Marketing & Social Research Association

What Marketing & Social Research Association does

Marketing & Social Research Association (MSRA) is a private professional membership association founded in 1998 and headquartered in Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. It serves as East Africa's leading community platform for marketing and social research practitioners, offering individual and corporate membership tiers alongside training programs, an annual conference, a member-only library of conference papers, a Code of Ethics with disciplinary procedures, and a job board. As of the latest available data, MSRA counts 426+ active members drawn from 32 organizations, with members in at least two countries and operations extending across Africa through partnerships with global bodies such as ESOMAR, GRBN, WiRe, and AMRA. Corporate members include both global firms (Ipsos Kenya, Nielsen) and regional/African research agencies (GeoPoll, Infotrak, Sagaci Research, Dalberg Research, 4Sight Global, and others), positioning MSRA as the de facto industry body for research professionals in the region.

MSRA's technology footprint is modest: the organization operates primarily through its WordPress-based website (msra.africa), which handles membership enrollment, event registration, and access to a digital library of past conference papers and publications. There is no disclosed proprietary software product, no native mobile app, no public API, and no AI/ML infrastructure. The association generates revenue through five streams — recurring individual and corporate membership subscriptions, one-time conference registration fees (KES 12,000–15,000), training workshop fees (e.g., KES 20,000 for the Basic Research Training Workshop), event participation fees (e.g., KES 25,000–27,000 for bowling night teams), and tiered conference sponsorships (Bronze $1,000 to Platinum $4,000). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, supported by organic social channels (LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) and email newsletters.

The business model is characteristic of a professional association rather than a venture-backed SaaS company: no equity funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed revenue figures. Growth is financed through member dues and event surplus, with headcount in the 11–50 range. The leadership profile is sparse in the available data, with no management team or board roster disclosed beyond references to individual members such as Althea McCourt (Director, Infinite Insight) serving on the MSRA Ethics Team. Strategic activity over the past two years has centered on content programming (Ethics in AI webinar, 2024 bowling night) and the 2025 annual conference themed around generative AI.

Name

Marketing & Social Research Association

Legal name

Marketing & Social Research Association

Website

https://msra.africa

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MSRA is a Nairobi-based professional membership association founded in 1998 that serves marketing and social research practitioners across East Africa, offering individual and corporate memberships, training, an annual conference, an ethics code, and a member resource library to a base of 426+ members from 32 organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Westlands

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Revenue generated from individual and corporate membership subscriptions. Members gain access to exclusive resources, networking opportunities, and professional development programs.
2. Conference Fees: Revenue from annual conferences including registration fees. Conference 2025 pricing: KES 12,000 (members) and KES 15,000 (non-members). Conference 2023 pricing: KES 10,000 (members) and KES 15,000 (non-members).
3. Training Workshop Fees: Revenue from training programs such as the Basic Research Training Workshop at KES 20,000 and other professional development offerings.
4. Event Participation Fees: Revenue from teambuilding events such as bowling nights. Bowling Night Nov 2024: KES 25,000 (members crew) or KES 27,000 (non-members crew).
5. Conference Sponsorship: Revenue from corporate sponsors at various tiers: Bronze ($1,000), Silver ($2,000), Gold ($3,000), and Platinum ($4,000) sponsorship packages for annual conferences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

MSRA is a professional membership association serving marketing and social research professionals across Africa, providing individual and corporate memberships, annual conferences, training workshops, a library of past conference papers, a code of ethics with disciplinary procedures, and a job board. The association acts as the authoritative voice promoting research standards, ethics, and professional development across East Africa, with a network of 426+ active members and 32+ corporate member organizations.

Product overview

MSRA offers a membership-based professional association serving marketing and social research practitioners across Africa. The portfolio consists of Individual and Corporate Membership programs providing access to a network of 426+ members and 32 organizations, complemented by Training Programs (both online and physical workshops), an Annual Conference, a Library of conference papers and publications, a Code of Ethics with disciplinary procedures, and a Job Board. These offerings are designed to promote best practices, professional development, and industry standards in the research community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Annual subscription providing individual researchers and professionals with access to MSRA's network, resources, training programs, and professional development opportunities in marketing and social research.
• Corporate Membership Annual subscription providing research organizations with organization-wide access to MSRA's industry insights, workshops, professional development programs, and networking opportunities with industry leaders and peers.
• Training Programs Paid professional development programs covering research methodologies, data analysis, and industry-specific insights, delivered both online and as physical workshops for research professionals at all levels.
• Annual Conference Flagship annual multi-day conference bringing together research professionals to explore industry trends, with themed editions such as 'Building Sustainable Communities' (2023) and 'Gen AI, Disruptor or Accelerator?' (2025), featuring registration fees and corporate sponsorship tiers.
• Library Members-only repository of past conference papers, publications, and research findings spanning multiple years, accessible exclusively to current MSRA members via member login.
• Code of Ethics Formal Code of Ethics and disciplinary procedures governing member conduct in marketing and social research, establishing the association as the authoritative voice on research ethics in Africa.
• Job Board Members-only platform sharing open research vacancies and career opportunities within the African research industry, accessible to MSRA members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 154 researchers participated in ethics survey (Feb-Apr 2016) with corruption indicators scoring low
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ESOMARcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESOMAR is a global association for market, opinion, and social research. MSRA partners with ESOMAR to promote globally recognized research standards in Africa. ESOMAR participated in co-organizing the 'Data for Good: Nairobi' event in August 2023, and MSRA distributes ESOMAR guidelines including the ICC/ESOMAR International Code.
• GRBN (Global Research Business Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGRBN is a global network of research industry associations. MSRA collaborates with GRBN to share best practices and promote research standards across Africa, including distribution of GRBN guidelines on research with children and vulnerable populations.
• WiRe (Women in Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWiRe is featured as a partner on the MSRA website, promoting women in the research industry and supporting diversity in the field.
• Africa Market Research Association (AMRA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMRA is a continental body representing research associations across Africa. MSRA collaborates with AMRA to advance research standards throughout the continent.
• GfK VereincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGfK Verein (GfK Association) supported the development of MSRA's Accredited Interviewer Training program during 2013/14. This partnership helped improve the quality of Market Research Data Collection in Kenya through interviewer accreditation.

Scale indicators5 records

Broad incumbents

• ESOMAR: Global industry organization for market, opinion, and social research. MSRA is an ESOMAR partner in Africa, distributing ESOMAR/ICC guidelines, and competes/overlaps in providing standards, training, and research events.
• Global Research Business Network (GRBN): Global network of national research associations. MSRA is a member; GRBN's role coordinating industry associations makes it a structural peer and a partial substitute for MSRA's value to global firms.

Direct peers

• Market Research Society (MRS): UK-based professional body for research practitioners offering membership, training, and standards. MRS is a direct functional peer to MSRA, operating the same professional-association model in a different geography.
• Insights Association (formerly CASRO): Leading US trade association for the market research industry, offering membership, advocacy, education, and standards. Highly comparable to MSRA in mission, offerings, and member value proposition.
• WiRe (Women in Research): Global organization promoting women in the research industry. Listed as a partner on MSRA's website, WiRe addresses an overlapping professional community with events, recognition, and networking — comparable to MSRA's diversity and community focus.
• Advertising Research Foundation (ARF): US-based research industry body advancing advertising, marketing, and media research through thought leadership and education. Comparable to MSRA in delivering standards, training, and convening events for research professionals.
• Intellus Worldwide: Global association advancing healthcare and consumer research with member education, networking, and best-practice sharing. A functional peer to MSRA's professional-association model applied to research stakeholders.
• QRCA (Qualitative Research Consultants Association): International association of qualitative research consultants offering member networking, training, and standards. Comparable to MSRA as a research-discipline-specific professional community serving practitioners and firms.

Regional players

• Africa Market Research Association (AMRA): Continental body representing research associations across Africa. MSRA partners with AMRA; the two serve overlapping membership across African geographies, making AMRA a closely related regional peer.
• The Research Society (Australia): Australia's professional body for market, social, and opinion research, offering membership, training, and the Code of Professional Behaviour. Operationally identical model to MSRA in a different regional market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MSRAAfrica
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmq2yVGKv8MemUljBMQPogg
• Facebookfacebook.com/MSRAKenya2013
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marketing-social-research-association-of-africa
• Instagraminstagram.com/msra.africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marketing & Social Research Association