This evening we’ll welcome a New Year. There are many local traditions related to New Year’s Eve. The custom in Hillbrow, South Africa used to be throwing furniture out of the window. This became really dangerous – you might even see a fridge flying out – and many people got hurt, so this custom has […]
A great Christmas gift in Ghana
Last year, the only two expatriates of the Ghanaian affiliate of a service company were wondering what to offer their employees as a Christmas gift. With very good sense, they thought the best would be for the employees to decide themselves. The only condition was that it would be the same for everybody, so they […]
Kenya’s middle class and economic growth
A couple of weeks ago the news came out that Kenya has seen its economy grow 25% after statistical revision. Officially, Kenya is now a “middle-income country.” A few months ago, a similar type of revision brought Nigeria’s economy to the top of African countries in terms of the size of the economy, surpassing South […]
The ins-and-outs of real estate
Look at the picture below carefully and read the sign there. You’ll see one of the ins-and-outs of real estate in Nigeria – and I suspect that similar ones may appear in the rest of Africa: Yes, you got it right!: “This property is NOT for sale.” Unusual, isn’t it? Not so here, where you […]
About the Blog: a Learning Journey to Africa
The talk down the hall is about Africa as “the last emerging frontier.” Some buy into it; others are skeptical. These are the same reactions as I got when I started telling people about my learning trip to Africa. Some: “What a great opportunity!” Others: “Are you sure about this…?” Yes, I am sure I want […]