Five Best Strategies to Enter the Oil and Gas Sector in Tanzania and East Africa

It’s widely known that, if you look to expand your business opportunities, the prime area would be around East African oil and gas industry.

But with the current volatility in the East African oil and gas industry, a shotgun approach to acquiring more business is not going to work.

As a service provider, EPCs contractor, or supplier, you need to develop marketing strategies and business development processes towards active companies with the highest demand for your services or equipment.

So if you are looking for business opportunities in the East African oil and gas industry, here are strategies to identify growth opportunities for your firm.

1.Market Research

First, you have to make market research and see where you can place your company in the East African oil and gas industry. So get a deep understanding of the current activity in East Africa. Identify major and active players in the market, on-going and future projects, and determine which company is likely to be planning projects, what projects are and what it takes to be considered as a vendor in the projects.

Also, your research should consist of information such as market competition, regulation impacting the local industry.

2.Develop high-quality target Leads list.

Having identifying who the main players are the next steps is to develop high quality leads for establishing a relationship and submitting bids for services.

Your lead target list should consist of contact information of executives and people in purchasing departments who receive and consider proposals.

 3.Courting Clients.

After finding contact information for each of these active business prospects, the next step is to focus your efforts to get known by these clients. Your first aim is to make sure major and active oil and gas companies get to know and establish a level of professional relationship that makes the clients comfortable with the idea of working with you.

For major companies to respect you and consider you for future projects, face to face meeting is crucial. So you can retain a consultant to set you up meeting with companies around East Africa for the introduction of your company.

If you lack introduction, send them an email to set up a meeting with them and appear regular or often enough so that your name and even your face are remembered and even recognized.

4.Proposal and tenders  

Most project will go through a proposal or tender stage or tender stage. This is not just submitting price. Often there will be element of pre-qualification making presentation and negotiation.

5 Delivering added value and get repeat business

If you deliver good services on time, often you stand good chance of getting repeat business.

I hope this helps. See you in the field!

Hussein Boffu runs a consultancy helps entrepreneurs like you build something you are proud of. Reach out to him via email at hussein.boffu@tanzaniapetroleum.com or by calling, texting, or WhatsApp at +255(0)655376543.