A smile cannot close a sale, but it shapes first impressions and the conditions in which persuasion becomes possible. What research, culture and anthropology say, and what African sellers should do.
Research
Behavioural science
What ACT Expo 2026 Said to the African Coffee and Tea Sector
A first-hand account of what happened in Kigali from 8 to 10 July, what the Opening Plenary established, and what every stakeholder who...
The AfCFTA Tea and Coffee Opportunity Is Behavioral, Not Logistical
Everyone who has followed the AfCFTA conversation for the last five years has heard the logistical version of the argument. Reduce...
Blending Africa’s Finesse: 5 Decisions That Build Premium
The expo theme this year is Blending Africa’s Finesse with Global Business. That phrase does a lot of work in six words. It names...
Why Rwanda’s Export Growth Depends on Buyer Psychology
Rwanda produces some of the finest tea and specialty coffee on the continent. The altitude is real. The quality is documented. The...
Why African Business Leaders Cannot Say No to New Ideas
Most businesses that fail on innovation did not fail because the idea was bad. They failed because the idea entered a system that was not...
How to Build a Business That Can Think New Without Losing What Works
In the first article in this series, I named a specific behavioral trap: innovation anxiety, the fear of missing an opportunity that...
The Strategy Illusion: Why Most African Agribusiness SMEs Are Playing Without a Real Game
Across Africa, particularly in agribusiness, most SMEs believe they are operating with a strategy. What they actually have is a plan. And...
Creativity in Marketing: Why Small Offences Against the System Open Up Opportunity
In business environments obsessed with structure, compliance, and process, creativity is often misunderstood. We tend to think of...
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