Market research
in East Africa
Consumer research, customer experience, data intelligence, media intelligence and opinion: how IMMAR supports advertisers, agencies and institutions across East African markets since 1999.
Varied markets, a region ahead on mobile
East Africa brings together highly varied markets, from the major Kenyan hub to the vast demographic bases of Ethiopia and Sudan. The region stands out for its global lead in mobile money, a broad linguistic mosaic (Swahili, English, Amharic, Arabic, French) and sharply contrasting levels of research maturity. From Khartoum to Bujumbura, each country has its own dynamics. IMMAR runs Market Intelligence programmes here with teams that know these markets from the inside and collect data in the languages actually spoken.
Conducting research in East Africa: what matters in the field
Running reliable research in the region means taking several market realities into account:
- Mobile money and digital collection: the region, and Kenya in particular, is a global leader in mobile money, which facilitates mobile data collection and deeply shapes consumption and payment behaviour.
- Strong linguistic diversity: Swahili serves as a major lingua franca, alongside English, Amharic, Arabic and French depending on the country. Every interview is administered in the language actually spoken.
- Contrasting research maturity: Kenya offers one of the continent's most developed research environments, while other markets, vast or more fragile, call for tailored set-ups.
- Distribution in transition: modern retail and digital commerce are growing in major cities, while coexisting with an informal trade that remains central.
- Urban concentration: consumption concentrates in major hubs (Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Khartoum, Kigali), which shapes sampling.
- Young populations: a very young demographic shapes expectations and purchasing behaviour.
The East African markets covered by IMMAR
IMMAR operates across the East African markets. Country overview, from north to south:
Sudan
A large, populous Arabic-speaking country whose historic economic and demographic centre is Khartoum. A market marked by a difficult operating context. Arabic is the everyday language.
Djibouti
A very small market but a strategic logistics and port hub on the Red Sea, with a services-oriented economy. French and Arabic sit alongside Somali and Afar.
Ethiopia
One of Africa's most populous countries, with a very large, young consumer base and demand gradually shifting toward packaged goods. Addis Ababa is its main hub. Amharic is the primary language, alongside many others.
Kenya
The economic and research hub of East Africa, a pioneer and leader in mobile money (M-Pesa), with relatively developed modern retail and a growing middle class. Nairobi is a major regional business hub. English and Swahili are widely used.
Rwanda
A small but well-organised, business-friendly market, with Kigali as its hub. English, French, Kinyarwanda and Swahili are used.
Burundi
A small, low-income market, with Bujumbura and Gitega as its main centres. Kirundi, French and Swahili are spoken.
IMMAR adapts its set-up to each market (collection mode, administration language, sampling plan) to produce data that is comparable from one country to the next across the region.
A response built around your question
Every assignment starts with a question, posed by an advertiser, an agency, an institution or a local player. That question shapes which expertise is brought to bear. IMMAR brings together five complementary areas:
| Area of expertise | What it enables |
|---|---|
| Consumer Research | Quantitative and qualitative studies, panels, U&A, segmentation: understanding local behaviours, needs and usage |
| Customer Experience | NPS, CSAT, mystery shopping, network audits: measuring the service quality actually delivered |
| Data Intelligence & AI | Data analysis and activation, decision dashboards, modelling |
| Media Intelligence | Media monitoring, audience measurement, ad monitoring, social listening |
| Opinion & Society | Barometers, opinion studies, societal and institutional dynamics |
Who is it for?
- Advertisers and brands, local and international, seeking to understand their consumers and steer their brands
- Marketing and media agencies seeking reliable insights for their clients on markets they cannot cover alone
- Local economic players, companies and regional groups, making decisions on their own markets
- Multinationals assessing a regional market entry or expansion and looking to secure their decisions
- Institutions, NGOs and development funders requiring rigorous measurement on complex field environments
A market research or Market Intelligence project in East Africa?
Talk to an IMMAR expertFrequently asked questions
How do you conduct market research in East Africa?
Work with strong linguistic diversity (Swahili, English, Amharic, Arabic, French depending on the country), factor in the central role of mobile money in consumption behaviour, and account for sharply contrasting levels of research maturity, from the Kenyan hub to large demographic markets. IMMAR deploys local teams that know these markets for reliable, comparable data.
Which East African countries does IMMAR cover?
IMMAR covers Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi, with multilingual set-ups adapted to the languages and maturity level of each market.
How does mobile money shape research in the region?
East Africa, and Kenya in particular, is a global leader in mobile money. This opens up effective mobile collection modes and makes digital payment a consumption behaviour in its own right that studies must factor in. IMMAR combines mobile, telephone and face-to-face collection according to the target.
Which expertise areas does IMMAR mobilise in the region?
IMMAR brings together five complementary areas of expertise: Consumer Research, Customer Experience, Data Intelligence & AI, Media Intelligence and Opinion & Society, mobilised according to the question at hand and the market's maturity.
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