The Africa Report just published their list of top-500 African companies. This ranking is based on turnover (2014 data), and it includes companies operating in Africa whether they are homegrown or multinational affiliates. Some highlights (refer to the tables below): Top-10 companies in Africa: There hasn’t been much variation relative to last year: Sanlam, a […]
Elections and Political Stability
This week we had a case premier in my MBA class. We discussed the brand-new case Innovis Telecom. Actually, both the students and I enjoyed the discussion quite a lot! Founded in 2010, Innovis is an Indian company that provides services to telecom operators. Uganda and Myanmar are its main markets but they also operate […]
“Africa Rising” – Under Question?
“Do you really think Africa is going to take off?” This is a question I often get both from Africans and from people in the West. My answer: “It’s not going to happen tomorrow but I’m convinced it will happen.” At any typical introductory talk about the continent chances are that the speaker will show […]
A Gift-Economy
Christmas is a time when we exchange gifts in many countries – not the most important aspect of Christmas, though related to its authentic meaning. This reminds me of a story I heard. An American manager participated in a Corporate Social Responsibility program aimed at capacity-building in Africa. On a visit to a small village, […]
Entrepreneurial Energy
One strong impression I’ve gained during my trips to sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is that the people are full of entrepreneurial energy. Even taxi drivers are constantly thinking about what kind of business to start. Colleagues who visit the continent regularly share this impression. Just watch Christian Staedler from Warwick University in a recent talk on […]