Global Coaching Survey - Frank Bresser Consulting

Global Coaching Survey 2008/2009 aFRiCa
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1.3. GeoGRapHiCal aReaS witHin aFRiCa
After having a look at the whole of Africa, let us now revisit
various geographical areas within the continent and see what
more can be said about these.
a. northern africa
(algeria, egypt, libya, morocco,
Sudan, tunisia)
In terms of coaching, this part of Africa is one of the two
more developed regions of the continent (besides Southern
Africa). In all countries coaching is in the introduction phase
- except for Morocco where it is already in the growth phase.
Morocco is an exceptional country with regard to coaching
also in other ways: Coaching is widely accepted and used
here and far advanced to becoming a real profession. A Moroccan
Coaching Association (Maroc Coaching) exists which
seems to be the only existing coaching association headquartered
in an Arabian country. Also use of supervision by
coaches is high (in the Sudan as well). The number of business
coaches in Morocco may be low (only 60), but those who
operate have obviously managed to establish their coaching
practice successfully and work at a high professional level.
Besides Morocco, coaching is not yet widely accepted and
used in any other Northern African country or far advanced
on its way to becoming a real profession. The numbers of
business coaches are generally low in Northern Africa, and
the concept of coaching cultures is not known yet.
The coaching style tends to slant towards being directive
- you don’t find any country with a predominantly nondirective
coaching approach (which is true for the whole
of Africa).
b. Southern africa
(botswana, lesotho, namibia,
South africa, Swaziland)
There is a clear divide in the development of coaching when
comparing South Africa and the rest of the Southern region.
South Africa has a well developed, growing coaching market
with about 1600 business coaches (around 70% of all African
business coaches), and coaching is far advanced to becoming
a real profession (e.g. existence of a national coach-
FRank bReSSeR ConSultinG & aSSoCiateS
exCellent CoaCHinG SolutionS
ing association: COMENSA - Coaches and Mentors of South
Africa). In the other countries few coaches are operating and
it is difficult to identify any visible coaching market there at
all. Only in Botswana, is coaching clearly in the introduction
phase (30 coaches, many making use of supervision).
Interestingly, in no country - not even in South Africa
(where this question is undecided) - is coaching already
widely accepted and used as a business tool. It is worth
mentioning that South Africa is the only African country
where the coaching culture concept is at least quite well
known and used (it is talked about by the multinational companies,
but rarely, if at all, by local companies).
c. western, middle and eastern africa
(37 countries, e.g. Ghana, nigeria,
Cameroon, Gabon, kenya, uganda)
These regions are largely a blank, undiscovered area of
coaching. Business coaching has visibly developed in hardly
any of the countries. In none of the countries, is coaching
widely accepted and used as a business tool or far advanced
to becoming a real profession.
In just 4 countries we know coaching has started to
emerge:
Kenya may be seen as the leading one here with up to
100 business coaches and a coaching market being in the
late introduction phase.
Nigeria and Uganda comprising each about 10-20 business
coaches are in the introduction phase and show a
high level of professionalism by those who act in the field.
Coaching is mainly for a small circle of people only – and is
mostly driven by multinationals (which seems to be true for
most coaching in Africa). There are small emerging coaching
communities in both countries that may develop into real
coaching associations in the future. Business coaches in
Nigeria make use of supervision.
Coaching in Gabon is just in the early introduction phase,
but at least coaching is starting to take place in a visible way
(e.g. one business coach is officially listed in the national
business register).
Generally, where coaches operate in the region, the
predominant coaching style is more directive. The coaching
culture concept is not or only very rarely known in the area.
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