This book focuses on the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) in Africa and examines the role of the private sector in the fight against poverty. The BOP concept, which is a market-based approach to poverty eradication, presents a great avenue for businesses to develop opportunities and new business models that enable and empower those in the BOP population in Africa to raise their socio-economic welfare and well-being. The BOP market and the business interest in the BOP in Africa is rising. This book furthers our understanding of the characteristics of BOP markets in Africa, and the challenges and opportunities to address poverty and development in a sustainable manner. The book covers various themes of BOP markets and their embeddedness in social-cultural settings in Africa. The different chapters employ a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to advance research and practice of BOP in Africa. The book chapters reflect multiple diversities that characterise sub-Saharan Africa based on studies in 13 country contexts and from five industry sectors. This book is recommended reading for managers and policy makers, as well as students and academics interested in Base of the Pyramid markets.

The Innovation and Sustainability in Base of the Pyramid Markets series comprises four volumes, covering theoretical perspectives, themes, and various aspects of interest across four key geographical regions where Base of the Pyramid (BOP) markets are located – Latin America, Asia, Africa, and affluent countries. This book focuses on the BOP markets in Asia, and in particular the challenge of how to address the needs of deprived population groups in a sustainable manner. Base of the Pyramid Markets in Asia deals with, amongst other topics, the innovation and innovativeness that is necessary to better the life of resource-poor population groups. The book covers various themes and aspects of BOP markets in Asia and their embeddedness in socio-cultural settings, and adopts a variety of theoretical angles for analysing the phenomena. Thus, this book aims at furthering our understanding of BOP markets in Asia and at deriving valuable recommendations for managers and policy makers. BOP markets face unique challenges and private sector actors alone cannot ensure sustainable value creation activities. Multidimensional elements and factors are needed to alleviate poverty and create economic development aligned with principles of sustainable development. Therefore, the book comprises critical and empirical studies as well as conceptual papers on the challenges linked to BOP markets in Asian countries. This book is recommended reading for managers and policy makers, as well as students and academics interested in Base of the Pyramid markets.

This book presents an empirical investigation of the efforts that multinational pharmaceutical companies take in order to find a business model that allows for a profitable access to the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) markets. The Bottom of the Pyramid in Africa is frequently mentioned as an attractive market due to its sheer size. Yet most companies struggle to access it because of the low price level, difficult physical market access and challenges when it comes to payment. More specifically, the book investigates the following business model-related questions: Do pharmaceutical companies provide products that meet the needs of the BoP? What characterizes the value generation of the company? What revenue model leads to a profitable business, and what role does a network of partners play in the business model? Findings reveal that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer to these questions. Providing continuous availability, affordability at a good quality of goods and services, creating health awareness, as well as localizing business to achieve a level of inclusiveness are essential prerequisites for success. In the last chapter this book provides a business model prototype that accounts for these key success factors for business at the Bottom of the Pyramid and points to further research topics.

The base of the pyramid (BOP)--the largest socio-economic group, but which also has the lowest income--is the subject of increasing attention in business practices worldwide, the current shift of which is toward creating a more sustainable market. That trend is thoroughly detailed in this helpful guide to understanding and succeeding in BOP business. Utilizing case studies from South Africa, the book demonstrates that in South Africa, around 60 percent of the population is not served or underserved by current business, with similar comparisons existing globally. The book offers strategies for tapping the significant new market both effectively and ethically, and showcases pioneering BOP businesses as well as the failures--giving special focus to what makes an approach sustainable. Also included are interviews with more than 40 top players, and the case studies include Nestlé, Danone, Walmart, Blue Label Technologies, and Capitec.

Emerging markets, like many countries in sub-Saharan Africa present evident opportunities for products and services companies. Many organisations see these markets as the next frontiers, however, tapping into this opportunity usually comes with the challenge of achieving sustainable profitability. Over time, these emerging markets, especially those in Africa, have been through consistently high growth and also experienced declines. This book seeks to explain the scenario and shares a framework for how organisations should approach such emerging markets to achieve sustainable success. It explains via illustrations and cases how organisations will need to be mindful of the volatility ahead and build that into the plan through a combination of the approaches to customer insight, product portfolio development, value creation, route to market design and execution, product promotions, the place of technology in unlocking opportunities, human resources practices, supply chain, ethical considerations in competing and winning at the base of the pyramid in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The participation of businesses and major corporate companies in poverty stricken lower income markets has been met with opposing, and at times controversial views. The Bottom of the Pyramid proposition is one such idea that encourages business people to get involved in the market. However, the commercial viability of the BOP proposition has yet to be proven. The literature review from this study focuses on the ideas surrounding the appropriate business models that have been put forward through academic literature in order for companies to operate successfully in the lower income market segment. Consequently, the literature also focuses on the developments of the BOP proposition as it relates to the business proposed models. Specific attention is paid to the areas of innovation and replication as strategic focus areas within the BOP business models. The research seeks to highlight the fact that the BOP market segment is a commercially viable market for companies to pursue, and that the business model focus for companies should be centred around the dual application of innovation and replication principles as part of the company's business model. The research study made use of interviews with expert executives and supporting documentary evidence from two case study organisations from within the FMCG industry in South Africa. The results of the research were documented and used to address the primary and secondary research objectives. The research findings ultimately enabled the author to construct a model, which companies interested in pursuing the BOP market could implement in order to operate profitably within the BOP market segment. Copyright.

Considers the four billion low-income consumers which constitute the majority of the world's population, and how to better meet their needs, increase their productivity and empower their entry into the formal economy.

The world's most exciting, fastest-growing new market is where you least expect it: at the bottom of the pyramid. Collectively, the world's billions of poor people have immense untapped buying power. They represent an enormous opportunity for companies who learn how to serve them. Not only can it be done, it is being done--very profitably. What's more, companies aren't just making money: by serving these markets, they're helping millions of the world's poorest people escape poverty. C.K. Prahalad's global bestseller "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid," now available in paperback, " "shows why you can't afford to ignore "Bottom of the Pyramid" (BOP) markets. Now available in paperback, it offers a blueprint for driving the radical innovation you'll need to profit in emerging markets--and using those innovations to become more competitive "everywhere." This new paperback edition includes eleven concise, fast-paced success stories from India, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Venezuela--ranging from salt to soap, banking to cellphones, healthcare to housing. These stories are backed by more detailed case studies and 10 hours of digital videos on whartonsp.com. Simply put, this book is about making a revolution: building profitable "bottom of the pyramid" markets, reducing poverty, and creating an inclusive capitalism that works for "everyone." Preface xi About the Author xix Part I: The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid 1 Chapter 1: The Market at the Bottom of the Pyramid 3 Chapter 2: Products and Services for the BOP 23 Chapter 3: BOP: A Global Opportunity? 47 Chapter 4: The Ecosystem for Wealth Creation 63 Chapter 5: Reducing Corruption: Transaction Governance Capacity 77 Chapter 6: Development as Social Transformation 99 Part II: Business Success Stories from the Bottom of the Pyramid 113 Financing the Poor 115 Aravind Eye Care-The Most Precious Gift 131 Energy for Everyone 137 Agricultural Advances for the Poor-The EID Parry Story 149 Retail for the Poor 159 Information Technology to the Poor 169 The Jaipur Foot Story 187 Health Alerts for All 191 Transparent Government 201 The Annapurna Salt Story 213 Homes for the Poor-The CEMEX Story 221 From Hand to Mouth-The HHL Soap Story 235 Part III: On the Web at Whartonsp.com Video Success Stories Casas Bahia CEMEX Annapurna Salt Hindustan Lever Jaipur Foot Aravind Eye Care ICICI Bank ITC e-Choupal EID Parry Voxiva E+Co/Tecnosol Andhra Pradesh Full Success Case Stories in pdf format The Market at the Bottom of the Pyramid Known Problems and Known Solutions: What Is the Missing Link? Known Problems and Unique Solutions Known Problems and Systemwide Reform Scaling Innovations Creating Enabling Conditions for the Development of the Private Sector The EID Parry Story Biographies of the Researchers/Writers of the Success Case Stories from "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid" 247 About the Video Success Stories 255 Index 257