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Rise of the Printing Industry in Africa: Trends to Watch

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4 years ago

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Printing Industry

The Africa Printers Market is expected to cross the value of US$ 235.3 Mn by the end of 2031

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 29, 2022/APO Group/ — 

The printing industry, much like any other industry, has gone through continuous evolution and transformation. New trends are progressively affecting the landscape of global businesses leaving no industry off the hook, with digital disruption being on the upswing ushering in the rise of digital technologies such as IoT, AI and more. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled a wave of digital disruption like never before, forcing industries at large to adopt these trends into their ways of working with the printing industry being no exception.

As per reports (https://bit.ly/3bBOZmR), the global printing market size is expected to grow from $311.53 billion in 2021 to $322.43 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5%. The printing market is expected to grow to $350.2 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 2.1%. Whereas, the Africa Printers Market is expected to cross the value of US$ 235.3 Mn by the end of 2031. These strong numbers suggest that the printing industry globally as well as in Africa is opening doors to embracing new trends and technologies.

The Digital Printing Boom

The African continent has seen an uptick in the use of digital inkjet printers given its faster printing rate as compared to the traditional printers. “The beauty of digital printing lies in the fact that it requires no manual setup which makes it an extremely efficient and fast process. This is particularly beneficial for low-volume projects as compared to offset printing, which is why we see a big demand for these printers in the market. There is also plenty of scope to introduce customization without any real turnaround time, making digital printing a popular choice given the fast paced world we live in,” commented Eiji Ota, Business Unit Director, Canon Central and North Africa

The Inkjet print market is right now worth $80.4 billion which is likely to reach $118.2 billion in 2025 according to latest Smithers’ report. Canon recently showcased its stellar line-up of digital inkjet printers at Gulf Print and Pack 2022 GPP.

Gulf Print and Pack (GPP) 2022, MENA’s premier trade show for print service providers at Dubai World Trade Centre

The Color Printing Revolution

In the coming years, we will see print service providers prioritizing on print security given the fact that they deal with multiple stakeholders for print projects

The past few years have seen a rapid upsurge in the demand for color printing all across Africa, thus paving the way for growth in the demand for Laser and Inkjet Printers across the continent. The massive shift from black and white printing to color printing has enabled the expansion of the laser and inkjet printers market, which consequently has driven the printers market in Africa. With an estimated 2,000 commercial printing companies operating in Africa, majority of which are small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs), this demand is predicted to intensify even further, contributing to the high growth of the printing market in Africa.

Canon’s newly launched imagePRESS V1000 places a strong emphasis on automation, tasks such as color repeatability and registration alignment are simplified for print establishments looking to produce a wide range of applications, from direct mail and business cards to booklets, posters, and other creative marketing collateral

The Significance of Security

Cyber security has emerged to be one of the top priorities for businesses, as industries are still struggling to come to terms with the after-effects of the pandemic. In the coming years, we will see print service providers prioritizing on print security given the fact that they deal with multiple stakeholders for print projects. Hybrid ways of working are here to stay and have introduced new challenges when it comes to security, hackers are increasingly adopting innovative ways of cyber-attacks, making organization data more vulnerable. The threat of regulatory fines and subsequent loss of business has the potential to cause ongoing damage to organizations. “The transition to hybrid and remote ways of working has highlighted a very important issue for organizations which was majorly overlooked in the past and that being Cyber Security. The efficient and secure management of data and information is vital to the health of any organization. Similar to any device connected to your network, your printers could be endangering your information security if not implemented and managed carefully. At Canon, our third generation imageRUNNER ADVANCE devices introduce security information event management (SIEM) integration, which makes it easier for enterprises to include printers in their existing security monitoring systems,” remarked Eiji Ota, Business Unit Director, Canon Central and North Africa

Going Green

The wave of sustainability has taken most if not all industries by storm and for the right reasons. Businesses are placing emphasis on reducing their environmental impact as well as increasing their scores on the sustainability index. The current trends forecast a mounting demand for products that can offer both high functionality and low environmental impact. Canon’s Managed Print Services combine industry leading technologies and services to seamlessly that have supported customers in reducing their environmental impacts by up to 60%. Recycling of printing products such as ink cartridges will play a big role in reducing the impact on the environment and local communities in the future.

Cloud and Connectivity

As digital disruption continues to intensify, we are witnessing an upswing of cloud computing where applications and products are no longer hosted on the desktops or on laptops and instead, the users can directly access such services from the “cloud”. Consequentially, cloud printing is emerging to be one of the hot trends in the industry with 67% of organizations expecting to increase their use of cloud print management, with a further 5% planning to move completely to cloud printing according to this report (https://bit.ly/3bEdfEU).

“The COVID-19 pandemic has completely transformed business priorities and ways of working around the globe, people now prefer to work in the cloud as it has benefits such as flexibility, the potential to increase productivity and efficiency, while delivering real cost benefits. Providing cloud-managed print services is no longer an add-on but a pre-requisite. Printing services that are convenient, cost-effective, environment friendly while delivering a great quality output will pave the path for future trends in the printing industry across Africa,” summarized Eiji Ota, Business Unit Director, Canon Central and North Africa

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).

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Hong Kong sets out strategies to enhance the appeal and add value to the city’s tourism industry

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13 hours ago

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September 21, 2026

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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 September 2026 – Enhancing the city’s appeal as a destination for tourism and major sports and cultural events was a strong focus of the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (2026-2030) and the 2026 Policy Address, announced by Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee last week (September 16).

Mr Lee unveiled measures to support the integrated development of culture, sports and tourism which will help develop Hong Kong as an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange. These included enriching the supply of high-quality tourism products, while bolstering infrastructure and ancillary facilities as well as deepening engagement with markets in the Chinese Mainland and around the world.

 




 
 

“Hong Kong is blessed with a unique cultural vision, shaped by both Chinese and foreign influences,” Mr Lee said. “We will continue to engage and collaborate with Mainland and overseas culture, arts and creative sectors to consolidate Hong Kong’s role as a hub for the exchange, collaboration and promotion of culture, arts and creativity. We will also host international cultural and arts exhibitions and performances to attract visitors to Hong Kong.”

 

To support Hong Kong’s film industry and promote “Film + Tourism”, the Support Unit for Non‑local Film Productions will be set up to provide one‑stop services for Mainland and overseas film crews filming in Hong Kong, attracting the production of more quality films to promote Hong Kong.

Mr Lee noted that the Kai Tak Sports Park has substantially expanded Hong Kong’s capacity to host international mega events, with more than 170 sessions of international and local sports and cultural entertainment mega events having been held there so far, attracting over 2.6 million spectators.

Meanwhile, the HKSAR Government will explore the redevelopment of Victoria Park Centre Court and other ancillary facilities into an iconic all‑weather, multi‑purpose venue for holding larger‑scale and higher‑level sports events, as well as performance activities.

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Rosanna Law, highlighted the growing trend of multi-destination tourism. Ms Law said that Hong Kong welcomed around 36.67 million visitor arrivals in the first eight months of 2026, representing a year-on-year increase of about 11 per cent.

“The proportion of overseas visitors travelling onwards to the Chinese Mainland via Hong Kong has continued to rise, exceeding 20% in the first half of 2026,” Ms Law said.

The HKSAR Government will continue to capitalise on measures introduced by the Central Government to facilitate visits by foreign travellers to the Chinese Mainland, deepen collaboration with Mainland provinces and municipalities, and explore with the country additional immigration facilitation arrangements for international visitors. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will promote multi destination travel itineraries to overseas visitors, partner with airlines to roll out relevant tourism products and promotional offers, and intensify publicity overseas.

It will take forward “+ Tourism” joint initiatives, integrating various events with tourism to raise their appeal, aiming to extend visitor stays in Hong Kong and generate value‑adding momentum. Such joint initiatives would integrate tourism with mega events, ecology, heritage, finance and industrial brands.

On developing the yacht economy, Mr Lee said that a variety of new yacht berth projects are now moving ahead, including the tender for the composite development project in Aberdeen comprising a marina, recreational facilities and residential development scheduled for the first half of 2027, and the yacht bay project under the Airport City “SKYTOPIA”.

“In addition, starting from May, Hong Kong and Macao yachts may navigate in nine Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area cities, with the requirement for guarantee exempted and under temporary ship nationality registration,” Mr Lee said. “The first northbound travel of yachts from Hong Kong set sail in June. The Marine Department will soon sign a memorandum of understanding with the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration for the implementation of southbound travel for yachts from Guangdong, adding impetus to cross‑boundary leisure consumption.”

To further enhance the city’s appeal as a Muslim‑friendly destination, the HKTB will extend the Hong Kong Restaurants Halal Certification Funding Scheme to the end of 2027, encouraging the industry to provide more Muslim‑friendly food options.
 




 

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Former DAMAC Senior Vice President Paulo J. Cruz Appointed Founding CEO of African Collaboration Group (ACG) to Spearhead Sports and Entertainment District Development Across Africa

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13 hours ago

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September 21, 2026

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Paulo J. Cruz will lead the development and expansion of a pan-African platform for the origination and structuring of large-scale sports and entertainment district ecosystems

LONDON, United Kingdom, September 21, 2026/APO Group/ –African Collaborations Group (ACG) (www.ACGafrica.com), the leading strategic project origination and collaboration platform focused on the industrialisation of sport in Africa through bankable district ecosystems, today announced the appointment of Paulo J. Cruz as its Founding Chief Executive Officer.

 




  

Mr Cruz joins ACG from DAMAC Group, one of the largest privately held real estate developers in the Middle East, where he served as Senior Vice President from 2022 to 2026. In 2025, the Group reported close to USD 10 billion in property sales. His tenure at DAMAC further deepened an already distinguished career spanning infrastructure origination, urbanisation strategy, and large-scale real estate development across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Over the course of his 28-year career, Mr Cruz has originated or structured projects ranging from USD 50 million to in excess of USD 5 billion, stewarding initiatives from early-stage concept through feasibility analysis, financial structuring, and investor alignment to bankable delivery stages. His professional footprint encompasses senior roles at BP, one of the world’s foremost energy companies; BlackIvy Group, a US-backed infrastructure investment platform; Movares, a leading European engineering consultancy; and Cushman & Wakefield, a globally recognised real estate advisory firm.

Prior to DAMAC, Mr Cruz served as Group Chief Executive Officer of LandAfrique, a pan-African development platform focused on industrial parks, infrastructure, housing and power projects across Sub-Saharan Africa, further solidifying his reputation as one of the continent’s most experienced development executives.

Infrastructure is the prerequisite for the industrialisation of sport in Africa

As Founding CEO of ACG, Mr Cruz will lead the development and expansion of a pan-African origination platform, working in close partnership with sovereign governments, development finance institutions (DFIs), private investors, sport and entertainment principals, and leading academic institutions to structure district-level projects that are both investable and deliverable at scale.

ACG operates as a specialised origination and collaboration platform engineered to transform concepts into credible, bankable sport and entertainment district ecosystems — architectures capable of attracting institutional capital and generating long-term, multi-dimensional economic impact at a national and continental scale.

ACG’s flagship initiative, Victory District™, provides a proprietary district development framework designed to originate integrated, mixed-use sport and entertainment destinations that transcend conventional single-venue models. The framework prioritises asset utilisation optimisation, long-term sustainability, expanded revenue diversification beyond matchday economics, structured employment and youth opportunity creation, talent development pathways, and institutional-grade operations and maintenance standards.

Mr Cruz’s appointment follows the establishment of ACG’s Advisory Board, comprising internationally recognised leaders from global sport governance, finance, infrastructure and development institutions — including Fatma Samoura, Former Secretary General of FIFA; Kenny Jean-Marie, Former Chief Member Associations Officer of FIFA; Herbert Mensah, President of Rugby Africa and Executive Board Member of World Rugby; and Jan Alessie, Co-Founder and Managing Director of the World Football Summit — as well as a Research & Impact Advisory Panel of leading scholars focused on the economics, governance and societal impact of sport. The full list of Advisory Board and Research & Impact Advisory Panel members can be consulted here:  https://apo-opa.co/4xMb5ry.

“Paulo brings an exceptional combination of origination expertise, institutional credibility, and continental experience that is virtually unparalleled in this space. His demonstrated ability to transform ambitious development concepts into financially structured, bankable projects positions him as the ideal leader to guide ACG as we build a platform capable of catalysing transformative investment and accelerating the realisation of financially sustainable sport and entertainment districts across Africa,” said Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard (www.Pompigne-Mognard.com), Founder and Executive Chairman of ACG.

A prominent thought leader and keynote speaker at leading international platforms — including the Africa Property Investment Summit (API Summit), the Africa Real Estate Conference & Expo (ARCE), the African Union for Housing Finance Annual Conference, and the West Africa Property Investment Summit — Mr Cruz was honoured as “Person of the Month” by Sustainable Investments and Alliances for Africa (SIA).

“Infrastructure is the prerequisite for the industrialisation of sport in Africa — without it, the entire value chain remains theoretical. Athletes need places to train, compete and develop. Sport governing bodies need venues that meet international standards. Broadcasters, sponsors and event organisers need facilities capable of generating commercial value. Every revenue stream in the sport economy ultimately depends on infrastructure existing and its respective operation. But how that infrastructure is originated determines whether it becomes an economic engine or a fiscal burden. Across Africa, too many sport facilities have been built in isolation — a stadium delivered for a single event, then left to deteriorate at a fraction of its capacity, draining public finances rather than generating returns. ACG exists to change that equation,” said Paulo J. Cruz, Founding Chief Executive Officer of African Collaborations Group.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Collaborations Group (ACG).

 

 




 

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Africa Makes its Case for a Bigger Role on the Global Stage

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13 hours ago

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September 21, 2026

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GABI’s Unstoppable Africa 2026 brings global leaders together on Africa’s push to capture more value from its resources, accelerate investment and strengthen its influence in global trade and decision-making

NEW YORK, United States of America, September 21, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa is pushing for a bigger role in shaping the global economy, as business leaders, heads of state, investors, policymakers, and global partners converged in New York yesterday to articulate the continent’s ambition in global trade, investment, and value creation. Held alongside the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Unstoppable Africa 2026 put Africa’s business agenda at the center of the global conversation.

 




  

The fifth edition of the Global Africa Business Initiative’s (GABI) flagship convening drew senior leaders from across business, government, and global institutions to the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, including UN Secretary-General H.E. António Guterres; H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission; and Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States on Arab and African Affairs.

The UN Secretary-General called for action to give Africa a greater role on the global stage, including a permanent presence on the United Nations Security Council: “Africa needs a permanent presence on the United Nations Security Council, where it can contribute to dialogue and action for the whole globe.” He stressed that Africa’s growing influence in global markets must translate into a stronger voice in international affairs. Guterres also urged reforms to better reflect the needs of developing countries, particularly in Africa, and for the continent’s natural resources, including critical minerals, to generate more local value and decent jobs rather than simply being exported.

With critical minerals, trade, energy, and investment dominating the first day, Unstoppable Africa reflected a wider shift in Africa’s economic story: from supplying the global economy to building more of the businesses, industries, and value chains that can capture the opportunity.

H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, said Africa’s 1.5 billion people and growing market create a significant opportunity, but the continent must accelerate the development of African value chains and remove barriers to trade to drive industrial transformation. He identified affordable energy, better infrastructure, access to finance, skills, technology, and clear standards as critical requirements for Africa to turn its market potential into faster economic growth.

Africa needs a permanent presence on the United Nations Security Council, where it can contribute to dialogue and action for the whole globe

The private sector took center stage, as African and global business leaders articulated what it will take to turn Africa’s resources, markets, and talent into productive economic capacity. The Leaders Panel brought together Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation; Aliko Dangote, Founder and Chairman of the Dangote Group; Mandy DeFilippo, CEO of Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa at Standard Chartered; Nonkululeko Nyembezi, Chairperson of Standard Bank Group; Nolitha Fakude, Chairperson of Anglo American South Africa; and Tidjane Thiam, General Partner at Allied Critical Minerals Fund.

Leaders stressed the need to move beyond exporting raw materials, including critical minerals and crude oil, by developing local processing, manufacturing, and value chains that create jobs and retain more economic value on the continent.

One of the highlights announced yesterday was that the US$300 million Nigeria Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) Fund has reached its first close, securing its initial capital commitments and moving into operation. Co-managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and Africa50, the fund will provide equity financing to local clean-energy developers, supporting decentralized solutions including solar mini-grids, solar home systems, commercial and industrial power solutions, and energy storage. Aligned with Mission 300, which aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030, the fund is designed to mobilize private investment and expand reliable energy access for Nigerian homes and businesses.

Energy was another major focus. Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank Group, and Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, joined discussions on how innovative finance could unlock investment in Africa’s power infrastructure and accelerate access to reliable energy.

Healthcare also featured within the wider economic conversation. Roche reaffirmed its commitment to advancing breast cancer care through its Africa Breast Cancer Ambition (ABCA), which aims to help 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in Africa survive for at least five years by 2030.

Unstoppable Africa 2026 continues today, September 21st, with further sessions focused on digital transformation, investment, creative industries, sport, and Africa’s role in the global economy.

Everyone is invited to watch the event live on Unstoppable Africa YouTube channel at https://apo-opa.co/4xoGXlz

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Global Africa Business Initiative.

 

 




 

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