across the continent Maroc Export has launched a project in collaboration with the African Development Bank.

Electricity infrastructure supplier Fabrilec is one firm that has benefitted from the tie-up. Its put up to 800 km of power lines across Burkina Faso. The firm’s chief executive officer (CEO), Moustapha Mouchrek believes shared cultural links are the secret to its success.

“Business in Africa is an adventure and I think that as our cultures are very close we have more opportunities so we know how to adapt a bit more than others,” Mouchrek told Target.

“Our construction projects consist of making studies and supplying. We frequently use Moroccan made goods; cables, supports, transformers, because Moroccan products are good and competitive,” he added.

Such material can be found at Energy Transfo, which has been making electrical supplies for nearly half a century.

Like Fabrilec, it too recently won a Great Africa award for its work highlighting “Made in Morocco” across the continent. The firm is certified by all of Morocco’s energy distributors and has been exporting its goods across Africa since 2010.

“The electricity sector has experienced strong growth in Morocco
which has allowed the industry to develop beyond its borders today.
We have a wide range of industrial firms that make a multitude of electrical material and that’s what enables our African clients to come here and satisfy their needs,” explained CEO Nouzha Taarji.

“When they come here, our clients can projects themselves into the future and they can say ‘if Morocco has succeeded in developing its industry then why can’t we?’” she added.

By pushing the exports to Africa of national products, Morocco is also emerging as a big player in the health market, pharmaceuticals in particular.

CooperPharma, one of the country’s oldest firms, is breaking new ground by going east to Rwanda where it plans to build a factory.

For Aymen Cheikh Lahlou, the firm’s CEO, investing in Africa gives the continent a chance to develop and have a positive impact on people’s lives: “there can be no economic social development without investment in health care; as pharmaceutical companies we do participate to reach this end.

“This is materializing by job creation, by direct foreign investment, by local accessibility and availability of drugs, by lower pricing, more accessibility and also by training a pool of qualified people, because our pharmaceutical industry required higher international norms in terms of quality,” said Cheikh Lahlou.