Born in Senegal, Cheikh Sow moved to France in 2007 after earning a merit-based scholarship. Today, aged 38, he serves as Manager Director and chairman of the board of SAINTEX — a French industrial group founded in 1810, which specializes in designing and manufacturing steel products for the construction industry, as well as professional-grade tools for construction, gardening, agriculture, and cleaning.

Headquartered in Réaumont in eastern France, SAINTEX employs 1,300 people across 28 subsidiaries — with the most recent one launched in Senegal. A logical choice for Sow, who, since creating a holding in 2021 to acquire the group following its sale, has been pushing to develop its international growth strategy. “Being from Senegal, I know the environment. The country has also an interesting geographical position, offering access to the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) zone, and has political and economic stability. Plus, there are real needs in the construction and agriculture sector,” the Manager Director explains.

Senoutil, a Franco-Senegalese partnership

In 2023, SAINTEX teamed up with a local entrepreneur with commercial expertise to establish Senoutil in Sandiara, about 100 km from Dakar. The company’s first assembly unit is set to begin operations by the end of September. It will produce hand tools tailored for construction, agriculture, cleaning, and gardening — designed specifically to meet local needs. “For instance, we designed a special tool to dig out cassava, making it easier,” says Sow. “It was also important for us to make products that are good quality, affordable and sustainable for the locals.”

SAINTEX has broader ambitions in Senegal, where the growing population is driving demand for construction and housing. The group, which operates 29 factories manufacturing steel frameworks, plans to send some of its unused machines to Senegal next year and in the future, aims to integrate and train locals to the production.

Working with African-born entrepreneurs

French companies looking to expand into African markets must move beyond exporting finished goods, argues the CEO. “It can be interesting as a first step to test the market, but exporting comes with a lot of constraints and it’s hard to be competitive. We need a new collaborative model that involves going on site to really understand the populations’ needs in order to offer products that are adapted.”

One of the keys for France to boost business ties with Africa, according to Sow, could be to capitalize on its African diaspora. “I believe that, for the country, having many African-born entrepreneurs and company directors on its territory is a real competitive advantage that is still underestimated.”

The CEO of SAINTEX remains optimistic about the future of Franco-African business relations — a topic central to Bpifrance’s Inspire & Connect event in Dakar in July. While he believes that more concrete projects must emerge from such events to foster lasting partnerships, he says he was “impressed” by the energy and innovation of the new generation of African entrepreneurs.