The future of Africa depends on the investment we make today. As Africans and leaders of today as well as the coming generation, Investment will create the future we need. Investment in education to bring about qualified, well trained and skillful professionals; investment in leadership as to nurture Africans who are patriotic, result oriented and serving minded with a vision of a better today and tomorrow; and nevertheless, investment in technology as it has a tremendous impact in production; will secure the future of Africa.
Africa currently is encountering lots of challenges especially in its economy. Different interventions have been launched to counter-attack these challenges, but the question is to whether the interventions sustain the existing wide range of economic gap between where we are and where we have to be? Taking African businesses as a case study, In Tanzania for instance, Agriculture and agro-business is a major sector that covers a vast percent of country’s businesses. The government of Tanzania has launched “Kilimo kwanza” as an intervention to help increase agricultural productions and henceforth widen and strengthen the businesses. Despite its functioning, Leaders in the government position are facing a big challenge, which is; the shortage of leaders in implementation, adaptation and bringing results to the interventions launched. Citizens have to be leaders of the government interventions if we really want to take African economy into a successful platform.
Leadership contrary majority perceptions, is an art of serving, a life style of achieving positive results, and the ability to visualize the current situation in future perspectives. The late Nelson Mandela once said “I am not less life-loving than you are. But I cannot sell my birthright, nor am I prepared to sell the birthright of the people to be free.” What a mindset when it comes to leadership! As a leader it’s important to adapt such mindsets because, facing such big issues as business challenges in Africa requires extraordinary sense of vision, patriotism and commitment. It is through the type of leaders we have that decides the success in solving business challenges we face in Africa.
Addressing the challenges of African businesses; when challenges advance; it’s an opportunity for a leader to achieve something outstanding. The presence of challenges indicates a green light towards an opportunity to achieve something good. Where businesses have reached in Africa, demonstrates the beginning of greatness. Just like how the morning sunshine gives a hope of a bright day, African Businesses as well, gives a huge hope of a brighter tomorrow. African businesses is at its early stages, this displays; we have a long way to go; And if we have a long way to go, we have much more opportunities to grow, to learn, and to become something greater than ever before. If there is a time to take African Businesses into another level of advance; that time is now. As an African leader I am responsible to facilitate this adaptation and understanding of the fact that African businesses are not at worst! They are just at the beginning stages. Motivation and support especially to the upcoming business men and women has to be a priority.
The challenge of inadequate Knowledge about business and its platforms is one of the biggest challenges in African businesses. The late Mwalimu JK Nyerere said “Education is not a way to escape poverty; it is a way of fighting it”. It is an undeniably fact that, as we crave knowledge, we expand our ability to conquer challenges and bring about positive results. Knowledge provision about A-Z of business launching, marketing and expansion will bring a tremendous boost to African businesses. Taking a vivid example of business women in Moshi Rural district in Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania; these women engage in banana selling businesses and they sell a bunch of banana for a maximum average of 4000/= Tanzanian shillings. The buyers go to re-sell the same bunch of banana in a nearby region or a bit far region for a minimum average of 8000/= Tanzanian shillings. It’s a huge gap considering the fact that, business farmers have put more work and investment. These business women lack knowledge on how to profit more from their produced raw materials. This does not display just a gap of economy, rather a gap of knowledge that results into a wide economic gap. A producer is a vital part of a business, his/her insufficient knowledge challenges, need to be addressed. This will be done through programs that will aim at facilitating proper and applicable business education to the citizens.
With sufficient knowledge we can then deal with another challenge in African business, that is; inefficient utilization of the available resources. Africa is blessed with vast amount of natural resources; these are the resources that speak of the future of African business; efficient and effective utilization of these resources will largely solve the challenge of stranded businesses in Africa. This is to build more and more processing and manufacturing industries in Africa, to not only add value to available resources, but also rescue our businesses by intensifying the production. Taking Morogoro region in Tanzania as a case study to this matter; in the areas of Kilosa and areas around, the land is very fertile and with sufficient water sources. The natives, in fact, have made a good use of that advantage and produce a lot of fruits, food and cash crops, but because of scant number of processing and manufacturing industries, these farmers will use bicycles to carry their products up to Kilosa town, only to sell their crops at cheap prices. Production is huge, but industrial consumption is almost none. If there were just 5 active processing and manufacturing industries available, it could help a lot to expand the businesses in Morogoro and Tanzania at large.
With our world changing and technology taking over, as a leader I cannot underestimate the impact, power and roles of technology in business. Investment in technology is needed because our African businesses lack, in a significant percent, the upshot of technology. To where we are going, those who own technology own the future. Facilitating the accessibility of technology at affordable price, investing in technology education to our students through exchange programs, and encouraging technology companies to invest in Africa, will act best towards solving deficiency of technology upshot in African businesses. Technology has helped the expansion of businesses and marketing in countries like USA, Germany and China. Adapting technology in business will surely take African business beyond borders.
In February 2016, United Nations through The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nation Environmental Program (UNEP); releases a report on Africa environmental pollution in relation to health and economy. The report speaks of water pollution in deltas nearby Nigeria and in the ports of Abidjan. Environmental pollution is the biggest threat to African businesses. Businesses are developed from the environment; if we risk our environment we risk our businesses. Challenges in our environment portray even bigger challenges in the future of businesses. As a leader of Africa, environmental pollution should not be tolerated. Improved policies on gas and wastes emission should extremely be observed; afforestation and preventing deforestation should be a priority. In Tanzania we have a motto that says “Protect the environment and the environment will protect you”. It is a straightforward fact that, solving environmental challenges is securing the businesses of Africa.
Furthermore; the massive increase of unregistered businesses in Africa is currently a critical challenge. A business that is not recognized under formal systems is a business with no future. But is this problem caused by the young emerging African business men and women? Most probably not! Reviewing and re-define the terms and conditions for registering businesses must favor for the interests of the citizens. A commission to act as a link and advocacy between emerging businesses and the authority is needed. This will help to register the fledgling emerged businesses under formal recognized systems and as result, give these Businesses future.
The future of African businesses is in our hands. In the hands of Africans who despite all the challenges still find reasons to make through it. As matter of fact, Africa needs even more challenges as to bring out the best of invention and innovation. With adherence to the above argued and discussed issues, African businesses have a bright future. All we face now as challenges are just catalysts to position us in a right way of shaping the future of our beloved continent.
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