Some spoke of the rise of a new African dawn, but really, since the end of the Cold War, most of the continent has made progress in law and order, development, and governance. The Africa of today is more stable, prosperous, and democratic than it has been in 100 years.

Therefore, for marketers, 2010 is the optimal time to approach the new Africa. However, this is easier said than done, especially without readily available information on the opportunities and hurdles that may be encountered. The early railway pioneers who struck out into Kenya’s uncharted territory often ended up inside a lion, and as a global marketer you put your brand at risk of a similar fate if you enter this immensely complex and fragmented region without a guide.

Our work with global, regional, and local clients from our offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Nairobi has provided the beginnings of the very “field guide” the continent needs. As a start, we have highlighted 10 “golden rules” for brand building in Africa.

Rule 1: It’s Time to Take Africa Seriously

Though much is made of the emerging BRIC markets, opportunities in Africa are just as enticing. Between 2010 and 2015, growth in Africa is predicted to be slower than in India and China, but faster than in Brazil and Russia.

Many global companies have entered African markets in recent years, but the continent still provides significant open space in which your brand can grow. However, it is important not to underestimate the local competition. Too many international marketers have expected that their principal competitors will be other internationally recognized brands, only to come up against a local operator with all the connections, experience, and ruthlessness to make their business models unworkable. In addition, commodity and informal markets in some sectors make it difficult for multinational brands to survive, let alone prosper.

The lesson here is to take African markets seriously, with regard to both the potential rewards and the challenges to be overcome. In other words — yes, going into Africa will be worth it, but no, it’s not going to be easy.

Rule 2: Africa Is a Source of Innovation and Creativity, Not Just a Destination

On a busy street in Monrovia, Liberia, Alfred Sirleaf stands, chalk in hand, beside a large blackboard that displays local and international news. Alfred updates the news hourly with information obtained from a network of “reporters” via mobile phone. Alfred’s board, which often uses symbols to help overcome literacy barriers, bears an uncanny resemblance to a Web site; hence his popular title, “the blackboard blogger.” We call this the “bow-wave” effect, when behavioral and conceptual paradigm shifts inspired by new technology precede the arrival of the technology itself.

Rule 3: Don’t Presume to Know What Your Consumers Want

Two broad and diametrically opposed assumptions dominate thoughts on marketing in Africa: African consumers are either assumed to be unique in every way or just like consumers everywhere.

In fact, the truth lies somewhere in between. On the one hand, for example, much of the continent’s population spends most of each day fetching water for the household. On the other hand, a market-day scene I witnessed in a small village in Kenya actually had much in common with what occurs on major stock exchanges around the world. Though the scene included hundreds of Maasai warriors in full dress, milling around in a large, dusty square full of goats, when I looked past the goats, dust, and Maasai regalia, the essence of the gathering revealed itself. It could have been the New York Stock Exchange. Maasai were on their mobiles getting livestock price updates, contacts were being made, and livestock bids and counterbids were being put forward.