New business start-ups: Retail, construction, and real estate lead the way
16,171 companies were established in Morocco in January-February 2024, according to the latest figures from the Moroccan Industrial and Commercial Property Office (OMPIC).
The total number of legal entities establisshe during this period was 11,642. Individual companies created during the first two months of 2024 totaled 4,529 units.
In terms of legal form, single-member limited liability companies (SARL AUs) came in 1st place, with a 66% share. Limited liability companies (SARLs) rank second.
Per sector, comm dominates. It accounted for 35.03% of all start-ups. It is followed by construction and real estate. These sectors accounted for 19.14% of business start-ups in January and February. This was followed by miscellaneous services, with a proportion of 18.17%.
Transport made a smaller contribution, accounting for 8.52% of the total, followed by industry (7.51%) and hotels and restaurants (5.51%), according to the OMPIC’s business creation barometer.
The information and communication technologies (ICT) sector contributed 2.51%, ahead of financial activities (1.99%) and ahead of agriculture and fishing (1.62%).
Casablanca-Settat on a roll
The regional ranking reveals a concentration of new business start-ups in Casablanca-Settat. Between January and February 2024, 4,972 companies were established there.
The Tangiers-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region was also a dynamic one, with 2,483 new start-ups. The same applies to Marrakech-Safi (1,849), Rabat-Salé-Kenitra (1,813), Fez-Meknès (1,100) , and the Souss-Massa region (1,069).
In the Oriental region, 947 businesses were created between January and February 2024, compared with 658 and 472 units respectively in Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and Béni Mellal-Khénifra.
Draa-Tafilalet, Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab and Guelmim-Oued Noun saw the establishment of 423, 266 and 119 businesses respectively.
Things are moving in the Oriental region
Some 478 businesses were created in the Oriental region in February alone. According to the Moroccan Office for Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC), Nador takes the lion’s share.
The province of Nador takes the lion’s share, with a total of 211 companies created, ahead of Oujda (144), Berkane (74), Driouch (21), Taourirt (17), and Bouarfa (11). The retail sector wins hands down with 46.07%, while industry is still struggling to take off (5.06%), and the situation is even worse for Information and Communication Technologies (0.75%).
Layane EL MASSAOUDI
