Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Franchising is not just a business model, it is an engine of economic growth and innovation, job creation, and international influence for Morocco, Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour stated on Wednesday in Casablanca.
Speaking at the launch of the Morocco Franchise Exhibition 2025, Mezzour explained that investment in recognized brands and structured entrepreneurship creates new jobs and increases Morocco’s economic power.
“This model paves the way for economic development when approached with a clear and strategic vision,” he said. He called for a stronger commercial ecosystem, where businesses operate with ambition and efficiency.
Mezzour depicted franchising as a transfer of expertise and a business model that enables small-time businessmen with limited financial resources to establish successful businesses.
Unlike other heavily regulated sectors, he went on to explain, franchising has no universal legal framework, except for China and Italy.
“Each country must tailor its own financing and support mechanisms to help young entrepreneurs thrive in this sector,” Mezzour argued. Choosing the right partner, concept, and location determines the profitability and long-term success of a franchise network, he added.
Morocco’s potential in franchising
Hassan Berkani, president of the Casablanca-Settat Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services, underlined the role of franchising in integrating the informal sector into a structured economy.
He pointed to Morocco’s free trade treaties with the EU and the US, which make the country a prime destination for international brands.
He further noted the necessity of inciting Moroccan investors to adopt the franchise system which provides a professional environment and exposure to established business methods.
“Young investors benefit from recognized brands, operational expertise, and optimized management structures,” he said.
Meanwhile, the US Consul General in Casablanca, Marissa Scott, called Morocco an ideal market for American franchises.
“Several US brands have already expanded successfully in Morocco,” she said, noting that partnerships between American franchises and Moroccan entrepreneurs are contributing to the creation of jobs as well as building economic cooperation between the two countries.
Franchising is an effective means of business development as growing demand for global products and services emerge, Scott explained.
The Morocco Franchise Exhibition 2025, taking place from February 12 to 14, welcomes over 100 exhibitors from different sectors. The exhibition features expert-led discussions on franchise growth, financing options, and African market potential.
Moroccan franchising has grown 25% annually on average over the past 15 years, with 745 franchise networks representing 84% of international ones reaching a total turnover of MAD 20 billion.
Projections foresee a 500% expansion in the core sectors of retail, food service, and business services by 2030.
