Why Geospatial Analytics Is the Key to Smarter Business in Africa

As African markets become more complex and dynamic, traditional data analysis isn’t enough anymore. Enter geospatial analytics, the tool that can help give businesses the context they need to make things happen. 

In this article, we’ll dive into what geospatial analytics is, why it matters, and how you can take the first step to turn complex data into actionable insights. 

What is Geospatial Analytics?

Geospatial analytics is the process of collecting, storing, processing, and visualising data that is tied to a specific location. This can help you spot patterns, trends, and connections based on where things happen. 

By combining location data with other business information, like demographics, infrastructure, and buying behaviour, geospatial analytics helps businesses see the full picture to make smarter decisions.

Why Does Geospatial Analytics Matter?

For African businesses, location matters more than ever. With rapid urban growth, expanding infrastructure, and increasingly diverse markets, understanding the ‘where’ behind your operations can make a significant difference. 

Geospatial analytics helps businesses to see where their customers are, where gaps in services exist, and where opportunities lie. Whether it’s planning new store locations, optimising delivery routes, or rolling out tracking infrastructure, geospatial analytics gives businesses an edge to adapt, grow, and compete.

How BigQuery Supports Geospatial Insights 

Google Cloud BigQuery is the engine behind many of today’s most powerful geospatial analytics solutions. It’s built to handle huge volumes of data quickly and cost-effectively.

With built-in GIS functions, BigQuery lets you run complex spatial queries using standard SQL. That means no need to move your data into specialised software, just analyse it where it lives.

What makes it even more powerful is how it connects with other Google Cloud tools, like Google Maps Platform and Earth Engine. This allows you to enrich your business data with high-quality external datasets, resulting in deeper insights, better decisions, and fewer infrastructure headaches.

Benefits of Geospatial Analytics 

Smarter decision-making 

Geospatial data can help businesses make informed decisions based on spatial trends and real-world context. This allows you to identify high-potential areas, avoid overlap in service zones, and respond quickly to changes.

Operational efficiency 

Knowing where your assets, teams, or customers are located allows businesses to optimise their processes. This means delivery routes can be fine-tuned, field teams can be dispatched more efficiently, and infrastructure rollouts can be prioritised based on demand.

This helps you save time, reduce costs, and improve service reliability. 

Better customer targeting 

Location-based insights give you a deeper understanding of customer behaviour. You can see where your best customers come from, what areas are underserved, and how proximity to competitors affects engagement.

This means you can tailor marketing campaigns to specific regions, personalise offers based on local context, and explore untapped markets with more confidence.

Common Misconceptions of Geospatial Analytics

It’s only for GIS experts or large enterprises

Many assume geospatial analytics requires a team of specialists or expensive, complex software. But tools like BigQuery have made it far more accessible. With familiar SQL and cloud-based platforms, businesses of all sizes can now tap into location-based insights without needing a GIS background.

It’s just about making maps 

Maps are useful, but they’re only the tip of the iceberg. Geospatial analytics is about identifying patterns, trends, and relationships that are tied to place. This helps businesses understand why customers are based in certain areas, which routes cost them the most, or where demand is growing, by using data.

More data automatically means better insights

Volume doesn’t necessarily equal value. The real power of geospatial analytics comes from clean, well-integrated data and knowing how to ask the right questions. Without context or quality, even large datasets can lead to poor decisions. 

How 28East Helps Businesses Take the First Step

Getting started with geospatial analytics doesn’t have to be complicated, especially when you partner with 28East. We help businesses address challenges head-on, whether that is optimising delivery routes or identifying new markets.

Reach out to us today to see how we can help you turn your data into clear and strategic insights.