The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) have long been the focus of emerging-market investors. But it is in Africa, a region with the world's second-fastest growth, where the next big business opportunities lie.

In about one-third of the continent's 55 countries, annual GDP growth is above 6 percent and Sub-Saharan Africa grew at an estimated 5.1 percent pace in 2013.

Foreign investors report that their return on investment in Africa is higher than in any other emerging region. By 2040, the continent's working-age population will total an estimated 1.1 billion people, providing businesses with a larger labor pool than even China or India. Moreover, economic expansion is taking place not just in urban centers, but in small towns and villages as well.