Research Bureau International

What Research Bureau International does

Research Bureau International (RBI) is a Zimbabwe-headquartered, full-service market research agency operating across Southern Africa since 1989. The company delivers quantitative, qualitative, retail and field, brand and product, customer and employee, and strategy and advisory research to enterprise clients in eight verticals: FMCG and retail, financial services, telecoms and technology, NGO and development, government and public sector, manufacturing and B2B, education, and tourism and hospitality. RBI runs its own dedicated field teams in six African markets (Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique) and extends coverage to 12+ additional African markets through a vetted partner network.

The firm's technology platform is built on a digital-first methodology adopted in 2015, encompassing CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing), CATI (telephone), CAWI (online), and CLT (central location) data collection, supported by a dedicated Harare-based CATI call centre and viewing facility. Operational features include GPS-validated field tracking, back-checks on 15-20% of completed interviews, real-time client dashboards, automated data validation, and multilingual field capability across at least eight African languages. End-to-end execution (design, fieldwork, coding, analysis, reporting) is performed in-house, with no outsourcing of fieldwork or analytics.

RBI operates a project-based professional services revenue model with quote-based pricing that varies by methodology, sample size, geographic scope, and turnaround; standard single-country quantitative studies deliver in 3-4 weeks. An additional recurring revenue stream comes from quarterly omnibus surveys shared across multiple clients. Go-to-market is proposal-driven enterprise sales via direct engagement, the company website's research brief submission process, free initial consultations, and channels including phone, WhatsApp, and email. The company is privately held and fully independent, having previously been affiliated with the WPP Research International network (now Kantar) from which it retained quality frameworks including ESOMAR compliance, SAMRA membership, and ISO 20252-aligned QA.

Name

Research Bureau International

Legal name

Research Bureau International

Website

https://researchbi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Research Bureau International is a Zimbabwe-based full-service market research agency founded in 1989, delivering quantitative, qualitative, retail, brand, customer, and strategic advisory research to enterprise clients across eight verticals in Southern Africa through its own field teams in six countries and a partner network spanning 12+ African markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory (BPADAMAJ)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Consumer insights
• Retail audits
• Brand tracking
• Field research

Headquarters

HQ city

Harare

HQ country

Zimbabwe

HQ region

Africa

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Research Projects: Project-based professional services delivering quantitative and qualitative research studies tailored to specific client briefs. Pricing varies by methodology, sample size, number of markets, and turnaround requirements. Standard consumer studies of 300-1,000 respondents typically run 3-4 weeks. Multi-country studies add 1-2 weeks per additional market. Revenue is one-time per project with potential for ongoing tracking programmes.
2. Omnibus Surveys: Cost-efficient multi-client omnibus waves run quarterly across key markets enabling fast, affordable data collection. Multiple clients share the cost of a single questionnaire, with each paying for their specific questions while benefiting from shared respondent costs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Research Bureau International (RBI) is a full-service market research agency delivering quantitative and qualitative research, retail and field audits, brand and product testing, customer and employee insights, and strategic advisory services to enterprise clients across Southern Africa. The firm operates dedicated field teams in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and Mozambique, with partner networks extending to 12+ additional African markets, executing all project phases from questionnaire design through fieldwork, analysis, and reporting in-house.

Product overview

Research Bureau International (RBI) is a full-service market research agency offering an integrated portfolio of research methodologies across six core service areas: Quantitative Research (CAPI, CATI, CAWI, CLT, in-home placement, omnibus surveys), Qualitative Research (FGDs, IDIs, triads, ethnography, online qualitative, B2B research), Retail & Field Research (audits, mystery shopping, distribution checks, price monitoring, outlet census), Brand & Product Research (brand tracking, concept testing, ad pre-testing, pricing analysis), Customer & Employee Insights (CSAT, NPS, CES tracking, CX mapping, employee engagement), and Strategy & Advisory (brand strategy, market entry, corporate strategy). The company operates dedicated field teams across Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and Mozambique, with research partnerships extending coverage across additional African markets. Services span multiple industry sectors including FMCG, financial services, telecoms, health & development, manufacturing, government, education, and tourism & hospitality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Quantitative Research

Quantifiable outcome

• Multi-country studies run simultaneously with same questionnaire, same standards, comparable outputs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UCSF (University of California San Francisco)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-running research partnership with UCSF in public health and development research, beginning with a KAP study in 2003. Brings international rigour and academic credibility to RBI's health research engagements, supporting programmes in HIV prevention, maternal and child health, nutrition, WASH, and reproductive health.
• NOIC (National Operations & Intelligence Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished partnership with NOIC supporting public health and development research. Combined with UCSF partnership, brings world-class standards and international credibility to RBI's health research practice.
• Pan-African Research PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorActive working relationships with vetted research agencies across Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Lesotho, Eswatini, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, and other markets. These partnerships enable multi-country studies with shared standards, built on trust and consistent quality rather than ad-hoc subcontracting. Partner facilities available in Gaborone, Lusaka, Blantyre, Maputo, and Windhoek.
• WPP Research International / KantarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer affiliation with Research International, the global WPP research group that became Kantar. This historical relationship established RBI's quality frameworks and methodological standards. While no longer affiliated, those foundations continue to inform how RBI operates.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ipsos: Global market research leader with established presence across Africa serving FMCG, financial services, telecoms, and public sector clients. Ipsos offers an overlapping methodology stack (CAPI/CATI/online qualitative) and competes directly for the same enterprise and institutional research budgets as RBI.
• Kantar: Global market research firm and direct competitor with significant African operations serving FMCG, financial services, telecoms, and public sector clients. Notably, Kantar is the corporate successor to WPP Research International—RBI's former affiliate—so the two share methodological DNA and compete directly for multinational research budgets across Southern Africa.
• GeoPoll: Mobile-based market research platform focused on Africa using mobile and CATI panels across dozens of countries. GeoPoll competes directly for multinational and development-sector research budgets in the same geographies RBI serves, with a technology-led model that pressures traditional agency pricing.
• BDRC Continental: Pan-African consumer and B2B research firm operating across multiple African markets, serving FMCG and financial services clients with a similar full-service methodology and regional multi-country capability comparable to RBI's Southern African footprint.
• In On Africa: South Africa-headquartered pan-African research and advisory firm offering qualitative and quantitative research, public affairs, and communications research across the continent. Comparable methodology stack and regional focus with overlapping client base in FMCG, financial services, and public sector.
• NielsenIQ: Global consumer research firm with FMCG measurement, retail audit, and shopper insights offerings directly overlapping RBI's retail and brand research services. Operates established African measurement panels and competes for the same multinational brand-tracking and distribution-check contracts.

Emerging players

• Survey54: Mobile-first consumer insights platform operating across African markets, providing brand tracking, concept testing, and segmentation through mobile survey panels. Represents an emerging technology-led model targeting the same client budget as RBI for routine quantitative research.

Regional players

• PGM Research: East African market research firm headquartered in Kenya serving FMCG, financial services, and development clients across the region. Comparable full-service quantitative and qualitative methodology but primarily focused on Eastern Africa rather than Southern Africa, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/research-bureau-international

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 Research Bureau International