Amsterdam, The Netherlands/Cairo, Egypt – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) announces its fifth consecutive pan-African Cairo to Cape Town roadshow (from 14 April to 3 September 2014) continuing to focus on key challenges facing Africa today - the need for energy-efficient lighting and the revitalization of African healthcare infrastructure.

With an Africa-relevant product portfolio and a strong historical presence on the continent, Philips is committed to significantly expand its business footprint in Africa in the coming years and enhance life in Africa with meaningful innovations. The annual pan-African Cairo to Cape Town roadshow is an important vehicle in Philips’ approach to enhance understanding of local needs and growing the market.

“As investment demand continues to grow in most of Africa ¹, we are very positive about expanding our business footprint on the continent. In the past decade ², 6 of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world were in Africa; Philips is therefore aiming for double digit growth in the coming years”, states JJ van Dongen, Senior Vice President and CEO Philips Africa. “Local entrepreneurship and talent development continue to be key in addressing the complexities of the African market and in developing locally relevant innovations that meet the needs of Africa’s growing middle class.”

Focus on Post-2015 Development Agenda and non-communicable diseases
Philips remains consistently committed to reducing child mortality and improving maternal health, linked to the current UN Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 (MDGs). In contribution to the Post-2015 Development Agenda, Philips calls for improving universal access to healthcare and reducing the double-disease burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as additions to the current MDGs.

Figures from Philips’ latest Fabric of Africa Trends Report show that in 2008, nearly three million African deaths were attributable to preventable or treatable NCDs. That figure will rise by more than 25 percent in the next decade. This year’s roadshow will have an increased focus on non-communicable diseases in addition to Mother and Child care.

21st century technology to highlight iconic city monuments
Next to healthcare solutions, Philips will introduce its latest LED and solar innovations during the roadshow. More than 600 million people in Africa currently have no access to electricity; Philips’ off-grid LED solar powered solutions illuminate the most remote areas and provide energy-efficient lighting. Philips has committed to installing 100 “light centers” to off-grid communities by 2015, over a third of these “light centers” have already been installed and more will be inaugurated during the upcoming roadshow.

Additionally, Philips has committed to lighting up and illuminating one iconic monument in every city visited during the roadshow with the latest LED technology. As the number one lighting company in the world, Philips has transformed iconic city landmarks around the globe and will now provide a stunning lighting makeover of historic, well-recognized monuments in African cities.

Scaling innovations in technology and education
Research and innovation are central to Philips’ activities in Africa. The recently launched Philips Africa Innovation Hub in Nairobi, Kenya, will be the center for developing innovations “in Africa-for Africa”. To increase the impact of newly developed solutions, Philips continues to combine the introduction of new innovations with dedicated focus on clinical education and training. Since 2011 Philips has trained over 2,500 healthcare professionals during the Cairo to Cape Town roadshow and clinical education and healthcare training continues to remain a priority.

Addressing aspirational needs of the African consumer
Philips’ consumer lifestyle portfolio, through innovation and localization, will focus on the continent’s desire for healthier cooking as well as beauty and grooming solutions by introducing new products to meet the aspirational needs of the rising middle class in Africa.

Cairo to Cape Town Roadshow 2014
The roadshow brings together key stakeholders including governments, NGO’s, professional associations, and research institutions to exchange best practices, collaborate and develop public-private partnerships aimed at addressing key challenges in Africa.

“We have been in Africa for many years and have a strong installed base of our equipment, but we strongly acknowledge the benefits of dialogue during this roadshow and the need for our company to listen to the local market and understand how we can adapt our products to better serve this continent”, summarizes JJ van Dongen.

The roadshow kicks-off in Cairo on 14th April 2014 and will make its next stop in Algiers on 12th May, and concludes in Cape Town on 3rd September.

For more information please follow the Cairo to Cape Town roadshow on: www.philips.com/africaroadshow 

¹ International Monetary Fund (IMF) – Regional Economic Outlook : Sub-Saharan African.

² The Post-2015 Development Agenda : A new global partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development (page 46)