CASE STUDIES FROM AFRICA

Policy developments should therefore accompany “shareability” for it to be effectively
integrated into innovation policies and agenda (as innovation is considered a key factor by the
private sector). More financial support from public authorities should be encouraged to sharing
economy start-ups, such as the above-mentioned platforms, and on market data collection. The
rise of the sharing economy is not always accepted by incumbents and top-level corporate
mind-set, leading to important challenges to overcome. But the sharing economy constitutes the
future of the world economy, and the cultural services industry is particularly concerned with
peer communities and network technologies. It is also important to recognise that local and
regional authorities are often better placed to establish and manage many of these schemes
because of their proximity to a sector that is by its very nature extremely fragmented and
essentially composed of a large number of micro-enterprises. However, capacity building must
be realised at the institutional level and this is especially true within an ongoing process of
decentralisation.
Policy Recommendations
Cultural services exports can traditionally be achieved through four potential modes of supply.
An improvement of the competitiveness of the cultural services industry in Burkina Faso must
address specific and common issues and needs met by the private sector, the institutions and
the government:
Reducing information asymmetry and fragmentation
Encouraging institutional and governmental support
Improving infrastructure
Improving market intelligence, efficiency and productivity
Improving the attractiveness of the business environment
Increasing financial and human resources
Improving the quality of human capital and services
Improving service provided and providing high-quality services
Promoting brand, know-how and credibility abroad
Supporting firms in accessing foreign markets and in establishing commercial presence
abroad
The specific features of the cultural services industry in Burkina Faso, as described in this report,
and its problems in accessing finance, grabbing the interest of the local and regional markets,
meeting international quality standards call therefore for the following recommendations.
To create a competitive location, skills, and a conducive business environment:
To facilitate the availability of human capital and adequate skills (services are more
skills-intensive than other sectors).
To ensure the quality of institutions and rule of law, for example by getting the national
anti-piracy committee for literacy and artistic works set up.
To protect and develop the intangible assets (i.e., corporate intellectual property such as
copyright, business methodologies, and brands). Thus, it is necessary to revise the law in
order to reinforce copyright protection in the digital environment.
270