Thanks to his dedication and success, Sami Afankous convinced the jury to award him this honour. Jury members included the Foreign Trade Advisors of France, the Tunisian French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the French Institute of Tunisia, and the Regional Economic Service of Tunis, the VIE Club and Business France Tunisia.

Unfortunately, Sami was traveling abroad during the award ceremony, which took place in the residence of his Excellency the French Ambassador in Tunisia. Michel Vuillin, Sami’s manager and the branch manager of AGS Tunisia, accepted the award on his behalf.

The VIE program is a unique way to discover different world cultures

Sami Afankous is a graduate of KEDGE Business School with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in international business. After initially working for a multinational company in Paris, he decided to gain international experience through the VIE programme. AGS, which has been committed to recruiting VIEs throughout the pandemic, hired him at the end of 2020 with the aim of developing the Tunisian branch.

After four months of training in France, Sami joined the AGS Tunisia team as business development manager. In this role, he analysed the local international moving market, identifying new international competitors and collecting useful pricing information.

For him, Tunisia is perfectly positioned “at the crossroads of the African and Mediterranean markets”.

The VIE programme offers the opportunity to take on responsibilities early on

Sami’s goal was to understand what AGS needed before creating a marketing and sales strategy to help the group achieve its objectives. He also engaged with customers, followed up on all incoming requests, and assisted management in several projects, such as responding to tender requests, managing sales support, and logistics support.

Sami had already been exposed to international business through internships and university exchanges in Morocco, Spain, Mexico and China. Joining the MOBILITAS Group, a family-owned company present in 97 countries, allowed him to take on responsibilities at an early stage of his career and use all of his skills. He plans to do even more for the company in 2022! Congratulations, Sami Afankous!

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The festival began in 1910 with camel trekking marathons and traditional games, growing year by year until its first international edition in 1967. Through the decades, it has retained its authenticity, however. “Living in Tunisia allows you to discover ancient customs and traditions that are still important in the community,” says Michel Vuillin, AGS Tunisia Director. “All the ambassadors and their staff attend the festival, which has become an unmissable occasion in Tunisia.”

Following an official opening ceremony, festivities get underway. The main events take place in an amphitheatre set up in Henich square, which is surrounded by Bedouin tents. Festivalgoers are treated to camel racing and wrestling, traditional Bedouin ceremonies and Sloughi hunts. Exhibitions, book and date fairs and documentary screenings complete the programme. Evenings are organised around song and dance.

The Douz festival allows visitors to discover the “gateway to the great Sahara”. Traditionally the town was an important stop for camel trains transiting from the Sahara to the north of the country. Located in the centre of Tunisia, 500km south of Tunis and a 3h30 drive from Djerba, Douz is the largest oasis in the region, boasting a palm grove that is widely regarded as the most beautiful in Tunisia.

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AGS wishes them all professional growth and all the best in their new positions.