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The French digital giant with a turnover of 11,000 million euros is present in 11 countries on the continent with more than 2,500 employees. But the group had a difficult time. Between the governance crisis, the stock market crash and the announcement of a split for July 2023, Atos must face many challenges to achieve growth. And Africa can be one of the solutions. Interview with Nourdine Bihmane, co-leader of the group since last June.
Historically, Atos is more present in French-speaking Africa than in Anglophone Africa. The group wants to continue developing its African assets and strengthen its presence on the continent: “ We intend to consolidate our presence in all French-speaking countries and invest in certain English-speaking countries. Now, what we notice is that there are more and more South-South opportunities. A country like Morocco is positioned above several African countries, but we can also see countries like Senegal or South Africa that are developing in Africa. So our choice of investment will also accompany the investments and trajectories of our clients. »
In addition to the growth it can generate, Atos is also betting on the African talent pool: “ We have a global lack of resources in various technologies, in various areas. And there, for once, Africa is a source of incredible talent, if we take the time to train them, to support them. Therefore, we will use Africa to support the growth of Atos in terms of talent and of course to capture all the associated business opportunities. »
For Atos, one of the countries with high potential is Morocco. The group has more than 1,600 employees in the Cherifian kingdom, and its proximity to Europe is one of its strengths: “ Morocco continues to be important in terms of a talent pool to help us serve the rest of southern Europe. We have great demands on the French market and our Moroccan partners can meet them. Now, the Moroccan local market, what we have seen in recent years, is that it is maturing. So Morocco continues to be important because for me it is like a prototype of everything that is going to happen in the rest of Africa. »
The other important partner of the IT giant in Africa is Senegal. The group has developed mainly in Dakar where it is one of the largest employers in the capital: ” What we started in Morocco a few years ago, we replicated in Senegal with incredible success. Today, we are already at more than 500 employees there. What we’re trying to do is create more talent pools around this team that we created in Dakar so that we can water all of West Africa. »
From Dakar, among other West African countries, it is to the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso that Atos is heading for its future on the continent.
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