I am happy to be back on African soil after working at our Tokyo headquarters for 7 years. There I spent my time in the Mineral Resources industry which is where I built my career over the past 30 years. This is my second time stationed in Johannesburg and fourth time in Africa, including two assignments in Toamasina, Madagascar.

In the 3 months since my arrival in April as GM for Africa, I have visited all of our liaison offices and portfolio companies in Sub-Saharan Africa: namely, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Maputo, Antananarivo and Accra. During my visit in each capital city, I felt that its people’s desire for a better life was unstoppable.

This desire, together with the expected population increase, will be a motivating power for tremendous growth potential of the region. At the same time, I observed a range of social issues which only renewed my determination to create a business that can provide an integrated solution in a sustainable way. Sumitomo’s long history in almost all industries allows us to propose a unique solution by utilizing our global supplier and customer base, financial, logistical, DX, and most recently added, GX capabilities.  

We are here to implement a range of projects in the areas of agriculture, food, healthcare, education, telecommunications, social infrastructures, and mineral resources, which will directly impact people’s daily lives.

We will continue to make efforts and achieve results to contribute for Africa’s growth and for our own growth “with Africa”.

Shimpei Nitta,GM for Africa