Network Egypt
Qualitative market research in Egypt
Egypt has 119 million people, a median age of 24.5 and 82.7 per cent of them online (DataReportal, Digital 2026), and official data that rarely tells you how people live. Qualitative research there works when it goes into homes, kitchens and shops in Cairo, moderated in Egyptian Arabic by someone who lives there, and recruited across income levels on purpose. MindMarket runs ethnographic visits, in-depth interviews, focus groups and taste tests in Egypt with local moderators and one project manager for your whole study, and has taken a Japanese seasoning maker and its consulting firm into seven Cairo kitchens and 45 taste tests.
AT A GLANCE
Egypt at a glance for researchers
- Population. 119 million people, median age 24.5, 43.5 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Greater Cairo alone is one of the largest urban areas in Africa.
- Languages. Egyptian Arabic, the most widely understood Arabic dialect in the region, in every session. English is common among professionals and the affluent. Our moderators live in Cairo and work in Arabic and English.
- Internet and mobile. 98.2 million internet users and 121 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Most people reach the internet on a phone, and home connections vary by neighbourhood.
- Where fieldwork happens. Most of our studies in Egypt run in Cairo and Giza, with Alexandria added when your audience lives there. Income levels sit streets apart, so recruitment is planned by neighbourhood.
- Data protection. The Personal Data Protection Law No. 151 of 2020: consent, a stated purpose and care with recordings and personal data.
- Timing. We do not schedule fieldwork during Ramadan, and the Eid weeks and summer heat slow Cairo. Ramadan moves about eleven days earlier each year, so check the dates when you plan.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Egypt?
In a European viewing facility, you watch a consumer react to a concept. In Egypt, the richest answers come from the kitchen, the shop counter and the family around the table.
- Into the home, with respect. Hosting a researcher is a favour. Our Cairo team recruits households through trusted networks, explains who comes and why, and the visit follows the family's rhythm, often over a pot of stew on the stove.
- Recruited across income levels on purpose. A household in Heliopolis and one in Imbaba cook, shop and season differently. We recruit by neighbourhood and income so your findings do not describe one Cairo.
- Moderators who live in Cairo. Egyptian Arabic is quick, warm and full of humour, and a participant's pride in a family recipe is part of the data. A moderator who lives there hears it; a translator flattens it.
- Your team in the room. We bring clients to Cairo for the fieldwork when they want to see it. For the seasoning study, the consulting firm and the end client joined the home visits and the test kitchen.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Egypt?
- We recruit through local partners in Cairo, who find the people your brief describes, from housewives across income levels to head chefs and senior professionals.
- Households for home visits are reached through trusted community networks, and each participant is confirmed by phone the day before, because a personal call cuts no-shows in Egypt.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Egypt?
Most studies in Egypt run as ethnographic home visits and in-depth interviews, with focus groups, central location testing and taste tests when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Ethnographic home visits | Food, drink, cleaning and family purchases, where the kitchen tells the story | Recruit through trusted networks; plan visits around meal times |
| In-depth interviews | Chefs, professionals, B2B buyers and personal categories | Open with hospitality; senior participants expect it |
| Focus groups | How a category is talked about among women or men of one income level | Single-gender and single-income groups speak more freely |
| Central location and taste tests | Comparing recipes or products under controlled conditions, as in our 45 Cairo taste tests | A professional test kitchen and standardised preparation |
| Online in-depth interviews | Professionals and younger participants in Cairo | Test the connection at recruitment; most join from a phone |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Egypt
How much does market research cost in Egypt?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Egypt added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Home visits and taste tests need more field days than interviews, and a professional test kitchen adds a line. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
Do I need a local moderator in Egypt?
Yes. Egyptian Arabic is quick, warm and full of humour, and the pride a participant takes in a family recipe is part of the finding. MindMarket's moderators in Egypt live in Cairo and work in Arabic and English.
Can you run research in Egyptian homes and kitchens?
Yes, it is where our best Egyptian work happened. For a Japanese seasoning maker we spent time in seven households across income levels, watched families cook, season and taste, then ran 45 taste tests in a professional kitchen. Read the case study.
Can my team join the fieldwork in Cairo?
Yes. For the seasoning study the consulting firm and the end client came to Cairo for the home visits and the test kitchen. We organise the visits, the translation and the debriefs so your team sees the market, not a summary of it.
When should I not plan fieldwork in Egypt?
During Ramadan, which we never schedule, and in the Eid weeks. Summer heat slows Cairo in July and August, and sessions move to the evening. Ramadan moves about eleven days earlier each year, so check the dates when you plan.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Egypt told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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