Africa’s renewable energy sector experienced its strongest year in 2017, in line with the global trend. The cumulative end-year capacity of the sector expanded by 12.5% y/y to 42.7 GW, outpacing the global growth rate of 8.5% y/y, according to data provided by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The driving factors in this were the increasing energy needs of the continent, its abundance of various renewable resources, global support for clean energy generation, and the decision of many African governments to invest in and/or create incentives for the development of renewables in order to ensure a stable and secure supply of electricity. The newly-added installed capacity of the sector in 2017 was 4.7 GW, representing 2.9% of the world’s total. Over the past decade, however, the renewables sector has grown at a slower rate in Africa than in the world as a whole, with capacity expanding at a CAGR of 6.7%, below the global rate of 8.4% in the 2008-2017 period. Data for 2018 showed that Africa added 3.6 GW in new installations, bringing total renewable energy capacity up to 46.3 GW, equal to 2% of the global total.

Turkish government healthcare spending rose by 16.7% y/y to almost TRY 110mn in 2017, which was 78% of total expenditure in the healthcare system. Around two-thirds of public spending comes from the Social Security Institution (SSI), the balance is provided by the central government. Private healthcare spending jumped by 20% y/y to reach 22% of the total expenditure in 2017, up from 21.2% in the previous year. Households covered almost 78% of the private sector’s healthcare expenditure, up from 76% in 2016. Nevertheless, private health insurance also continued expanding with the number of people having medical insurance policies rising by 36% y/y.

With 1.4bn population each as of 2017, India and China are the most numerous countries out of the six forming the focus of this report. However, the two countries differ widely in terms of per capita GDP, with that of China being more than twice that of India. In 2017, India reported a fertility rate of 2.1 against only 1.5 for China, suggesting that the Chinese population is ageing at a faster rate compared to that of India. Observed life expectancy for both sexes increased between 1990 and 2017 in both China and India, but as of 2017, China reported higher life expectancy for both men and women compared to India. Thus, China first of the two countries will have to deal with substantial masses of senior population who will pose specific demands on its healthcare policies and facilities, as well as on the range of drugs available in the country. Of the six countries under review, Thailand is home to the most rapidly ageing population. The country reported 15.8% citizens aged 60+ in 2015, a share that is expected to grow to 26.9% in 2030, Global Age Index 2015 data showed. This places the country third in terms of ageing population in Asia, after Japan and South Korea. China ranks fourth.

The Russian healthcare sector’s degree of concentration differs between segments. While the healthcare service sector is mainly government-owned, with limited participation of private clinics and other healthcare institutions, the pharmaceutical and medical equipment segments are highly competitive, with international companies being the top players in both segments. On the other hand, the drug retail chains and drug distribution sectors are concentrated among a few market players, mainly with Russian origin. There has been a consolidation trend in the Russian pharmaceutical market. As a result, the share of the top 20 players in total sales increased to 51% in 2017 from about 25% in 2014, according to data provided by local pharmaceutical market research company DSM Group.

Mobile services are the principal source of revenue for the Russian telecoms industry, accounting for 55% of the total revenue. In 2017, the number of mobile telephone subscriptions declined for the first time in over ten years, falling by 0.8% y/y to 227.3mn as penetration went down to 157.9 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants from 159.2 in 2016. Preliminary figures showed the downward trend continued into 2018. Revenues from mobile telecommunication services fell for the fourth straight year in 2017, declining by 10.7% y/y to RUB 492.7bn. Mobile phone operators have been forced to cut prices to retain customers in a mature market. Voice and texting generate the bulk of the segment’s revenue. According to Minkomsvyaz, the aggregate voice traffic of Russian mobile operators was 455.8bn minutes in 2017, up 1% from 2016.

The total number of companies operating in Poland’s metallic and non-metallic mining sector was 193 at the end of 2017, excluding companies, employing up to nine persons. The industry is dominated by a handful of large companies. The biggest company in the sector is one the world’s leading copper and silver producers - KGHM Polska Miedz. Other major entities are either foreign-owned (Cemex Polska, Lafarge Group, Nordkalk) or belong to larger domestic groups - ZGH Boleslaw (from steel group Stalprodukt group) or ZA Siarkopol (from chemical group Grupa Azoty).

The Philippines transportation sector has differing structures depending on segment. Overall, it is characterised by decades of government under-investment and lack of adequate infrastructure. The government is a significant player, responsible for all major investment programmes. Governmentsponsored investment programmes related to the transportation sector rely heavily on public funds, as well as loans and grants from global lenders or donors, leaving a smaller share to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Competition in passenger and cargo carrying is mostly price-driven, which makes it hard for carriers to upgrade fleets and improve their service offering.

The Philippines insurance sector is one with promising growth prospects as insurance penetration and density in the Philippines remains low compared with other ASEAN countries, despite the continued strength of the economy in recent years. The stronger economy has pushed a growing proportion of Filipino citizens into the ranks of the middle class, increasing the total addressable market of the insurance sector. Despite this, a significant proportion of Filipinos still earn low incomes. Their insurance needs are increasingly being met by a rapidly growing microinsurance industry which is primarily supplied by cooperatives and mutual benefit associations, while private insurers have only tentatively begun exploring this line of business in recent years, primarily as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.

India is a global textile of the competition price-based. Many global apparel brands produce parts of their ranges in Indmanufacturing hub boasting some 24% of the world’s spindle capacity, and 8% of global rotor capacity as of FY2018. The country also reported a 63% share, the world’s highest, of loom capacity including hand looms, as of the same year. Textile companies in India are almost exclusively privately-held, and the share of the unorganised segment is substantial. In spite of the rising purchasing power of Indians, the country is still substantially challenged by poverty, which makes consumers price-sensitive and much ia, or source their yarn and fabrics from the country. This proximity to source makes the entry of global fashion brands into India appealing and economical because of the lower shipping and distribution costs involved in selling to the domestic market.

India liberalised its steel sector in 1992 and at present the private sector has a dominant position, as about 80% of crude steel output in FY2018 came from private companies. The steel sector is going through a phase of consolidation and companies operating in the sector are expected to undertake brownfield investments for expansion. The Indian iron ore segment is highly fragmented, with more than 40 companies performing mining activities. The government’s presence in the sector is significant, at about 35%, as it controls the country’s two largest iron ore mining companies, in terms of production volumes. Unlike that of iron ore, the production of crude steel in India is dominated by the private sector, which controlled 80% of it in FY2018. The six largest companies in the finished steel segment accounted for 54% of total production in FY2018.