Fully Leveraging China's Resources to Support Market Entry into the Middle East and Africa and Expand Trade and IP Businesses
Building on our long track record of supporting Japanese companies in China, we provide comprehensive support for business development in the rapidly growing Middle East and Africa.
By utilizing China's vast resources as the world's largest manufacturing base, we are building a unique business ecosystem connecting Japan, China, and Africa.
Through our market entry support services launched in 2025, we serve as the secretariat for the Japan–Africa Co-Creation for Industry (JACCI) initiative established by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). We bring together local partners—from major corporations to startups—to help Japanese companies enter these markets. Our services include developing entry strategies based on local insights, arranging site visits and partner negotiations, and supporting the launch of local operations.
Our trade business covers both logistics and the development of local sales channels. Our IP business supports everything from rights management of Japanese anime and other content to cost-efficient product development using China's manufacturing capabilities. By optimizing the entire value chain from manufacturing to sales, we enhance our partners' global competitiveness.
Our Strengths
Locally rooted information network
With an office in Cairo, Egypt, and partner companies arrayed across Africa, including Morocco and Nigeria, we operate as limited partners in Africa-focused venture capital and private equity firms to form a network for gathering real-time local intelligence.
Sales channel development extending beyond transportation to sales
We support trade that bridges Japan, China, and Africa by going beyond merely assisting with transportation. Through in-depth engagement with the local market environment and by supporting everything from partner selection to sales channel development, we ensure highly effective market entry.
Fully exploiting China’s manufacturing and logistics resources
Leveraging networks established over our many years of supporting China, we give our partners access to the strategic asset of the world’s largest supply chain. This not only optimizes logistics costs but also provides rapid, cost-competitive product supply by exploiting China’s manufacturing centers.
Balancing appropriate rights protection with strategic localization
In the Middle East and Africa, pirated versions of Japanese IP merchandise and video content are widely available, denying Japanese companies the right to monetize their assets. We support appropriate licensing tailored to local conditions, enabling expansion of Japanese IPs such as anime and characters. On top of this, by leveraging China’s production capabilities, we can swiftly roll out low-cost products to meet local demand, accelerating the distribution of official merchandise as part of anti-counterfeiting measures.
Service Offerings
Support for Assessing Entry into Middle East and African Markets and Starting Up a Business
As geopolitical risks increase, the Global South is becoming crucial for Japanese companies’ growth strategies. The Middle East, with its high per capita GDP and many pro-Japan countries, and Africa, with an average age of 20 and explosive growth potential, are attractive markets too valuable to dismiss without proper consideration.
Simultaneously entering these markets requires careful risk assessment and a dedicated partner to navigate unforeseen challenges post-entry. Yoren provides tailored services to cope with these challenges, such as market entry strategy consulting, support in assessing local market entry feasibility and establishing a local business, and subsequent ongoing support.
Strategic Trade Support Services
From analyzing local consumer needs and markets in the Middle East and Africa to developing trading partnerships, sales channels, and logistics networks, we provide optimal business support services tailored to each partner’s products.
Establishing and operating trading schemes leveraging two-way trade between the Middle East/Africa and Asia, reducing transportation costs, exploiting tax incentives, and supporting logistics, local regulatory compliance, and customs procedures
Market research, partner matching, and sales channel development in the Middle East and Africa
Licensing Management and Development Support for Anime and IPs
We optimize the appeal of Japanese anime and IPs for the Middle East and African markets and make it possible to commercialize them. We provide total support not only for assessing local needs and identifying licensees but also for localization and distribution and for planning and implementing further development.
Rights management and development support for Japanese anime and IPs in the Middle East and African markets
Establishing distribution systems for official IP merchandise
Planning and holding local events featuring IPs and supporting sales of IP merchandise through local partner channels
IP Product Localization and Manufacturing
We provide services for developing global merchandise that grow awareness of your IPs and monetize them. These include IP product localization from the point of view of Middle East and African market preferences, price points, and distribution characteristics, as well as planning, manufacturing, and local sales tailored to regional needs.
Planning and design support for IP products optimized for local markets
Low-cost, high-quality production and supply of merchandise using partner factories in China
Achievements
In 2025, we were commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as part of its FY2023 Supplementary Budget: Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Project (Africa). In this respect, we acted as the secretariat for the Japan–Africa Co-Creation for Industry (JACCI) initiative. At TICAD9, we announced 10 Memoranda of Understanding as JACCI/Yoren. We have a proven track record and network through public-private partnerships.
