Africapitalism is not a play on words: it’s an economic philosophy developed by Tony Elumelu, a Nigerian visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist. His philosophy represents the private sector’s commitment to the economic transformation of Africa through long-term investment that generates both economic prosperity and social value. The Tony Elumelu Foundation promotes this philosophy through the Africapitalism Institute, one […]
Nairobi: Upcoming African Transport Hub
I left Nairobi on Saturday. The airport surprised me with several improvements since last year. It has better organized control posts to enter the airport area, a world-class extension to Terminal 1, more eating facilities, etc. Security controls are extensive: I went through 3 screenings! Clearly, they don’t want to take risks. Who knows if […]
Women for Africa
Last week I visited Mujeres por Africa (Women for Africa), abbreviated as MxA. Women for Africa is a Foundation aimed at contributing to African development through its women. I had a great conversation with its initiator and President, Maria-Teresa Fernandez de la Vega (former Vice President of the Spanish government, 2004-2010) who shares a passion for […]
Together Raw Materials and Technology can Transform African Business
A cocoa grower from Ghana was once shown a piece of chocolate. It was the first time he had ever seen such a thing. When he was told what it was, he exclaimed, “Oh! really? Does this come from the cocoa beans?” These days new technologies are being harnessed to enable growers of cocoa and […]
Trading Times Across East African Borders
My young friend Giovanni came back from a visit to East Africa last week. As part of the trip, he traveled by car from Uganda to Kenya. This involves crossing the Malaba border where trucks can wait anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks. But the driver was an expert at crossing this border, so they only […]