[Shopper Marketing] Mystery Shopper Europe adds Africa to basket

31 May 2016

MSPA (Mystery Shopping Providers Association) Europe is targeting Africa to expand its membership base, following a successful first conference in the region. Held in Casablanca, Morocco, earlier this year, the conference attracted delegates from 15 countries, including Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa.

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MSPA board member, Abdel Wahab Chaoui, from Morocco sums up the situation: “As economies are growing and international brands are setting up branches in African countries, there's a real demand for mystery shopping techniques in Africa.”

But this demand for mystery shopping has seen the growth in companies not necessarily well-versed in the high professional standards required to execute the methodology correctly. Established in the early 1990’s, one of the main goals of the MSPA is to improve overall quality within the industry and to establish a transparent operating association with clear Governance rules.

Importantly, the drive for quality is enforced by members adhering to the mystery shopping code of ethics. The need for professional standards is clear in the Africa context.

…There's a real demand for mystery shopping techniques in Africa…

“The MSPA is active in both North and South America, Asia Pacific and of course Europe. There are over 450 members worldwide, with 200 in Europe, but only 10 in Africa, which we plan to increase quickly. We are delighted to have two members from Africa on the MSPA EU Board: Abdel Wahab Chaoui from Morocco and Ian Jeffrey, based in South Africa. But we want to see our membership base on the African continent expand rapidly,” said Yvonne Kinzel, president of MSPA-EU.

“Our goal is to triple our membership each year. We have seen the success of our growth in Europe in terms of raising the standards in this region and know that it will only have benefit in Africa,” Kinzel said.

As one of only two MSPA members in South Africa, Grant Lindhorst, MD of REACT Surveys commented, “The MSPA gives our company a professional framework within which to operate. In turn, this gives our clients comfort in the fact that our offer will be of the highest professional standard. Sadly, the same cannot be said for other mystery shopping operators.

"We would like to see companies stipulate membership of the MSPA in their tenders for mystery shopping services.”