The Importance of African Entrepreneurship in the New Scramble for Africa: Insights From Parminder Vir OBE

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: You're listening to the Unlocking Africa podcast.

[00:00:03] [SPEAKER_02]: I started working in arts and culture and then transitioned to film and television production and spent three decades producing documentaries, dramas and feature films with the right kind of mentoring, with the right kind of policies.

[00:00:19] [SPEAKER_02]: There's nothing to stop African entrepreneurs from competing within the continent, across the continents. There are 54 African economies.

[00:00:27] [SPEAKER_02]: There's no reason why Africa must outsource all of its ICT needs to those countries that have developed their technology capabilities. Africa has that talent.

[00:00:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Stay tuned as we bring you inspiring people who are unlocking Africa's economic potential.

[00:00:47] [SPEAKER_00]: You're listening to the Unlocking Africa podcast with your host, Terser Adamu.

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to the Unlocking Africa podcast, where we find inspirational people who are doing inspirational things to unlock Africa's economic potential.

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Today we have Parminder Vir, who is the former CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and an award-winning film and television producer,

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_01]: and also an advocate for entrepreneurship as the best path for the social and economic development of Africa.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome, welcome, welcome to the podcast. Parminder, how are you?

[00:01:27] [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here and thank you for inviting me.

[00:01:32] [SPEAKER_01]: It's a pleasure to have you on the podcast and looking forward to our conversation today.

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Me too.

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Before we get started, I was hoping you could introduce yourself and just tell us a bit more about Parminder Vir.

[00:01:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, wow. Okay. I mean, firstly, thank you. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to speak about Africa and African entrepreneurship.

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_02]: But my professional background is that I've had a kind of a very multifaceted career.

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_02]: I started working in arts and culture way back in the 80s and then transitioned to film and television production in 1986, in fact,

[00:02:17] [SPEAKER_02]: and spent three decades producing documentaries, dramas and feature films.

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER_02]: And then moved into the whole area of kind of business development, but particularly from the perspective of the creative industries, the media and the creative industries.

[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_02]: And then there was a destiny call in 2014 where Mr. Tony Illumulu from a philanthropist and a successful businessman invited me to come and join the Tony Illumulu Foundation

[00:02:52] [SPEAKER_02]: to help him operationalize his vision of supporting African entrepreneurs.

[00:02:58] [SPEAKER_02]: And I stepped down as the CEO just before COVID, in fact, and returned to London back home.

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_02]: I lived in Lagos, Nigeria for six plus years.

[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_02]: And from where I've continued to advocate, as you said, for African entrepreneurship and building the African entrepreneurial ecosystem across the African continent as the path for Africa's economic development.

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Amazing, amazing.

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Amazing. So you've given us great insight into your successful career.

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_01]: As you said, it's very multifaceted.

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_01]: But what actually inspired you to leave a successful media career in the UK and also, you know, take on that challenge of empowering African entrepreneurs?

[00:03:47] [SPEAKER_02]: I think it wasn't the challenge of empowering African entrepreneurs, but the extraordinary opportunity.

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_02]: What made me leave the film and media sector in the UK, I felt that I had done a lot.

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_02]: And I had given of myself, both in terms of making films, producing films, telling stories for the broadcasters here, BBC, Channel 4, ITV, and also developing, particularly, you know, supporting strategies for implementing equal opportunities for people of colour in Britain,

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_02]: for there to be a greater representation of black and ethnic minorities in the UK on our television screens and in our film industry.

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_02]: Three decades is a long time to be making films in the context of the British film industry.

[00:04:49] [SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, during that time, I also led on the internationalisation of the UK film and television industry, particularly with regards to what was then the emerging markets, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

[00:05:06] [SPEAKER_02]: I think the opportunity to bring all that I had learned from my work in the arts to the work in the film and television industry to Africa was just an extraordinary opportunity.

[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_02]: And particularly as that opportunity came with a commitment by Tony Illumilu to invest $100 million of his own family wealth in supporting African entrepreneurs.

[00:05:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Amazing.

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_01]: So, as you noted, the opportunity is what drew you to the continent.

[00:05:44] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm assuming when Tony approached you, he had a clear vision.

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Can you walk us through the initial vision behind the foundation?

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_01]: As you said, $100 million investment in African entrepreneurship.

[00:05:57] [SPEAKER_02]: I think to do that, you really have to go back.

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_02]: I remember in 2010, suddenly, you know, even The Economist was talking about Africa rising as opposed to the dark continent that it had spoken about, you know, a decade before.

[00:06:14] [SPEAKER_02]: I had been to Africa before, you know, as a film producer and worked with filmmakers in Mozambique and Angola, in Algeria, in Burkina Faso, to name but a few, and of course, Nigeria.

[00:06:31] [SPEAKER_02]: So I sort of was, filmmaking is a fantastic way of really understanding and feeling through stories, getting a feel for the continent.

[00:06:42] [SPEAKER_02]: So the continent itself was not new to me.

[00:06:46] [SPEAKER_02]: But the idea of using philanthropy and taking an investment approach to developing and growing entrepreneurs was new.

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_02]: I had been an entrepreneur all my life in the creative sector, but I'd never called myself an entrepreneur.

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_02]: I'd seen myself as a film producer.

[00:07:07] [SPEAKER_02]: You know, but I think with Tonya Lumalu's vision as a private sector leader was that it's the private sector leaders, it's the private sector that must lead in the economic development of Africa.

[00:07:21] [SPEAKER_02]: And that Africa was not a destination for aid, but for trade.

[00:07:28] [SPEAKER_02]: And in order for, to do that, we have to grow homegrown entrepreneurs who can bring real solutions to real challenges and real problems across the African continent.

[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_02]: And I think it was that it was the fact that it was it wasn't a government initiative.

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER_02]: It was a private sector led initiative.

[00:07:54] [SPEAKER_02]: And that it was really, you know, and it was coming with serious commitment in terms of money, that it wasn't just the idea of empowering African entrepreneurs, but also backing it with funding, with the investment that we needed in order to empower those entrepreneurs.

[00:08:14] [SPEAKER_02]: And I'll go on to talk about designing that program.

[00:08:44] [SPEAKER_02]: Across the African continent with African entrepreneurs.

[00:08:48] [SPEAKER_01]: So as you mentioned, the concept of developing entrepreneurs was a new kind of concept when you initially joined the foundation.

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_01]: From that, what were some of the most surprising outcomes of the Tonya Lumalu Foundation that you weren't anticipating during your tenure?

[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I think the biggest was that there is no shortage of talent across the African continent.

[00:09:13] [SPEAKER_02]: No shortage of entrepreneurial talent.

[00:09:16] [SPEAKER_02]: No shortage of can do.

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_02]: And also that, you know, this generation of African entrepreneurs were not standing with a begging bowl saying we need aid, but actually saying we need investment.

[00:09:31] [SPEAKER_02]: and with investment, with capacity building,

[00:09:36] [SPEAKER_02]: with the right kind of mentoring,

[00:09:38] [SPEAKER_02]: with the right kind of policies,

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER_02]: there's nothing to stop African entrepreneurs

[00:09:43] [SPEAKER_02]: from competing within the continent,

[00:09:47] [SPEAKER_02]: across the continents.

[00:09:48] [SPEAKER_02]: There are 54 African economies

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_02]: and also that many of their solutions

[00:09:53] [SPEAKER_02]: have the potential to travel across the world.

[00:09:57] [SPEAKER_02]: I think that was an amazing revelation.

[00:10:02] [SPEAKER_02]: I think that for me, the second was that

[00:10:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Africa doesn't need African entrepreneurship programs

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_02]: to be parachuted from outside,

[00:10:11] [SPEAKER_02]: whether that's in the UK, Europe or America,

[00:10:15] [SPEAKER_02]: i.e. entrepreneurship development programs.

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_02]: So my biggest, you know, the challenge I gave myself

[00:10:21] [SPEAKER_02]: and the team was how can we build

[00:10:24] [SPEAKER_02]: and structured a homegrown program

[00:10:27] [SPEAKER_02]: that really meets the needs of the African entrepreneurs

[00:10:32] [SPEAKER_02]: across the continent?

[00:10:34] [SPEAKER_02]: And how can we use entrepreneurship as a way?

[00:10:38] [SPEAKER_02]: We talk about Pan-Africa, but you know,

[00:10:40] [SPEAKER_02]: and I know, you know, trying to travel across the continent

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_02]: or do, you know, work across the 54 economies

[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_02]: is a challenge.

[00:10:50] [SPEAKER_02]: But here was an opportunity to use entrepreneurship

[00:10:53] [SPEAKER_02]: to really connect the African continent

[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_02]: as a Pan-African continent.

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Fantastic.

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_01]: So you hit on quite a key point there

[00:11:02] [SPEAKER_01]: in terms of no shortage of talent

[00:11:04] [SPEAKER_01]: and a can-do attitude and approach.

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_01]: So what were some of the solutions

[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_01]: that these entrepreneurs were finding

[00:11:11] [SPEAKER_01]: to the day-to-day challenges that they face?

[00:11:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, you know, I mean, let me just sort of wind back

[00:11:17] [SPEAKER_02]: and say I arrived and spent the first nine months

[00:11:21] [SPEAKER_02]: from April 2014 to December 2014

[00:11:28] [SPEAKER_02]: designing what became the seven pillars

[00:11:32] [SPEAKER_02]: of the entrepreneurship program.

[00:11:34] [SPEAKER_02]: That we needed to take a balanced approach.

[00:11:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Yes.

[00:11:37] [SPEAKER_02]: And that seven pillars consisted of designing

[00:11:41] [SPEAKER_02]: a 12-week training program, both online and offline,

[00:11:48] [SPEAKER_02]: identifying and putting in place mentors,

[00:11:53] [SPEAKER_02]: as well as ways and providing seed capital of $5,000.

[00:11:59] [SPEAKER_02]: My hour kind of motto was,

[00:12:02] [SPEAKER_02]: your idea can transform Africa.

[00:12:05] [SPEAKER_02]: So we were open to applications from entrepreneurs

[00:12:09] [SPEAKER_02]: who just had an idea for a business,

[00:12:12] [SPEAKER_02]: like this young kid, young entrepreneurs

[00:12:16] [SPEAKER_02]: who wanted to find solutions for women

[00:12:20] [SPEAKER_02]: who were dying in childbirth

[00:12:23] [SPEAKER_02]: because they didn't have the basic facilities.

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_02]: And his simple solution was to create a help mom bag

[00:12:30] [SPEAKER_02]: into which you'd put a blade, a mat and sterilized and gloves

[00:12:36] [SPEAKER_02]: and provide that to the midwives

[00:12:39] [SPEAKER_02]: so that they could use those facilities

[00:12:45] [SPEAKER_02]: when delivering babies in rural, semi-rural, semi-urban,

[00:12:52] [SPEAKER_02]: pretty poor areas of this was in Nigeria.

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, help mom today is now leveraging AI and technology

[00:13:02] [SPEAKER_02]: to begin to and have added other services

[00:13:07] [SPEAKER_02]: around vaccination, et cetera.

[00:13:10] [SPEAKER_02]: That's just one example.

[00:13:12] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, you know, we started with 20,000 application

[00:13:15] [SPEAKER_02]: in the first year.

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER_02]: And by the time I stepped down in 2019,

[00:13:19] [SPEAKER_02]: we'd had over 300,000 application.

[00:13:23] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, you know, the success stories

[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_02]: of the foundation's entrepreneurship program was phenomenal.

[00:13:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Entrepreneurs from across the African continent

[00:13:35] [SPEAKER_02]: in agriculture.

[00:13:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Agriculture became a big, you know, source of applications.

[00:13:44] [SPEAKER_02]: So young Africa and young Africans

[00:13:46] [SPEAKER_02]: were seeing entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship

[00:13:49] [SPEAKER_02]: as a business opportunity.

[00:13:53] [SPEAKER_01]: Fantastic, fantastic.

[00:13:55] [SPEAKER_01]: I guess a big element of the foundation's work

[00:13:58] [SPEAKER_01]: is to help correct some of these social imbalances

[00:14:02] [SPEAKER_01]: that we do see in society.

[00:14:04] [SPEAKER_01]: And as you mentioned, there is 300,000 applications received

[00:14:08] [SPEAKER_01]: around the time that you left.

[00:14:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Did you ever see a shift or a growing participation

[00:14:14] [SPEAKER_01]: from, say, female entrepreneurs

[00:14:16] [SPEAKER_01]: across the African continent?

[00:14:18] [SPEAKER_02]: That was, I mean, you know, you can't do,

[00:14:21] [SPEAKER_02]: you can't go to the African continent

[00:14:23] [SPEAKER_02]: and not see the amazing, both the social, the economic,

[00:14:28] [SPEAKER_02]: the cultural and the political role

[00:14:31] [SPEAKER_02]: that women play across the continent.

[00:14:33] [SPEAKER_02]: The idea that women in Africa are oppressed, suppressed

[00:14:37] [SPEAKER_02]: is a myth.

[00:14:39] [SPEAKER_02]: And for me, for us, you know, it was important

[00:14:43] [SPEAKER_02]: that the program doesn't just become a kind of male-centric,

[00:14:51] [SPEAKER_02]: urban-based program.

[00:14:52] [SPEAKER_02]: Yes.

[00:14:52] [SPEAKER_02]: And from day one, we made sure that we reached

[00:14:56] [SPEAKER_02]: and we used, you know, images, stories,

[00:14:59] [SPEAKER_02]: and different ways of reaching,

[00:15:02] [SPEAKER_02]: extending the reach to include women,

[00:15:05] [SPEAKER_02]: potential women entrepreneurs.

[00:15:07] [SPEAKER_02]: And in the first year, you know,

[00:15:09] [SPEAKER_02]: I have to admit that it was only about 27%.

[00:15:12] [SPEAKER_02]: But by the time I stepped down,

[00:15:15] [SPEAKER_02]: we'd reached up to 40 plus percent

[00:15:18] [SPEAKER_02]: of the applicants who applied

[00:15:21] [SPEAKER_02]: and those who were selected

[00:15:22] [SPEAKER_02]: were women business owners.

[00:15:24] [SPEAKER_01]: As we mentioned at the beginning of the conversation,

[00:15:29] [SPEAKER_01]: you are a strong advocate for entrepreneurship

[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_01]: as being the best path

[00:15:33] [SPEAKER_01]: for social and economic development within Africa,

[00:15:37] [SPEAKER_01]: which has led you to recently publishing a paper,

[00:15:40] [SPEAKER_01]: which I had the joy of reading,

[00:15:42] [SPEAKER_01]: which is titled African Entrepreneurship

[00:15:44] [SPEAKER_01]: in the New Scramble for Africa.

[00:15:47] [SPEAKER_01]: So with this, I guess it's quite an interesting title.

[00:15:51] [SPEAKER_01]: So from this piece of work that you've published,

[00:15:54] [SPEAKER_01]: what was you hoping to achieve from the report?

[00:15:58] [SPEAKER_02]: I think the key thing is, you know,

[00:16:01] [SPEAKER_02]: there is a talk of the new scramble for Africa,

[00:16:04] [SPEAKER_02]: not the talk,

[00:16:05] [SPEAKER_02]: the reality of the new scramble for Africa.

[00:16:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:16:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Even while I was there,

[00:16:10] [SPEAKER_02]: I felt the presence of China

[00:16:14] [SPEAKER_02]: across the African continent,

[00:16:16] [SPEAKER_02]: particularly in the kind of logistics

[00:16:19] [SPEAKER_02]: and manufacturing space.

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_02]: I was,

[00:16:24] [SPEAKER_02]: there is an old presence of people

[00:16:27] [SPEAKER_02]: from the Indian subcontinent.

[00:16:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Some families have been there for hundreds of years.

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_02]: There's a large presence of Middle East

[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_02]: and particularly people from Lebanon

[00:16:38] [SPEAKER_02]: and other parts of the Middle East

[00:16:41] [SPEAKER_02]: who've also made the African continent their home.

[00:16:45] [SPEAKER_02]: We know the relationship that Europeans,

[00:16:49] [SPEAKER_02]: whether they're French, German, Dutch,

[00:16:51] [SPEAKER_02]: and the British have had

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_02]: in terms of their colonial history.

[00:16:56] [SPEAKER_02]: But what I'm also seeing now is,

[00:17:00] [SPEAKER_02]: you know, there's an even bigger scramble

[00:17:03] [SPEAKER_02]: for this continent from countries like,

[00:17:06] [SPEAKER_02]: from Russia's and certainly a renewal

[00:17:09] [SPEAKER_02]: from the Indian subcontinent.

[00:17:12] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, certainly Turkey, Qatar, UAE

[00:17:16] [SPEAKER_02]: are all also vying for various bits of Africa.

[00:17:21] [SPEAKER_02]: And what really strikes me about this new scramble

[00:17:25] [SPEAKER_02]: is that it's just not another wave

[00:17:29] [SPEAKER_02]: of where people come and extract from Africa

[00:17:33] [SPEAKER_02]: and take all the value and the value chains

[00:17:36] [SPEAKER_02]: back to their countries,

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_02]: leaving the continent.

[00:17:40] [SPEAKER_02]: And it's young people.

[00:17:42] [SPEAKER_02]: Africa is a population of 1.4 billion people.

[00:17:47] [SPEAKER_02]: And the youngest population in the world

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_02]: is to be found on the continent.

[00:17:52] [SPEAKER_02]: Those young people need for the Africa's development

[00:17:57] [SPEAKER_02]: to be for Africans and not continuously for external.

[00:18:03] [SPEAKER_02]: I remember, you know, like cashew nuts or tomatoes

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_02]: are to be found, or mangoes.

[00:18:12] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, every conceivable product that you can think of

[00:18:16] [SPEAKER_02]: is to be found across the continent.

[00:18:19] [SPEAKER_02]: And yet for many of those,

[00:18:22] [SPEAKER_02]: the processing and the packaging

[00:18:25] [SPEAKER_02]: is done outside of Africa.

[00:18:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Oil is a classic example of that.

[00:18:31] [SPEAKER_02]: And with that, all the jobs that are there in the value chain

[00:18:35] [SPEAKER_02]: are taken out of the continent.

[00:18:38] [SPEAKER_02]: The young people of Africa

[00:18:40] [SPEAKER_02]: and of the African continent

[00:18:43] [SPEAKER_02]: cannot allow that to continue.

[00:18:46] [SPEAKER_02]: The Africa Union,

[00:18:48] [SPEAKER_02]: the African political leadership,

[00:18:51] [SPEAKER_02]: the African private sector leaders,

[00:18:54] [SPEAKER_02]: in the way that Dangote is doing

[00:18:56] [SPEAKER_02]: with building his oil refineries in Nigeria,

[00:19:00] [SPEAKER_02]: must keep those supply chains on the continent

[00:19:04] [SPEAKER_02]: and must engage with its own vast,

[00:19:10] [SPEAKER_02]: extraordinarily talented

[00:19:12] [SPEAKER_02]: and really hardworking entrepreneurial talent

[00:19:17] [SPEAKER_02]: and entrepreneurs across the continent

[00:19:19] [SPEAKER_02]: to be a part of that.

[00:19:21] [SPEAKER_02]: So they really benefit economically

[00:19:24] [SPEAKER_02]: and socially and culturally.

[00:19:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Fantastic.

[00:19:28] [SPEAKER_01]: So you've mentioned in terms of the need

[00:19:30] [SPEAKER_01]: for African entrepreneurs

[00:19:31] [SPEAKER_01]: to be a part of this new growth

[00:19:34] [SPEAKER_01]: within the continent

[00:19:35] [SPEAKER_01]: and the new international interest.

[00:19:37] [SPEAKER_01]: So if you look at that specifically,

[00:19:39] [SPEAKER_01]: what role do you believe African entrepreneurs

[00:19:41] [SPEAKER_01]: can play in this new geopolitical dynamic

[00:19:44] [SPEAKER_01]: between foreign countries and Africa?

[00:19:48] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, firstly, there must be at the table

[00:19:50] [SPEAKER_02]: where discussions around deals, you know.

[00:19:54] [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, you know,

[00:19:55] [SPEAKER_02]: India wants to sell defence to Africa

[00:19:59] [SPEAKER_02]: or India wants to sell

[00:20:02] [SPEAKER_02]: its pharmaceutical know-how

[00:20:04] [SPEAKER_02]: or India wants to sell

[00:20:06] [SPEAKER_02]: its education growth, right?

[00:20:10] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I'm just taking India as an example.

[00:20:13] [SPEAKER_02]: You could apply the same to China and to Russia.

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER_02]: That the entrepreneurs are at the table

[00:20:20] [SPEAKER_02]: when these discussions are taking place

[00:20:22] [SPEAKER_02]: because there's no reason why Africa

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER_02]: must be looking to outside world

[00:20:29] [SPEAKER_02]: to be supplying them

[00:20:31] [SPEAKER_02]: with all their pharmaceutical needs

[00:20:32] [SPEAKER_02]: or, you know, God forbid,

[00:20:35] [SPEAKER_02]: their defence needs, right?

[00:20:36] [SPEAKER_02]: Or for their education

[00:20:39] [SPEAKER_02]: or for their manufacturing

[00:20:41] [SPEAKER_02]: or for, you know, creating,

[00:20:43] [SPEAKER_02]: you know, whatever the sector is,

[00:20:47] [SPEAKER_02]: you know, in terms of ICT.

[00:20:50] [SPEAKER_02]: There's no reason why

[00:20:52] [SPEAKER_02]: Africa must outsource

[00:20:56] [SPEAKER_02]: all of its ICT needs

[00:20:58] [SPEAKER_02]: to those countries that have developed,

[00:21:00] [SPEAKER_02]: you know, their technology capabilities.

[00:21:05] [SPEAKER_02]: Africa has that talent.

[00:21:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Africa has that hunger to succeed.

[00:21:11] [SPEAKER_02]: And the entrepreneurs

[00:21:13] [SPEAKER_02]: who are in any of those sectors,

[00:21:17] [SPEAKER_02]: agriculture, education, ICT,

[00:21:20] [SPEAKER_02]: manufacturing,

[00:21:22] [SPEAKER_02]: they must be a part of the conversation.

[00:21:25] [SPEAKER_02]: They must be part of those deal-making

[00:21:28] [SPEAKER_02]: where they are also integrated

[00:21:32] [SPEAKER_02]: into those value chains.

[00:21:35] [SPEAKER_02]: So the African entrepreneurs

[00:21:37] [SPEAKER_02]: must organise

[00:21:38] [SPEAKER_02]: and must make those demands

[00:21:41] [SPEAKER_02]: of their representatives,

[00:21:44] [SPEAKER_02]: whether it's their government

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_02]: or in terms of the African continent,

[00:21:49] [SPEAKER_02]: the African Union.

[00:21:50] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, it's really fantastic to see

[00:21:53] [SPEAKER_02]: that the African Union has now,

[00:21:56] [SPEAKER_02]: after decades of being not a member,

[00:22:00] [SPEAKER_02]: is now a member of the,

[00:22:02] [SPEAKER_02]: a permanent member of the G20.

[00:22:05] [SPEAKER_02]: You know, I mean,

[00:22:06] [SPEAKER_02]: as I write in my paper,

[00:22:08] [SPEAKER_02]: that the G20 is literally,

[00:22:13] [SPEAKER_02]: you know, I mean, 80%,

[00:22:16] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, large percentage

[00:22:17] [SPEAKER_02]: of the wealth,

[00:22:19] [SPEAKER_02]: the population, et cetera,

[00:22:21] [SPEAKER_02]: is located in the G20 territories.

[00:22:25] [SPEAKER_02]: Why has it taken so long

[00:22:27] [SPEAKER_02]: for the Africa Union

[00:22:28] [SPEAKER_02]: to be made a permanent member?

[00:22:30] [SPEAKER_02]: But having been made a permanent member,

[00:22:33] [SPEAKER_02]: the Africa Union,

[00:22:34] [SPEAKER_02]: I believe one of the biggest things

[00:22:37] [SPEAKER_02]: that it can do

[00:22:38] [SPEAKER_02]: is to champion African entrepreneurs

[00:22:41] [SPEAKER_02]: and entrepreneurship.

[00:22:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I agree.

[00:22:43] [SPEAKER_01]: So as you kind of highlighted there,

[00:22:45] [SPEAKER_01]: African entrepreneurs

[00:22:46] [SPEAKER_01]: have not always had a seat at the table.

[00:22:50] [SPEAKER_01]: So over the last, say,

[00:22:53] [SPEAKER_01]: 10 years at the Tony Alumalu Foundation

[00:22:56] [SPEAKER_01]: and more recently,

[00:22:58] [SPEAKER_01]: how have you seen the narrative

[00:23:00] [SPEAKER_01]: and perception of African entrepreneurship

[00:23:03] [SPEAKER_01]: evolving?

[00:23:05] [SPEAKER_02]: I think certainly what I've seen in,

[00:23:07] [SPEAKER_02]: you know, from 2014,

[00:23:08] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_02]: before we, you know,

[00:23:11] [SPEAKER_02]: there wasn't much awareness

[00:23:13] [SPEAKER_02]: of African entrepreneurship.

[00:23:15] [SPEAKER_02]: I know that from,

[00:23:18] [SPEAKER_02]: even after the first year

[00:23:19] [SPEAKER_02]: of launching our program,

[00:23:21] [SPEAKER_02]: evangelizing African entrepreneurship

[00:23:24] [SPEAKER_02]: across the continent

[00:23:25] [SPEAKER_02]: became a priority

[00:23:27] [SPEAKER_02]: and advocating entrepreneurship

[00:23:29] [SPEAKER_02]: as a development tool

[00:23:33] [SPEAKER_02]: or as a way of supporting

[00:23:36] [SPEAKER_02]: development in partnership

[00:23:38] [SPEAKER_02]: and collaboration

[00:23:39] [SPEAKER_02]: also became, for me,

[00:23:41] [SPEAKER_02]: became critical.

[00:23:43] [SPEAKER_02]: So it wasn't enough

[00:23:44] [SPEAKER_02]: to just select

[00:23:46] [SPEAKER_02]: a thousand entrepreneurs

[00:23:47] [SPEAKER_02]: every year

[00:23:48] [SPEAKER_02]: and then see them go off

[00:23:50] [SPEAKER_02]: and, you know,

[00:23:51] [SPEAKER_02]: succeed or fail

[00:23:52] [SPEAKER_02]: in their businesses.

[00:23:53] [SPEAKER_02]: It was also important

[00:23:55] [SPEAKER_02]: to change the mindsets

[00:23:57] [SPEAKER_02]: of the donor agencies,

[00:23:59] [SPEAKER_02]: the development agencies,

[00:24:01] [SPEAKER_02]: the governments,

[00:24:02] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:24:03] [SPEAKER_02]: in the West

[00:24:05] [SPEAKER_02]: to think of Africa

[00:24:07] [SPEAKER_02]: and to think

[00:24:08] [SPEAKER_02]: to think of entrepreneurship

[00:24:10] [SPEAKER_02]: as a way

[00:24:12] [SPEAKER_02]: of really impacting

[00:24:13] [SPEAKER_02]: the African continent

[00:24:15] [SPEAKER_02]: for the people

[00:24:17] [SPEAKER_02]: of Africa.

[00:24:18] [SPEAKER_02]: So I think for me,

[00:24:21] [SPEAKER_02]: it's not

[00:24:21] [SPEAKER_02]: in today's scramble

[00:24:23] [SPEAKER_02]: that dialogue,

[00:24:25] [SPEAKER_02]: that advocacy

[00:24:26] [SPEAKER_02]: and that evangelizing

[00:24:28] [SPEAKER_02]: of African entrepreneurs

[00:24:29] [SPEAKER_02]: and their stories,

[00:24:32] [SPEAKER_02]: their success stories,

[00:24:33] [SPEAKER_02]: their failures

[00:24:33] [SPEAKER_02]: is really fundamental

[00:24:35] [SPEAKER_02]: for the growth

[00:24:36] [SPEAKER_02]: of Africa.

[00:24:37] [SPEAKER_01]: You touched on

[00:24:38] [SPEAKER_01]: a key point there

[00:24:39] [SPEAKER_01]: in terms of changing

[00:24:40] [SPEAKER_01]: the mindset

[00:24:41] [SPEAKER_01]: of donor agencies,

[00:24:43] [SPEAKER_01]: governments

[00:24:43] [SPEAKER_01]: and other potential

[00:24:45] [SPEAKER_01]: partners of entrepreneurs.

[00:24:47] [SPEAKER_01]: What kind of partnerships

[00:24:49] [SPEAKER_01]: do you believe

[00:24:50] [SPEAKER_01]: are the most beneficial

[00:24:51] [SPEAKER_01]: for African entrepreneurs

[00:24:53] [SPEAKER_01]: as we see

[00:24:54] [SPEAKER_01]: the global interest

[00:24:56] [SPEAKER_01]: in Africa increasing?

[00:24:58] [SPEAKER_02]: I think the only

[00:24:59] [SPEAKER_02]: partnerships

[00:25:00] [SPEAKER_02]: that are useful

[00:25:01] [SPEAKER_02]: anywhere

[00:25:01] [SPEAKER_02]: is where there's

[00:25:02] [SPEAKER_02]: a two-way exchange

[00:25:04] [SPEAKER_02]: rather than

[00:25:05] [SPEAKER_02]: a one-way exchange.

[00:25:06] [SPEAKER_02]: For too long

[00:25:08] [SPEAKER_02]: in Africa,

[00:25:09] [SPEAKER_02]: there's just been

[00:25:10] [SPEAKER_02]: a one-way.

[00:25:10] [SPEAKER_02]: You come,

[00:25:11] [SPEAKER_02]: you take

[00:25:11] [SPEAKER_02]: and you grow

[00:25:13] [SPEAKER_02]: your own economies

[00:25:14] [SPEAKER_02]: and you leave

[00:25:16] [SPEAKER_02]: the African countries

[00:25:17] [SPEAKER_02]: in tatters, right?

[00:25:19] [SPEAKER_02]: So I believe

[00:25:21] [SPEAKER_02]: just, you know,

[00:25:22] [SPEAKER_02]: the mindset

[00:25:22] [SPEAKER_02]: of an entrepreneur

[00:25:23] [SPEAKER_02]: is about collaboration

[00:25:25] [SPEAKER_02]: and partnerships.

[00:25:26] [SPEAKER_02]: The African entrepreneur

[00:25:28] [SPEAKER_02]: knows that

[00:25:28] [SPEAKER_02]: they cannot succeed

[00:25:30] [SPEAKER_02]: on their own.

[00:25:32] [SPEAKER_02]: They work

[00:25:33] [SPEAKER_02]: in partnerships,

[00:25:34] [SPEAKER_02]: they work

[00:25:35] [SPEAKER_02]: in collaboration,

[00:25:36] [SPEAKER_02]: they build

[00:25:37] [SPEAKER_02]: strong teams,

[00:25:39] [SPEAKER_02]: they develop

[00:25:39] [SPEAKER_02]: skills.

[00:25:40] [SPEAKER_02]: It's that mindset

[00:25:42] [SPEAKER_02]: that you're coming

[00:25:43] [SPEAKER_02]: with not

[00:25:44] [SPEAKER_02]: extraction,

[00:25:45] [SPEAKER_02]: but actually

[00:25:46] [SPEAKER_02]: really

[00:25:47] [SPEAKER_02]: working in

[00:25:49] [SPEAKER_02]: partnerships

[00:25:49] [SPEAKER_02]: with the

[00:25:51] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs

[00:25:51] [SPEAKER_02]: to lay

[00:25:54] [SPEAKER_02]: that strong

[00:25:55] [SPEAKER_02]: foundation.

[00:25:56] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean,

[00:25:56] [SPEAKER_02]: the easiest thing

[00:25:57] [SPEAKER_02]: for me,

[00:25:58] [SPEAKER_02]: even in designing

[00:25:59] [SPEAKER_02]: the entrepreneurship

[00:26:00] [SPEAKER_02]: program,

[00:26:00] [SPEAKER_02]: would have been

[00:26:01] [SPEAKER_02]: to literally

[00:26:01] [SPEAKER_02]: parachute a program

[00:26:03] [SPEAKER_02]: from either

[00:26:04] [SPEAKER_02]: UK or Europe

[00:26:05] [SPEAKER_02]: or US

[00:26:06] [SPEAKER_02]: and say,

[00:26:07] [SPEAKER_02]: well,

[00:26:07] [SPEAKER_02]: just adopt,

[00:26:08] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:26:09] [SPEAKER_02]: there's endless

[00:26:10] [SPEAKER_02]: number of

[00:26:10] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurship

[00:26:11] [SPEAKER_02]: programs.

[00:26:12] [SPEAKER_02]: But we said

[00:26:13] [SPEAKER_02]: no because,

[00:26:14] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:26:15] [SPEAKER_02]: we must build

[00:26:16] [SPEAKER_02]: something to last

[00:26:18] [SPEAKER_02]: and that

[00:26:19] [SPEAKER_02]: those seven

[00:26:20] [SPEAKER_02]: pillars,

[00:26:20] [SPEAKER_02]: it's,

[00:26:21] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:26:22] [SPEAKER_02]: 10 years on

[00:26:22] [SPEAKER_02]: are still

[00:26:23] [SPEAKER_02]: continuing.

[00:26:24] [SPEAKER_02]: So I think

[00:26:25] [SPEAKER_02]: partnerships

[00:26:26] [SPEAKER_02]: and collaboration

[00:26:27] [SPEAKER_02]: is a new

[00:26:28] [SPEAKER_02]: form of

[00:26:29] [SPEAKER_02]: development

[00:26:30] [SPEAKER_02]: that India

[00:26:32] [SPEAKER_02]: talks about

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_02]: when it says,

[00:26:34] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:26:34] [SPEAKER_02]: we are coming

[00:26:35] [SPEAKER_02]: to Africa

[00:26:36] [SPEAKER_02]: with a mindset

[00:26:37] [SPEAKER_02]: of working

[00:26:38] [SPEAKER_02]: in collaboration

[00:26:39] [SPEAKER_02]: and partnerships

[00:26:40] [SPEAKER_02]: with people

[00:26:42] [SPEAKER_02]: across the

[00:26:43] [SPEAKER_02]: African continent

[00:26:44] [SPEAKER_02]: that the

[00:26:44] [SPEAKER_02]: countries that

[00:26:45] [SPEAKER_02]: they're doing

[00:26:46] [SPEAKER_02]: business with.

[00:26:47] [SPEAKER_02]: But we have

[00:26:48] [SPEAKER_02]: to really

[00:26:49] [SPEAKER_02]: monitor and

[00:26:49] [SPEAKER_02]: see that

[00:26:50] [SPEAKER_02]: that is what

[00:26:51] [SPEAKER_02]: happens in

[00:26:52] [SPEAKER_02]: reality as well.

[00:26:53] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes,

[00:26:54] [SPEAKER_01]: two-way

[00:26:55] [SPEAKER_01]: partnerships

[00:26:55] [SPEAKER_01]: are important.

[00:26:56] [SPEAKER_01]: I agree

[00:26:57] [SPEAKER_01]: 100%.

[00:26:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I guess this

[00:26:59] [SPEAKER_01]: is in line

[00:26:59] [SPEAKER_01]: with something

[00:27:00] [SPEAKER_01]: that you

[00:27:00] [SPEAKER_01]: mentioned,

[00:27:01] [SPEAKER_01]: which is

[00:27:01] [SPEAKER_01]: the need

[00:27:01] [SPEAKER_01]: for reforms

[00:27:02] [SPEAKER_01]: in global

[00:27:03] [SPEAKER_01]: institutions

[00:27:04] [SPEAKER_01]: like the

[00:27:05] [SPEAKER_01]: IMF and

[00:27:06] [SPEAKER_01]: World Bank.

[00:27:07] [SPEAKER_01]: So what

[00:27:08] [SPEAKER_01]: specific

[00:27:08] [SPEAKER_01]: reforms do

[00:27:09] [SPEAKER_01]: you believe

[00:27:10] [SPEAKER_01]: would benefit

[00:27:11] [SPEAKER_01]: African

[00:27:12] [SPEAKER_01]: entrepreneurs?

[00:27:13] [SPEAKER_02]: Well,

[00:27:14] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean,

[00:27:14] [SPEAKER_02]: like,

[00:27:15] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:27:15] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean,

[00:27:15] [SPEAKER_02]: this is a

[00:27:16] [SPEAKER_02]: whole deeper

[00:27:17] [SPEAKER_02]: conversation

[00:27:18] [SPEAKER_02]: about,

[00:27:18] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:27:19] [SPEAKER_02]: you could

[00:27:20] [SPEAKER_02]: argue that

[00:27:20] [SPEAKER_02]: the IMF

[00:27:21] [SPEAKER_02]: and the

[00:27:21] [SPEAKER_02]: World Bank,

[00:27:22] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:27:23] [SPEAKER_02]: their policies

[00:27:24] [SPEAKER_02]: and strategies

[00:27:25] [SPEAKER_02]: has been

[00:27:26] [SPEAKER_02]: about how

[00:27:26] [SPEAKER_02]: to keep

[00:27:27] [SPEAKER_02]: the African

[00:27:28] [SPEAKER_02]: continent

[00:27:28] [SPEAKER_02]: underdeveloped,

[00:27:29] [SPEAKER_02]: yeah,

[00:27:30] [SPEAKER_02]: in terms of

[00:27:32] [SPEAKER_02]: just,

[00:27:32] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:27:33] [SPEAKER_02]: in layman's

[00:27:34] [SPEAKER_02]: person's

[00:27:34] [SPEAKER_02]: language of,

[00:27:35] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:27:36] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean,

[00:27:37] [SPEAKER_02]: how the

[00:27:39] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:27:39] [SPEAKER_02]: countries

[00:27:40] [SPEAKER_02]: and,

[00:27:42] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:27:42] [SPEAKER_02]: in terms of

[00:27:43] [SPEAKER_02]: the interest

[00:27:44] [SPEAKER_02]: that they

[00:27:45] [SPEAKER_02]: pay on the

[00:27:45] [SPEAKER_02]: loans that

[00:27:47] [SPEAKER_02]: their

[00:27:48] [SPEAKER_02]: governments

[00:27:48] [SPEAKER_02]: receive

[00:27:49] [SPEAKER_02]: and,

[00:27:50] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:27:51] [SPEAKER_02]: how for

[00:27:52] [SPEAKER_02]: the entire,

[00:27:52] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:27:54] [SPEAKER_02]: life cycle,

[00:27:55] [SPEAKER_02]: they remain

[00:27:56] [SPEAKER_02]: stuck in

[00:27:57] [SPEAKER_02]: just paying

[00:27:58] [SPEAKER_02]: off those,

[00:27:59] [SPEAKER_02]: the interest

[00:28:00] [SPEAKER_02]: on the

[00:28:01] [SPEAKER_02]: loans that

[00:28:02] [SPEAKER_02]: have been

[00:28:03] [SPEAKER_02]: given to

[00:28:03] [SPEAKER_02]: them,

[00:28:04] [SPEAKER_02]: right?

[00:28:04] [SPEAKER_02]: The reality

[00:28:06] [SPEAKER_02]: is that

[00:28:06] [SPEAKER_02]: a majority

[00:28:07] [SPEAKER_02]: of these

[00:28:08] [SPEAKER_02]: governments

[00:28:09] [SPEAKER_02]: are ending

[00:28:09] [SPEAKER_02]: up servicing

[00:28:10] [SPEAKER_02]: those loans

[00:28:11] [SPEAKER_02]: rather than

[00:28:12] [SPEAKER_02]: investing those

[00:28:13] [SPEAKER_02]: monies in

[00:28:14] [SPEAKER_02]: developing the

[00:28:15] [SPEAKER_02]: infrastructure

[00:28:15] [SPEAKER_02]: that's

[00:28:17] [SPEAKER_02]: absolutely

[00:28:17] [SPEAKER_02]: necessary

[00:28:18] [SPEAKER_02]: for

[00:28:19] [SPEAKER_02]: supporting

[00:28:20] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:28:20] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs,

[00:28:21] [SPEAKER_02]: right?

[00:28:22] [SPEAKER_02]: The,

[00:28:23] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:28:24] [SPEAKER_02]: investment in

[00:28:25] [SPEAKER_02]: health,

[00:28:25] [SPEAKER_02]: investment in

[00:28:26] [SPEAKER_02]: education,

[00:28:27] [SPEAKER_02]: investment in

[00:28:28] [SPEAKER_02]: agriculture,

[00:28:29] [SPEAKER_02]: investment in

[00:28:30] [SPEAKER_02]: transportation,

[00:28:31] [SPEAKER_02]: investment in

[00:28:32] [SPEAKER_02]: technology.

[00:28:34] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean,

[00:28:35] [SPEAKER_02]: those are the

[00:28:35] [SPEAKER_02]: things that

[00:28:37] [SPEAKER_02]: people across

[00:28:38] [SPEAKER_02]: the African

[00:28:38] [SPEAKER_02]: continent need.

[00:28:40] [SPEAKER_02]: But for

[00:28:41] [SPEAKER_02]: majority of

[00:28:42] [SPEAKER_02]: the government,

[00:28:43] [SPEAKER_02]: the money

[00:28:44] [SPEAKER_02]: that is

[00:28:45] [SPEAKER_02]: generated,

[00:28:46] [SPEAKER_02]: the revenues

[00:28:46] [SPEAKER_02]: that are

[00:28:47] [SPEAKER_02]: generated by the

[00:28:48] [SPEAKER_02]: government,

[00:28:49] [SPEAKER_02]: are going to

[00:28:49] [SPEAKER_02]: pay off some

[00:28:50] [SPEAKER_02]: interest loans

[00:28:52] [SPEAKER_02]: from the

[00:28:52] [SPEAKER_02]: IMF.

[00:28:53] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean,

[00:28:54] [SPEAKER_02]: that is what

[00:28:54] [SPEAKER_02]: now,

[00:28:55] [SPEAKER_02]: certainly the

[00:28:56] [SPEAKER_02]: G20 countries,

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER_02]: particularly in

[00:28:59] [SPEAKER_02]: terms of the

[00:28:59] [SPEAKER_02]: global south

[00:29:00] [SPEAKER_02]: voices,

[00:29:01] [SPEAKER_02]: and also the

[00:29:03] [SPEAKER_02]: enlarging of

[00:29:04] [SPEAKER_02]: the BRICS,

[00:29:05] [SPEAKER_02]: is calling

[00:29:06] [SPEAKER_02]: forward,

[00:29:06] [SPEAKER_02]: which is,

[00:29:07] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:29:08] [SPEAKER_02]: the methods

[00:29:10] [SPEAKER_02]: that these,

[00:29:11] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:29:11] [SPEAKER_02]: these terms

[00:29:12] [SPEAKER_02]: and conditions

[00:29:13] [SPEAKER_02]: need to

[00:29:13] [SPEAKER_02]: change.

[00:29:14] [SPEAKER_01]: As you mentioned,

[00:29:15] [SPEAKER_01]: this is a very

[00:29:16] [SPEAKER_01]: deeper conversation

[00:29:17] [SPEAKER_01]: that we could

[00:29:18] [SPEAKER_01]: probably have

[00:29:18] [SPEAKER_01]: a whole

[00:29:18] [SPEAKER_01]: podcast episode

[00:29:20] [SPEAKER_01]: solely on.

[00:29:21] [SPEAKER_01]: I guess there

[00:29:22] [SPEAKER_01]: are a lot of

[00:29:22] [SPEAKER_01]: lessons in

[00:29:23] [SPEAKER_01]: what you

[00:29:23] [SPEAKER_01]: just mentioned.

[00:29:24] [SPEAKER_01]: So looking

[00:29:25] [SPEAKER_01]: back on

[00:29:26] [SPEAKER_01]: your work

[00:29:27] [SPEAKER_01]: on the

[00:29:28] [SPEAKER_01]: continent,

[00:29:29] [SPEAKER_01]: what are

[00:29:29] [SPEAKER_01]: some of

[00:29:29] [SPEAKER_01]: the most

[00:29:29] [SPEAKER_01]: critical

[00:29:30] [SPEAKER_01]: lessons that

[00:29:30] [SPEAKER_01]: you've

[00:29:31] [SPEAKER_01]: learned

[00:29:31] [SPEAKER_01]: during this

[00:29:32] [SPEAKER_01]: journey?

[00:29:32] [SPEAKER_02]: I think

[00:29:34] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:29:35] [SPEAKER_02]: lessons

[00:29:35] [SPEAKER_02]: or the

[00:29:36] [SPEAKER_02]: impact

[00:29:36] [SPEAKER_02]: was

[00:29:37] [SPEAKER_02]: transformation,

[00:29:38] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:29:38] [SPEAKER_02]: that to

[00:29:39] [SPEAKER_02]: see the

[00:29:40] [SPEAKER_02]: transformation

[00:29:41] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:29:41] [SPEAKER_02]: thousands

[00:29:42] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:29:43] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs,

[00:29:43] [SPEAKER_02]: even now

[00:29:45] [SPEAKER_02]: as I travel

[00:29:46] [SPEAKER_02]: across the

[00:29:46] [SPEAKER_02]: continent,

[00:29:47] [SPEAKER_02]: I was in

[00:29:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Gabon

[00:29:48] [SPEAKER_02]: in June,

[00:29:49] [SPEAKER_02]: I'll be

[00:29:50] [SPEAKER_02]: going to

[00:29:50] [SPEAKER_02]: South Africa,

[00:29:51] [SPEAKER_02]: I continue

[00:29:52] [SPEAKER_02]: to work

[00:29:53] [SPEAKER_02]: with many

[00:29:54] [SPEAKER_02]: of the

[00:29:54] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs

[00:29:55] [SPEAKER_02]: either in

[00:29:56] [SPEAKER_02]: advisory

[00:29:57] [SPEAKER_02]: capacity

[00:29:57] [SPEAKER_02]: or just

[00:29:59] [SPEAKER_02]: being a

[00:29:59] [SPEAKER_02]: mentor,

[00:30:00] [SPEAKER_02]: like I

[00:30:00] [SPEAKER_02]: was talking

[00:30:01] [SPEAKER_02]: to this

[00:30:02] [SPEAKER_02]: young man

[00:30:02] [SPEAKER_02]: yesterday

[00:30:03] [SPEAKER_02]: who set

[00:30:04] [SPEAKER_02]: up an

[00:30:05] [SPEAKER_02]: animation

[00:30:05] [SPEAKER_02]: studio

[00:30:06] [SPEAKER_02]: in

[00:30:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Tanzania,

[00:30:09] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:30:10] [SPEAKER_02]: to be

[00:30:10] [SPEAKER_02]: open

[00:30:11] [SPEAKER_02]: to support

[00:30:14] [SPEAKER_02]: and that's,

[00:30:15] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:30:16] [SPEAKER_02]: we need a

[00:30:16] [SPEAKER_02]: lot more

[00:30:17] [SPEAKER_02]: of that,

[00:30:17] [SPEAKER_02]: that believe

[00:30:19] [SPEAKER_02]: in the

[00:30:21] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:30:21] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs

[00:30:22] [SPEAKER_02]: who are

[00:30:22] [SPEAKER_02]: staying

[00:30:23] [SPEAKER_02]: in the

[00:30:23] [SPEAKER_02]: continent,

[00:30:24] [SPEAKER_02]: who are

[00:30:25] [SPEAKER_02]: working day

[00:30:26] [SPEAKER_02]: in,

[00:30:26] [SPEAKER_02]: day out,

[00:30:27] [SPEAKER_02]: to

[00:30:28] [SPEAKER_02]: generate,

[00:30:30] [SPEAKER_02]: create

[00:30:30] [SPEAKER_02]: jobs,

[00:30:31] [SPEAKER_02]: generate

[00:30:31] [SPEAKER_02]: revenues

[00:30:32] [SPEAKER_02]: for them,

[00:30:34] [SPEAKER_02]: for themselves,

[00:30:34] [SPEAKER_02]: for their

[00:30:35] [SPEAKER_02]: families and

[00:30:35] [SPEAKER_02]: for their

[00:30:36] [SPEAKER_02]: communities

[00:30:36] [SPEAKER_02]: who are

[00:30:37] [SPEAKER_02]: really

[00:30:37] [SPEAKER_02]: transforming,

[00:30:39] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:30:40] [SPEAKER_02]: their countries

[00:30:42] [SPEAKER_02]: and their

[00:30:43] [SPEAKER_02]: communities

[00:30:43] [SPEAKER_02]: that,

[00:30:44] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:30:45] [SPEAKER_02]: the best

[00:30:45] [SPEAKER_02]: thing,

[00:30:46] [SPEAKER_02]: ways that

[00:30:46] [SPEAKER_02]: we can

[00:30:47] [SPEAKER_02]: support

[00:30:47] [SPEAKER_02]: them

[00:30:47] [SPEAKER_02]: is by,

[00:30:49] [SPEAKER_02]: is through

[00:30:49] [SPEAKER_02]: mentoring

[00:30:49] [SPEAKER_02]: and through

[00:30:51] [SPEAKER_02]: just amplifying

[00:30:53] [SPEAKER_02]: their

[00:30:54] [SPEAKER_02]: extraordinary

[00:30:54] [SPEAKER_02]: business

[00:30:55] [SPEAKER_02]: success

[00:30:56] [SPEAKER_02]: stories

[00:30:56] [SPEAKER_02]: and stories

[00:30:58] [SPEAKER_02]: of failure

[00:30:58] [SPEAKER_02]: too,

[00:30:59] [SPEAKER_02]: because it's

[00:30:59] [SPEAKER_02]: only when

[00:31:00] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs

[00:31:01] [SPEAKER_02]: fail that

[00:31:02] [SPEAKER_02]: they learn.

[00:31:04] [SPEAKER_02]: You're only

[00:31:04] [SPEAKER_02]: a failure

[00:31:05] [SPEAKER_02]: if you don't,

[00:31:06] [SPEAKER_02]: I believe

[00:31:07] [SPEAKER_02]: that if you

[00:31:08] [SPEAKER_02]: don't actually

[00:31:08] [SPEAKER_02]: apply those

[00:31:10] [SPEAKER_02]: lessons that

[00:31:11] [SPEAKER_02]: you've learned

[00:31:11] [SPEAKER_02]: into your,

[00:31:12] [SPEAKER_02]: in your next

[00:31:13] [SPEAKER_02]: venture.

[00:31:14] [SPEAKER_02]: So I think

[00:31:15] [SPEAKER_02]: the transformation,

[00:31:16] [SPEAKER_02]: I saw it

[00:31:17] [SPEAKER_02]: of the

[00:31:17] [SPEAKER_02]: continent,

[00:31:18] [SPEAKER_02]: I did see a

[00:31:19] [SPEAKER_02]: transformation

[00:31:20] [SPEAKER_02]: in the mindset

[00:31:21] [SPEAKER_02]: of those

[00:31:22] [SPEAKER_02]: external agencies

[00:31:24] [SPEAKER_02]: as they

[00:31:25] [SPEAKER_02]: embraced

[00:31:25] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurship.

[00:31:27] [SPEAKER_02]: Within a

[00:31:28] [SPEAKER_02]: year of

[00:31:29] [SPEAKER_02]: launching the

[00:31:29] [SPEAKER_02]: program

[00:31:30] [SPEAKER_02]: in 2015,

[00:31:31] [SPEAKER_02]: we had

[00:31:32] [SPEAKER_02]: partnerships

[00:31:33] [SPEAKER_02]: with GIZ,

[00:31:34] [SPEAKER_02]: a German

[00:31:34] [SPEAKER_02]: development

[00:31:35] [SPEAKER_02]: agency,

[00:31:35] [SPEAKER_02]: with the

[00:31:37] [SPEAKER_02]: ICRC,

[00:31:39] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:31:40] [SPEAKER_02]: International

[00:31:40] [SPEAKER_02]: Red Cross,

[00:31:41] [SPEAKER_02]: UNDP,

[00:31:42] [SPEAKER_02]: in a

[00:31:43] [SPEAKER_02]: massive way.

[00:31:44] [SPEAKER_02]: All of

[00:31:45] [SPEAKER_02]: these

[00:31:45] [SPEAKER_02]: organizations

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_02]: suddenly

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_02]: began to

[00:31:47] [SPEAKER_02]: embrace

[00:31:48] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurship.

[00:31:49] [SPEAKER_02]: I think

[00:31:51] [SPEAKER_02]: the fact

[00:31:53] [SPEAKER_02]: that,

[00:31:53] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:31:54] [SPEAKER_02]: that we,

[00:31:55] [SPEAKER_02]: the program

[00:31:55] [SPEAKER_02]: did continue

[00:31:56] [SPEAKER_02]: from 2014

[00:31:57] [SPEAKER_02]: to its,

[00:31:58] [SPEAKER_02]: from its

[00:31:59] [SPEAKER_02]: launch

[00:31:59] [SPEAKER_02]: to 2024

[00:32:01] [SPEAKER_02]: with having

[00:32:03] [SPEAKER_02]: spent,

[00:32:04] [SPEAKER_02]: spent,

[00:32:04] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:32:05] [SPEAKER_02]: invested $100

[00:32:05] [SPEAKER_02]: million

[00:32:06] [SPEAKER_02]: plus more

[00:32:08] [SPEAKER_02]: money because

[00:32:09] [SPEAKER_02]: we did

[00:32:10] [SPEAKER_02]: attract

[00:32:10] [SPEAKER_02]: additional

[00:32:11] [SPEAKER_02]: funds

[00:32:11] [SPEAKER_02]: from these

[00:32:13] [SPEAKER_02]: agencies.

[00:32:14] [SPEAKER_02]: But,

[00:32:15] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:32:15] [SPEAKER_02]: more importantly

[00:32:16] [SPEAKER_02]: that,

[00:32:17] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:32:18] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean,

[00:32:18] [SPEAKER_02]: thousands,

[00:32:20] [SPEAKER_02]: millions of

[00:32:20] [SPEAKER_02]: jobs have

[00:32:21] [SPEAKER_02]: been created

[00:32:22] [SPEAKER_02]: by those

[00:32:22] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs

[00:32:23] [SPEAKER_02]: and revenues

[00:32:25] [SPEAKER_02]: generated that

[00:32:26] [SPEAKER_02]: contribute to

[00:32:28] [SPEAKER_02]: the economies

[00:32:28] [SPEAKER_02]: of those 54

[00:32:29] [SPEAKER_02]: African countries.

[00:32:31] [SPEAKER_01]: Mentorship is

[00:32:32] [SPEAKER_01]: a big part of

[00:32:33] [SPEAKER_01]: your work,

[00:32:34] [SPEAKER_01]: as you just

[00:32:34] [SPEAKER_01]: mentioned there,

[00:32:35] [SPEAKER_01]: which I guess

[00:32:36] [SPEAKER_01]: gives you the

[00:32:36] [SPEAKER_01]: opportunity to

[00:32:37] [SPEAKER_01]: work with

[00:32:38] [SPEAKER_01]: the youth

[00:32:39] [SPEAKER_01]: directly.

[00:32:40] [SPEAKER_01]: Within your

[00:32:41] [SPEAKER_01]: report,

[00:32:42] [SPEAKER_01]: you describe

[00:32:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Africa as

[00:32:44] [SPEAKER_01]: the epicenter

[00:32:44] [SPEAKER_01]: of the

[00:32:45] [SPEAKER_01]: global

[00:32:46] [SPEAKER_01]: youth quake.

[00:32:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Can you

[00:32:48] [SPEAKER_01]: explain to

[00:32:48] [SPEAKER_01]: us what

[00:32:49] [SPEAKER_01]: is the

[00:32:49] [SPEAKER_01]: youth quake?

[00:32:50] [SPEAKER_02]: Well,

[00:32:51] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean,

[00:32:51] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:32:52] [SPEAKER_02]: it's a nice

[00:32:52] [SPEAKER_02]: term.

[00:32:53] [SPEAKER_02]: It's a very

[00:32:54] [SPEAKER_01]: nice term.

[00:32:54] [SPEAKER_01]: I like it.

[00:32:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:32:55] [SPEAKER_02]: So,

[00:32:56] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:32:56] [SPEAKER_02]: it's like,

[00:32:57] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:32:57] [SPEAKER_02]: there was a

[00:32:58] [SPEAKER_02]: time when

[00:32:59] [SPEAKER_02]: the population

[00:33:00] [SPEAKER_02]: time bomb,

[00:33:01] [SPEAKER_02]: the ticking

[00:33:01] [SPEAKER_02]: time bomb

[00:33:02] [SPEAKER_02]: is the

[00:33:03] [SPEAKER_02]: growing population.

[00:33:05] [SPEAKER_02]: Well,

[00:33:05] [SPEAKER_02]: actually,

[00:33:06] [SPEAKER_02]: for the

[00:33:06] [SPEAKER_02]: African continent,

[00:33:07] [SPEAKER_02]: it is an

[00:33:08] [SPEAKER_02]: extraordinary

[00:33:09] [SPEAKER_02]: asset as

[00:33:10] [SPEAKER_02]: countries like

[00:33:11] [SPEAKER_02]: Japan,

[00:33:12] [SPEAKER_02]: China,

[00:33:12] [SPEAKER_02]: and we

[00:33:14] [SPEAKER_02]: know all

[00:33:15] [SPEAKER_02]: of Europe

[00:33:16] [SPEAKER_02]: really deal

[00:33:17] [SPEAKER_02]: with the

[00:33:18] [SPEAKER_02]: fact that

[00:33:18] [SPEAKER_02]: we've got

[00:33:19] [SPEAKER_02]: an aging

[00:33:19] [SPEAKER_02]: population as

[00:33:20] [SPEAKER_02]: opposed to

[00:33:21] [SPEAKER_02]: a young

[00:33:22] [SPEAKER_02]: productive

[00:33:22] [SPEAKER_02]: population.

[00:33:24] [SPEAKER_02]: So,

[00:33:25] [SPEAKER_02]: for me,

[00:33:26] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:33:27] [SPEAKER_02]: the African

[00:33:27] [SPEAKER_02]: continent's

[00:33:28] [SPEAKER_02]: biggest asset

[00:33:30] [SPEAKER_02]: is,

[00:33:30] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:33:31] [SPEAKER_02]: when we think

[00:33:31] [SPEAKER_02]: of Africa,

[00:33:32] [SPEAKER_02]: people always

[00:33:33] [SPEAKER_02]: talk about

[00:33:33] [SPEAKER_02]: animals and

[00:33:34] [SPEAKER_02]: what's

[00:33:35] [SPEAKER_02]: underneath in

[00:33:36] [SPEAKER_02]: the soil,

[00:33:36] [SPEAKER_02]: the minerals.

[00:33:37] [SPEAKER_02]: But for

[00:33:38] [SPEAKER_02]: me,

[00:33:39] [SPEAKER_02]: having lived

[00:33:40] [SPEAKER_02]: and traveled

[00:33:41] [SPEAKER_02]: across many

[00:33:42] [SPEAKER_02]: of 30,

[00:33:43] [SPEAKER_02]: 40 plus

[00:33:44] [SPEAKER_02]: countries across

[00:33:45] [SPEAKER_02]: the African

[00:33:45] [SPEAKER_02]: continent,

[00:33:47] [SPEAKER_02]: its biggest

[00:33:47] [SPEAKER_02]: asset is

[00:33:48] [SPEAKER_02]: its young

[00:33:48] [SPEAKER_02]: people.

[00:33:49] [SPEAKER_02]: It's people,

[00:33:50] [SPEAKER_02]: young and

[00:33:51] [SPEAKER_02]: old,

[00:33:51] [SPEAKER_02]: right?

[00:33:52] [SPEAKER_02]: And that

[00:33:53] [SPEAKER_02]: is what

[00:33:53] [SPEAKER_02]: everyone must

[00:33:55] [SPEAKER_02]: celebrate and

[00:33:56] [SPEAKER_02]: everyone must

[00:33:57] [SPEAKER_02]: harness.

[00:33:58] [SPEAKER_02]: Nobody that

[00:33:59] [SPEAKER_02]: I met across

[00:34:00] [SPEAKER_02]: the African

[00:34:00] [SPEAKER_02]: continent

[00:34:01] [SPEAKER_02]: were desperately

[00:34:02] [SPEAKER_02]: trying to

[00:34:02] [SPEAKER_02]: leave the

[00:34:03] [SPEAKER_02]: countries

[00:34:03] [SPEAKER_02]: and dying

[00:34:05] [SPEAKER_02]: in the

[00:34:06] [SPEAKER_02]: Mediterranean

[00:34:07] [SPEAKER_02]: what they

[00:34:08] [SPEAKER_02]: were looking

[00:34:09] [SPEAKER_02]: for was

[00:34:10] [SPEAKER_02]: opportunities.

[00:34:11] [SPEAKER_02]: And that

[00:34:12] [SPEAKER_02]: also,

[00:34:13] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:34:13] [SPEAKER_02]: we also

[00:34:13] [SPEAKER_02]: have to

[00:34:14] [SPEAKER_02]: say that

[00:34:15] [SPEAKER_02]: the African

[00:34:16] [SPEAKER_02]: government

[00:34:17] [SPEAKER_02]: across those

[00:34:17] [SPEAKER_02]: 54 economies

[00:34:19] [SPEAKER_02]: could work

[00:34:21] [SPEAKER_02]: more in

[00:34:21] [SPEAKER_02]: the interest

[00:34:22] [SPEAKER_02]: of Africa

[00:34:23] [SPEAKER_02]: and Africans

[00:34:24] [SPEAKER_02]: and not

[00:34:25] [SPEAKER_02]: just in

[00:34:27] [SPEAKER_02]: the interest

[00:34:27] [SPEAKER_02]: of their

[00:34:28] [SPEAKER_02]: three,

[00:34:29] [SPEAKER_02]: four-year

[00:34:29] [SPEAKER_02]: terms as

[00:34:31] [SPEAKER_02]: politicians.

[00:34:32] [SPEAKER_02]: There's a

[00:34:33] [SPEAKER_02]: lot more

[00:34:34] [SPEAKER_02]: that the

[00:34:37] [SPEAKER_02]: regime can

[00:34:38] [SPEAKER_02]: do for

[00:34:39] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:34:39] [SPEAKER_02]: development

[00:34:39] [SPEAKER_02]: of Africa.

[00:34:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes,

[00:34:41] [SPEAKER_01]: the youth

[00:34:42] [SPEAKER_01]: are an

[00:34:43] [SPEAKER_01]: extraordinary

[00:34:43] [SPEAKER_01]: asset for

[00:34:44] [SPEAKER_01]: the continent.

[00:34:45] [SPEAKER_01]: So,

[00:34:45] [SPEAKER_01]: looking at

[00:34:46] [SPEAKER_01]: that,

[00:34:46] [SPEAKER_01]: what unique

[00:34:47] [SPEAKER_01]: opportunities

[00:34:48] [SPEAKER_01]: do you

[00:34:48] [SPEAKER_01]: believe this

[00:34:49] [SPEAKER_01]: specific

[00:34:50] [SPEAKER_01]: young

[00:34:51] [SPEAKER_01]: group

[00:34:51] [SPEAKER_01]: demographic

[00:34:52] [SPEAKER_01]: presents

[00:34:53] [SPEAKER_01]: for

[00:34:53] [SPEAKER_01]: specifically

[00:34:54] [SPEAKER_01]: entrepreneurship

[00:34:55] [SPEAKER_01]: on the

[00:34:56] [SPEAKER_01]: continent?

[00:34:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And how

[00:34:57] [SPEAKER_01]: could we

[00:34:58] [SPEAKER_01]: potentially

[00:34:58] [SPEAKER_01]: capitalise

[00:35:00] [SPEAKER_01]: or use

[00:35:01] [SPEAKER_01]: that to

[00:35:02] [SPEAKER_01]: the greater

[00:35:02] [SPEAKER_01]: good?

[00:35:03] [SPEAKER_02]: Well,

[00:35:04] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:35:05] [SPEAKER_02]: I think,

[00:35:05] [SPEAKER_02]: yes,

[00:35:06] [SPEAKER_02]: you can have

[00:35:07] [SPEAKER_02]: lots and

[00:35:07] [SPEAKER_02]: lots of

[00:35:08] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurship

[00:35:09] [SPEAKER_02]: programmes,

[00:35:10] [SPEAKER_02]: but those

[00:35:11] [SPEAKER_02]: programmes in

[00:35:12] [SPEAKER_02]: themselves

[00:35:13] [SPEAKER_02]: don't solve

[00:35:14] [SPEAKER_02]: the problem

[00:35:15] [SPEAKER_02]: and the

[00:35:16] [SPEAKER_02]: problem is

[00:35:17] [SPEAKER_02]: of employment,

[00:35:18] [SPEAKER_02]: of job

[00:35:19] [SPEAKER_02]: creation.

[00:35:21] [SPEAKER_02]: You know,

[00:35:22] [SPEAKER_02]: there's the

[00:35:22] [SPEAKER_02]: mindset of,

[00:35:23] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:35:24] [SPEAKER_02]: what is the

[00:35:24] [SPEAKER_02]: government that

[00:35:25] [SPEAKER_02]: creates jobs?

[00:35:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Well,

[00:35:26] [SPEAKER_02]: that is not

[00:35:27] [SPEAKER_02]: true.

[00:35:27] [SPEAKER_02]: It's the

[00:35:28] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs

[00:35:28] [SPEAKER_02]: who create

[00:35:30] [SPEAKER_02]: the most

[00:35:30] [SPEAKER_02]: jobs

[00:35:31] [SPEAKER_02]: anywhere

[00:35:31] [SPEAKER_02]: in the

[00:35:32] [SPEAKER_02]: world.

[00:35:32] [SPEAKER_02]: It's the

[00:35:32] [SPEAKER_02]: SMEs that

[00:35:34] [SPEAKER_02]: drive,

[00:35:34] [SPEAKER_02]: that are

[00:35:35] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:35:35] [SPEAKER_02]: heartbeat

[00:35:36] [SPEAKER_02]: or the

[00:35:37] [SPEAKER_02]: blood

[00:35:37] [SPEAKER_02]: of those

[00:35:39] [SPEAKER_02]: countries

[00:35:40] [SPEAKER_02]: and those

[00:35:41] [SPEAKER_02]: continents.

[00:35:42] [SPEAKER_02]: So for

[00:35:43] [SPEAKER_02]: me,

[00:35:44] [SPEAKER_02]: it's like

[00:35:45] [SPEAKER_02]: you can

[00:35:45] [SPEAKER_02]: never,

[00:35:45] [SPEAKER_02]: ever invest

[00:35:47] [SPEAKER_02]: enough in

[00:35:48] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurship

[00:35:49] [SPEAKER_02]: development,

[00:35:50] [SPEAKER_02]: but you

[00:35:51] [SPEAKER_02]: must also

[00:35:52] [SPEAKER_02]: create the

[00:35:53] [SPEAKER_02]: enabling

[00:35:53] [SPEAKER_02]: environment

[00:35:54] [SPEAKER_02]: where these

[00:35:54] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs

[00:35:55] [SPEAKER_02]: can actually

[00:35:56] [SPEAKER_02]: thrive,

[00:35:57] [SPEAKER_02]: right?

[00:35:57] [SPEAKER_02]: And that's

[00:35:58] [SPEAKER_02]: around

[00:35:59] [SPEAKER_02]: regulation.

[00:36:00] [SPEAKER_02]: That's

[00:36:00] [SPEAKER_02]: around,

[00:36:01] [SPEAKER_02]: and those

[00:36:01] [SPEAKER_02]: are the

[00:36:02] [SPEAKER_02]: things that

[00:36:02] [SPEAKER_02]: the government

[00:36:02] [SPEAKER_02]: can do,

[00:36:03] [SPEAKER_02]: regulation,

[00:36:05] [SPEAKER_02]: and make

[00:36:05] [SPEAKER_02]: it the

[00:36:06] [SPEAKER_02]: ease of

[00:36:07] [SPEAKER_02]: doing

[00:36:07] [SPEAKER_02]: business

[00:36:08] [SPEAKER_02]: for its

[00:36:09] [SPEAKER_02]: own

[00:36:09] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs,

[00:36:10] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:36:11] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs,

[00:36:12] [SPEAKER_02]: as well

[00:36:12] [SPEAKER_02]: as those

[00:36:13] [SPEAKER_02]: who want

[00:36:14] [SPEAKER_02]: to come

[00:36:14] [SPEAKER_02]: to Africa

[00:36:15] [SPEAKER_02]: as

[00:36:15] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs

[00:36:16] [SPEAKER_02]: and bring

[00:36:17] [SPEAKER_02]: ideas and

[00:36:18] [SPEAKER_02]: solutions,

[00:36:19] [SPEAKER_02]: but actually

[00:36:20] [SPEAKER_02]: that they're

[00:36:20] [SPEAKER_02]: going to

[00:36:21] [SPEAKER_02]: keep the

[00:36:22] [SPEAKER_02]: capital

[00:36:22] [SPEAKER_02]: in the

[00:36:23] [SPEAKER_02]: continent.

[00:36:24] [SPEAKER_02]: I think

[00:36:25] [SPEAKER_02]: it's really

[00:36:26] [SPEAKER_02]: important that

[00:36:27] [SPEAKER_02]: the governments

[00:36:27] [SPEAKER_02]: begin to

[00:36:28] [SPEAKER_02]: invest in

[00:36:29] [SPEAKER_02]: infrastructure

[00:36:30] [SPEAKER_02]: development

[00:36:31] [SPEAKER_02]: across the

[00:36:33] [SPEAKER_02]: continent.

[00:36:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Wouldn't it

[00:36:34] [SPEAKER_02]: be amazing

[00:36:35] [SPEAKER_02]: if you

[00:36:35] [SPEAKER_02]: could fly

[00:36:36] [SPEAKER_02]: from Ghana

[00:36:37] [SPEAKER_02]: to Rwanda

[00:36:40] [SPEAKER_02]: and back

[00:36:41] [SPEAKER_02]: to Nigeria

[00:36:42] [SPEAKER_02]: while remaining

[00:36:43] [SPEAKER_02]: within the

[00:36:44] [SPEAKER_02]: continent?

[00:36:45] [SPEAKER_02]: You often

[00:36:46] [SPEAKER_02]: have to go

[00:36:46] [SPEAKER_02]: to Europe

[00:36:47] [SPEAKER_02]: in order to

[00:36:48] [SPEAKER_02]: come back

[00:36:48] [SPEAKER_02]: into Africa.

[00:36:50] [SPEAKER_02]: I think

[00:36:51] [SPEAKER_02]: infrastructure

[00:36:53] [SPEAKER_02]: development,

[00:36:54] [SPEAKER_02]: absolutely.

[00:36:54] [SPEAKER_02]: I think

[00:36:55] [SPEAKER_02]: technology

[00:36:56] [SPEAKER_02]: is the

[00:36:57] [SPEAKER_02]: biggest

[00:36:57] [SPEAKER_02]: game

[00:36:58] [SPEAKER_02]: changer.

[00:36:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Already

[00:36:59] [SPEAKER_02]: the African

[00:37:00] [SPEAKER_02]: continent

[00:37:01] [SPEAKER_02]: has leapfrogged

[00:37:02] [SPEAKER_02]: many of

[00:37:03] [SPEAKER_02]: the legacy

[00:37:03] [SPEAKER_02]: issues around

[00:37:04] [SPEAKER_02]: technology.

[00:37:05] [SPEAKER_02]: I saw

[00:37:06] [SPEAKER_02]: in front

[00:37:06] [SPEAKER_02]: of my

[00:37:07] [SPEAKER_02]: eyes how

[00:37:08] [SPEAKER_02]: legacy

[00:37:09] [SPEAKER_02]: banks

[00:37:09] [SPEAKER_02]: were forced

[00:37:11] [SPEAKER_02]: into

[00:37:11] [SPEAKER_02]: embracing

[00:37:12] [SPEAKER_02]: technology,

[00:37:14] [SPEAKER_02]: right?

[00:37:14] [SPEAKER_02]: How

[00:37:15] [SPEAKER_02]: agriculture

[00:37:16] [SPEAKER_02]: is being

[00:37:17] [SPEAKER_02]: transformed

[00:37:17] [SPEAKER_02]: as a

[00:37:18] [SPEAKER_02]: result of

[00:37:19] [SPEAKER_02]: technology

[00:37:20] [SPEAKER_02]: and one

[00:37:21] [SPEAKER_02]: can go

[00:37:21] [SPEAKER_02]: on talking

[00:37:22] [SPEAKER_02]: about all

[00:37:23] [SPEAKER_02]: the other

[00:37:23] [SPEAKER_02]: sectors as

[00:37:24] [SPEAKER_02]: well.

[00:37:24] [SPEAKER_02]: technology

[00:37:25] [SPEAKER_02]: and leveraging

[00:37:26] [SPEAKER_02]: technology for

[00:37:27] [SPEAKER_02]: that

[00:37:28] [SPEAKER_02]: transformation

[00:37:28] [SPEAKER_02]: is

[00:37:29] [SPEAKER_02]: fundamental

[00:37:30] [SPEAKER_02]: and the

[00:37:31] [SPEAKER_02]: investment

[00:37:31] [SPEAKER_02]: in that

[00:37:32] [SPEAKER_02]: technology

[00:37:33] [SPEAKER_02]: infrastructure.

[00:37:34] [SPEAKER_02]: I think

[00:37:35] [SPEAKER_02]: the development

[00:37:36] [SPEAKER_02]: of talent,

[00:37:37] [SPEAKER_02]: of skills,

[00:37:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Africa has

[00:37:40] [SPEAKER_02]: the people,

[00:37:41] [SPEAKER_02]: the capacity

[00:37:42] [SPEAKER_02]: and what we

[00:37:43] [SPEAKER_02]: need to do

[00:37:44] [SPEAKER_02]: is to see

[00:37:45] [SPEAKER_02]: greater

[00:37:46] [SPEAKER_02]: and increased

[00:37:47] [SPEAKER_02]: investment

[00:37:48] [SPEAKER_02]: in the

[00:37:49] [SPEAKER_02]: development

[00:37:49] [SPEAKER_02]: of that

[00:37:50] [SPEAKER_02]: talent in

[00:37:51] [SPEAKER_02]: terms of

[00:37:51] [SPEAKER_02]: skills

[00:37:51] [SPEAKER_02]: development.

[00:37:52] [SPEAKER_02]: and then

[00:37:54] [SPEAKER_02]: you have

[00:37:55] [SPEAKER_02]: to keep

[00:37:55] [SPEAKER_02]: the supply

[00:37:56] [SPEAKER_02]: chains

[00:37:57] [SPEAKER_02]: on the

[00:37:57] [SPEAKER_02]: continent

[00:37:58] [SPEAKER_02]: so that

[00:37:59] [SPEAKER_02]: all of

[00:38:01] [SPEAKER_02]: these people

[00:38:01] [SPEAKER_02]: who are

[00:38:01] [SPEAKER_02]: getting the

[00:38:02] [SPEAKER_02]: training

[00:38:02] [SPEAKER_02]: and skills

[00:38:03] [SPEAKER_02]: development

[00:38:04] [SPEAKER_02]: are actually

[00:38:05] [SPEAKER_02]: able to

[00:38:06] [SPEAKER_02]: then work

[00:38:08] [SPEAKER_02]: and they

[00:38:08] [SPEAKER_02]: become part

[00:38:09] [SPEAKER_02]: of those

[00:38:09] [SPEAKER_02]: value chains

[00:38:10] [SPEAKER_02]: so that

[00:38:12] [SPEAKER_02]: they can

[00:38:12] [SPEAKER_02]: bring their

[00:38:13] [SPEAKER_02]: skills.

[00:38:13] [SPEAKER_02]: I'll give

[00:38:15] [SPEAKER_02]: you an

[00:38:15] [SPEAKER_02]: example.

[00:38:16] [SPEAKER_02]: When I

[00:38:16] [SPEAKER_02]: first

[00:38:17] [SPEAKER_02]: launched

[00:38:17] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:38:18] [SPEAKER_02]: program

[00:38:18] [SPEAKER_02]: we

[00:38:18] [SPEAKER_02]: rented

[00:38:19] [SPEAKER_02]: two

[00:38:20] [SPEAKER_02]: platforms

[00:38:21] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:38:21] [SPEAKER_02]: application

[00:38:21] [SPEAKER_02]: platform

[00:38:22] [SPEAKER_02]: and the

[00:38:23] [SPEAKER_02]: mental

[00:38:23] [SPEAKER_02]: learning

[00:38:24] [SPEAKER_02]: platform

[00:38:24] [SPEAKER_02]: from

[00:38:25] [SPEAKER_02]: outside

[00:38:26] [SPEAKER_02]: the US

[00:38:27] [SPEAKER_02]: and the UK

[00:38:28] [SPEAKER_02]: and it

[00:38:29] [SPEAKER_02]: became really

[00:38:29] [SPEAKER_02]: critical for

[00:38:30] [SPEAKER_02]: me to

[00:38:31] [SPEAKER_02]: build our

[00:38:31] [SPEAKER_02]: own

[00:38:32] [SPEAKER_02]: technology

[00:38:33] [SPEAKER_02]: platforms

[00:38:33] [SPEAKER_02]: and I

[00:38:34] [SPEAKER_02]: did that

[00:38:35] [SPEAKER_02]: by engaging

[00:38:36] [SPEAKER_02]: local

[00:38:38] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:38:39] [SPEAKER_02]: primarily

[00:38:39] [SPEAKER_02]: this was

[00:38:40] [SPEAKER_02]: from Nigeria

[00:38:41] [SPEAKER_02]: software

[00:38:42] [SPEAKER_02]: developers

[00:38:43] [SPEAKER_02]: and to

[00:38:44] [SPEAKER_02]: everyone's

[00:38:45] [SPEAKER_02]: amazement

[00:38:45] [SPEAKER_02]: we were

[00:38:46] [SPEAKER_02]: able to

[00:38:47] [SPEAKER_02]: build

[00:38:48] [SPEAKER_02]: our own

[00:38:49] [SPEAKER_02]: application

[00:38:49] [SPEAKER_02]: platform

[00:38:50] [SPEAKER_02]: and went

[00:38:51] [SPEAKER_02]: on to

[00:38:52] [SPEAKER_02]: build

[00:38:52] [SPEAKER_02]: many more

[00:38:53] [SPEAKER_02]: technology

[00:38:53] [SPEAKER_02]: platforms

[00:38:54] [SPEAKER_02]: but they

[00:38:55] [SPEAKER_02]: were built

[00:38:55] [SPEAKER_02]: entirely

[00:38:56] [SPEAKER_02]: using

[00:38:57] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:38:57] [SPEAKER_02]: talent.

[00:38:59] [SPEAKER_02]: There is

[00:38:59] [SPEAKER_02]: no shortage

[00:38:59] [SPEAKER_02]: of skilled

[00:39:00] [SPEAKER_02]: people,

[00:39:01] [SPEAKER_02]: there is

[00:39:01] [SPEAKER_02]: no shortage

[00:39:01] [SPEAKER_02]: of the

[00:39:02] [SPEAKER_02]: hunger

[00:39:03] [SPEAKER_02]: across

[00:39:04] [SPEAKER_02]: the continent

[00:39:05] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean

[00:39:05] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm

[00:39:05] [SPEAKER_02]: talking about

[00:39:06] [SPEAKER_02]: hunger

[00:39:06] [SPEAKER_02]: to succeed,

[00:39:08] [SPEAKER_02]: hunger

[00:39:08] [SPEAKER_02]: to innovate,

[00:39:10] [SPEAKER_02]: hunger

[00:39:10] [SPEAKER_02]: to really

[00:39:11] [SPEAKER_02]: make a

[00:39:12] [SPEAKER_02]: difference

[00:39:12] [SPEAKER_02]: is there

[00:39:13] [SPEAKER_02]: in the

[00:39:14] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:39:15] [SPEAKER_02]: DNA.

[00:39:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Fantastic,

[00:39:17] [SPEAKER_01]: fantastic.

[00:39:18] [SPEAKER_01]: I guess

[00:39:19] [SPEAKER_01]: one thing

[00:39:19] [SPEAKER_01]: we do

[00:39:19] [SPEAKER_01]: see with

[00:39:20] [SPEAKER_01]: youth

[00:39:20] [SPEAKER_01]: is

[00:39:21] [SPEAKER_01]: innovation

[00:39:22] [SPEAKER_01]: and

[00:39:23] [SPEAKER_01]: new

[00:39:23] [SPEAKER_01]: trends.

[00:39:24] [SPEAKER_01]: If we

[00:39:25] [SPEAKER_01]: look at

[00:39:26] [SPEAKER_01]: that,

[00:39:26] [SPEAKER_01]: are there

[00:39:26] [SPEAKER_01]: any

[00:39:26] [SPEAKER_01]: new

[00:39:27] [SPEAKER_01]: trends

[00:39:28] [SPEAKER_01]: that

[00:39:28] [SPEAKER_01]: you're

[00:39:28] [SPEAKER_01]: seeing

[00:39:28] [SPEAKER_01]: in

[00:39:29] [SPEAKER_01]: African

[00:39:29] [SPEAKER_01]: entrepreneurship

[00:39:30] [SPEAKER_01]: that

[00:39:30] [SPEAKER_01]: you're

[00:39:31] [SPEAKER_01]: currently

[00:39:31] [SPEAKER_01]: excited

[00:39:32] [SPEAKER_01]: about?

[00:39:33] [SPEAKER_02]: I was

[00:39:33] [SPEAKER_02]: mentoring

[00:39:34] [SPEAKER_02]: not

[00:39:34] [SPEAKER_02]: longer,

[00:39:35] [SPEAKER_02]: I think

[00:39:35] [SPEAKER_02]: it was

[00:39:35] [SPEAKER_02]: last

[00:39:36] [SPEAKER_02]: year,

[00:39:36] [SPEAKER_02]: a whole

[00:39:36] [SPEAKER_02]: bunch

[00:39:37] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:39:37] [SPEAKER_02]: fashion

[00:39:37] [SPEAKER_02]: designers

[00:39:39] [SPEAKER_02]: using

[00:39:41] [SPEAKER_02]: local

[00:39:41] [SPEAKER_02]: materials

[00:39:42] [SPEAKER_02]: and

[00:39:44] [SPEAKER_02]: creating

[00:39:44] [SPEAKER_02]: the most

[00:39:45] [SPEAKER_02]: to dye

[00:39:46] [SPEAKER_02]: for

[00:39:46] [SPEAKER_02]: shoes

[00:39:47] [SPEAKER_02]: or

[00:39:47] [SPEAKER_02]: as

[00:39:48] [SPEAKER_02]: this

[00:39:48] [SPEAKER_02]: one

[00:39:48] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneur,

[00:39:49] [SPEAKER_02]: a beautiful

[00:39:50] [SPEAKER_02]: young

[00:39:50] [SPEAKER_02]: woman

[00:39:50] [SPEAKER_02]: who

[00:39:51] [SPEAKER_02]: was

[00:39:52] [SPEAKER_02]: making

[00:39:52] [SPEAKER_02]: using

[00:39:53] [SPEAKER_02]: all

[00:39:54] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:39:54] [SPEAKER_02]: bead,

[00:39:55] [SPEAKER_02]: you know,

[00:39:56] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:39:56] [SPEAKER_02]: skills

[00:39:56] [SPEAKER_02]: for

[00:39:57] [SPEAKER_02]: beading

[00:39:58] [SPEAKER_02]: embroidery

[00:39:59] [SPEAKER_02]: but using

[00:40:00] [SPEAKER_02]: local

[00:40:01] [SPEAKER_02]: artisans

[00:40:01] [SPEAKER_02]: to do

[00:40:02] [SPEAKER_02]: that.

[00:40:03] [SPEAKER_02]: I remember

[00:40:03] [SPEAKER_02]: I was

[00:40:04] [SPEAKER_02]: shocked

[00:40:05] [SPEAKER_02]: when I

[00:40:05] [SPEAKER_02]: learned

[00:40:06] [SPEAKER_02]: that

[00:40:06] [SPEAKER_02]: all

[00:40:07] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:40:07] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:40:08] [SPEAKER_02]: clothes

[00:40:09] [SPEAKER_02]: for

[00:40:09] [SPEAKER_02]: weddings

[00:40:09] [SPEAKER_02]: for

[00:40:10] [SPEAKER_02]: all

[00:40:10] [SPEAKER_02]: kinds

[00:40:11] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:40:11] [SPEAKER_02]: celebration

[00:40:12] [SPEAKER_02]: from

[00:40:12] [SPEAKER_02]: birth

[00:40:12] [SPEAKER_02]: to

[00:40:13] [SPEAKER_02]: funerals

[00:40:13] [SPEAKER_02]: to

[00:40:14] [SPEAKER_02]: weddings

[00:40:14] [SPEAKER_02]: a lot

[00:40:15] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:40:15] [SPEAKER_02]: that

[00:40:16] [SPEAKER_02]: material

[00:40:16] [SPEAKER_02]: a lot

[00:40:18] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:40:18] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:40:18] [SPEAKER_02]: bead

[00:40:18] [SPEAKER_02]: work

[00:40:19] [SPEAKER_02]: was

[00:40:20] [SPEAKER_02]: being

[00:40:20] [SPEAKER_02]: done

[00:40:20] [SPEAKER_02]: in

[00:40:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Mumbai

[00:40:21] [SPEAKER_02]: somewhere

[00:40:21] [SPEAKER_02]: and

[00:40:22] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:40:22] [SPEAKER_02]: Africans

[00:40:23] [SPEAKER_02]: would

[00:40:23] [SPEAKER_02]: just

[00:40:24] [SPEAKER_02]: buy

[00:40:24] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:40:25] [SPEAKER_02]: material

[00:40:25] [SPEAKER_02]: and

[00:40:26] [SPEAKER_02]: bring

[00:40:26] [SPEAKER_02]: it

[00:40:27] [SPEAKER_02]: back

[00:40:28] [SPEAKER_02]: to

[00:40:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Lagos

[00:40:28] [SPEAKER_02]: back

[00:40:29] [SPEAKER_02]: to

[00:40:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Nigeria

[00:40:29] [SPEAKER_02]: or

[00:40:30] [SPEAKER_02]: back

[00:40:30] [SPEAKER_02]: to

[00:40:30] [SPEAKER_02]: wherever

[00:40:30] [SPEAKER_02]: and

[00:40:31] [SPEAKER_02]: turn

[00:40:32] [SPEAKER_02]: them

[00:40:32] [SPEAKER_02]: into

[00:40:33] [SPEAKER_02]: costumes

[00:40:34] [SPEAKER_02]: and I

[00:40:35] [SPEAKER_02]: thought

[00:40:35] [SPEAKER_02]: wow

[00:40:36] [SPEAKER_02]: what an

[00:40:37] [SPEAKER_02]: extraordinary

[00:40:37] [SPEAKER_02]: amount

[00:40:38] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:40:38] [SPEAKER_02]: capital

[00:40:38] [SPEAKER_02]: flight

[00:40:39] [SPEAKER_02]: and

[00:40:39] [SPEAKER_02]: skills

[00:40:40] [SPEAKER_02]: when

[00:40:40] [SPEAKER_02]: in

[00:40:41] [SPEAKER_02]: fact

[00:40:41] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:40:42] [SPEAKER_02]: continent

[00:40:42] [SPEAKER_02]: has

[00:40:43] [SPEAKER_02]: its

[00:40:43] [SPEAKER_02]: own

[00:40:43] [SPEAKER_02]: incredibly

[00:40:45] [SPEAKER_02]: skilled

[00:40:46] [SPEAKER_02]: artisans

[00:40:46] [SPEAKER_02]: so

[00:40:47] [SPEAKER_02]: for me

[00:40:49] [SPEAKER_02]: saying

[00:40:49] [SPEAKER_02]: make

[00:40:50] [SPEAKER_02]: local

[00:40:51] [SPEAKER_02]: buy

[00:40:51] [SPEAKER_02]: local

[00:40:52] [SPEAKER_02]: wear

[00:40:52] [SPEAKER_02]: local

[00:40:53] [SPEAKER_02]: made

[00:40:54] [SPEAKER_02]: in

[00:40:54] [SPEAKER_02]: Africa

[00:40:54] [SPEAKER_02]: by

[00:40:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Africans

[00:40:55] [SPEAKER_02]: is

[00:40:56] [SPEAKER_02]: a

[00:40:56] [SPEAKER_02]: beautiful

[00:40:57] [SPEAKER_02]: trend

[00:40:58] [SPEAKER_02]: across

[00:40:59] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:40:59] [SPEAKER_02]: continent

[00:40:59] [SPEAKER_02]: certainly

[00:41:01] [SPEAKER_02]: there

[00:41:02] [SPEAKER_02]: in

[00:41:02] [SPEAKER_02]: Nigeria

[00:41:02] [SPEAKER_02]: but

[00:41:03] [SPEAKER_02]: also

[00:41:03] [SPEAKER_02]: across

[00:41:04] [SPEAKER_02]: everywhere

[00:41:06] [SPEAKER_02]: these

[00:41:06] [SPEAKER_02]: beautiful

[00:41:08] [SPEAKER_02]: amazing

[00:41:09] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:41:11] [SPEAKER_02]: fashion

[00:41:11] [SPEAKER_02]: designers

[00:41:12] [SPEAKER_02]: and I

[00:41:13] [SPEAKER_02]: would

[00:41:13] [SPEAKER_02]: encourage

[00:41:14] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:41:15] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:41:15] [SPEAKER_02]: diaspora

[00:41:16] [SPEAKER_02]: to

[00:41:17] [SPEAKER_02]: be

[00:41:17] [SPEAKER_02]: supporting

[00:41:18] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:41:19] [SPEAKER_02]: businesses

[00:41:20] [SPEAKER_02]: enterprises

[00:41:21] [SPEAKER_02]: on the

[00:41:22] [SPEAKER_02]: continent

[00:41:23] [SPEAKER_02]: in ways

[00:41:24] [SPEAKER_02]: that

[00:41:24] [SPEAKER_02]: I've

[00:41:25] [SPEAKER_02]: seen

[00:41:25] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:41:25] [SPEAKER_02]: Indian

[00:41:26] [SPEAKER_02]: diaspora

[00:41:27] [SPEAKER_02]: really

[00:41:28] [SPEAKER_02]: support

[00:41:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Indian

[00:41:29] [SPEAKER_02]: enterprises

[00:41:30] [SPEAKER_02]: across

[00:41:30] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:41:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Indian

[00:41:31] [SPEAKER_02]: subcontinent

[00:41:32] [SPEAKER_02]: yes

[00:41:32] [SPEAKER_01]: fantastic

[00:41:33] [SPEAKER_01]: fantastic

[00:41:34] [SPEAKER_01]: thank you

[00:41:34] [SPEAKER_01]: for sharing

[00:41:35] [SPEAKER_01]: that

[00:41:35] [SPEAKER_01]: so if

[00:41:36] [SPEAKER_01]: we look

[00:41:36] [SPEAKER_01]: from

[00:41:37] [SPEAKER_01]: current

[00:41:37] [SPEAKER_01]: trends

[00:41:38] [SPEAKER_01]: and look

[00:41:38] [SPEAKER_01]: at the

[00:41:38] [SPEAKER_01]: future

[00:41:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I know

[00:41:39] [SPEAKER_01]: this is

[00:41:40] [SPEAKER_01]: quite a

[00:41:40] [SPEAKER_01]: open

[00:41:41] [SPEAKER_01]: and general

[00:41:42] [SPEAKER_01]: answer

[00:41:42] [SPEAKER_01]: but where

[00:41:43] [SPEAKER_01]: do you

[00:41:43] [SPEAKER_01]: see African

[00:41:43] [SPEAKER_01]: entrepreneurship

[00:41:44] [SPEAKER_01]: in say

[00:41:45] [SPEAKER_01]: five years

[00:41:45] [SPEAKER_01]: time

[00:41:46] [SPEAKER_01]: what role

[00:41:47] [SPEAKER_01]: will it

[00:41:48] [SPEAKER_01]: play in

[00:41:48] [SPEAKER_01]: the

[00:41:48] [SPEAKER_01]: continent's

[00:41:49] [SPEAKER_01]: economic

[00:41:50] [SPEAKER_01]: activity

[00:41:51] [SPEAKER_01]: I

[00:41:52] [SPEAKER_02]: really

[00:41:53] [SPEAKER_02]: see it

[00:41:53] [SPEAKER_02]: as

[00:41:54] [SPEAKER_02]: central

[00:41:54] [SPEAKER_02]: to the

[00:41:55] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:41:55] [SPEAKER_02]: story

[00:41:56] [SPEAKER_02]: in the

[00:41:56] [SPEAKER_02]: next

[00:41:56] [SPEAKER_02]: five

[00:41:57] [SPEAKER_02]: years

[00:41:57] [SPEAKER_02]: yeah

[00:41:57] [SPEAKER_02]: I

[00:41:58] [SPEAKER_02]: really

[00:41:58] [SPEAKER_02]: see

[00:41:59] [SPEAKER_02]: that

[00:42:00] [SPEAKER_02]: with

[00:42:00] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:42:01] [SPEAKER_02]: Africa

[00:42:02] [SPEAKER_02]: Union

[00:42:02] [SPEAKER_02]: as

[00:42:03] [SPEAKER_02]: part

[00:42:03] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:42:03] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:42:03] [SPEAKER_02]: G20

[00:42:04] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:42:05] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:42:05] [SPEAKER_02]: many

[00:42:06] [SPEAKER_02]: new

[00:42:06] [SPEAKER_02]: countries

[00:42:07] [SPEAKER_02]: from

[00:42:07] [SPEAKER_02]: being

[00:42:08] [SPEAKER_02]: brought

[00:42:08] [SPEAKER_02]: in

[00:42:08] [SPEAKER_02]: as

[00:42:09] [SPEAKER_02]: part

[00:42:09] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:42:09] [SPEAKER_02]: BRICS

[00:42:10] [SPEAKER_02]: I

[00:42:11] [SPEAKER_02]: see

[00:42:11] [SPEAKER_02]: that

[00:42:12] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:42:12] [SPEAKER_02]: global

[00:42:13] [SPEAKER_02]: South

[00:42:14] [SPEAKER_02]: embracing

[00:42:15] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:42:15] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:42:16] [SPEAKER_02]: continent

[00:42:16] [SPEAKER_02]: in a

[00:42:17] [SPEAKER_02]: substantial

[00:42:18] [SPEAKER_02]: way

[00:42:18] [SPEAKER_02]: I

[00:42:19] [SPEAKER_02]: really

[00:42:25] [SPEAKER_02]: they're

[00:42:25] [SPEAKER_02]: not

[00:42:25] [SPEAKER_02]: sleep

[00:42:25] [SPEAKER_02]: walking

[00:42:26] [SPEAKER_02]: into

[00:42:27] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:42:27] [SPEAKER_02]: future

[00:42:27] [SPEAKER_02]: they are

[00:42:28] [SPEAKER_02]: conscious

[00:42:28] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:42:29] [SPEAKER_02]: what

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_02]: they

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_02]: have

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_02]: what

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_02]: they

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_02]: don't

[00:42:31] [SPEAKER_02]: have

[00:42:31] [SPEAKER_02]: what

[00:42:32] [SPEAKER_02]: they

[00:42:32] [SPEAKER_02]: need

[00:42:32] [SPEAKER_02]: in

[00:42:32] [SPEAKER_02]: order

[00:42:33] [SPEAKER_02]: to

[00:42:33] [SPEAKER_02]: succeed

[00:42:33] [SPEAKER_02]: I

[00:42:34] [SPEAKER_02]: believe

[00:42:35] [SPEAKER_02]: that

[00:42:35] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:42:35] [SPEAKER_02]: continent

[00:42:36] [SPEAKER_02]: and

[00:42:36] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:42:37] [SPEAKER_02]: entrepreneurs

[00:42:37] [SPEAKER_02]: is

[00:42:38] [SPEAKER_02]: where

[00:42:38] [SPEAKER_02]: we

[00:42:39] [SPEAKER_02]: will

[00:42:39] [SPEAKER_02]: see

[00:42:39] [SPEAKER_02]: lots

[00:42:40] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:42:41] [SPEAKER_02]: new

[00:42:41] [SPEAKER_02]: innovations

[00:42:42] [SPEAKER_02]: in

[00:42:42] [SPEAKER_02]: across

[00:42:43] [SPEAKER_02]: every

[00:42:43] [SPEAKER_02]: sector

[00:42:44] [SPEAKER_02]: particularly

[00:42:45] [SPEAKER_02]: education

[00:42:46] [SPEAKER_02]: and the

[00:42:47] [SPEAKER_02]: health

[00:42:47] [SPEAKER_02]: sector

[00:42:48] [SPEAKER_02]: agriculture

[00:42:49] [SPEAKER_02]: I

[00:42:50] [SPEAKER_02]: see

[00:42:51] [SPEAKER_02]: collaborations

[00:42:52] [SPEAKER_02]: there's

[00:42:54] [SPEAKER_02]: a

[00:42:54] [SPEAKER_02]: beautiful

[00:42:54] [SPEAKER_02]: example

[00:42:56] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:42:56] [SPEAKER_02]: Abambola

[00:42:57] [SPEAKER_02]: who

[00:42:57] [SPEAKER_02]: runs

[00:42:58] [SPEAKER_02]: Advantage

[00:42:59] [SPEAKER_02]: health

[00:43:00] [SPEAKER_02]: bringing

[00:43:00] [SPEAKER_02]: different

[00:43:01] [SPEAKER_02]: stakeholders

[00:43:02] [SPEAKER_02]: from

[00:43:03] [SPEAKER_02]: health

[00:43:03] [SPEAKER_02]: from

[00:43:04] [SPEAKER_02]: education

[00:43:05] [SPEAKER_02]: from

[00:43:06] [SPEAKER_02]: community

[00:43:06] [SPEAKER_02]: workers

[00:43:08] [SPEAKER_02]: together

[00:43:09] [SPEAKER_02]: to develop

[00:43:10] [SPEAKER_02]: solutions

[00:43:10] [SPEAKER_02]: for local

[00:43:12] [SPEAKER_02]: problems

[00:43:13] [SPEAKER_02]: I

[00:43:14] [SPEAKER_02]: really

[00:43:14] [SPEAKER_02]: feel

[00:43:15] [SPEAKER_02]: or

[00:43:16] [SPEAKER_02]: this

[00:43:16] [SPEAKER_02]: is

[00:43:17] [SPEAKER_02]: my

[00:43:17] [SPEAKER_02]: wish

[00:43:17] [SPEAKER_02]: I

[00:43:18] [SPEAKER_02]: suppose

[00:43:18] [SPEAKER_02]: is

[00:43:19] [SPEAKER_02]: that

[00:43:19] [SPEAKER_02]: there

[00:43:19] [SPEAKER_02]: is

[00:43:19] [SPEAKER_02]: no

[00:43:20] [SPEAKER_02]: conversation

[00:43:20] [SPEAKER_02]: that

[00:43:21] [SPEAKER_02]: takes

[00:43:21] [SPEAKER_02]: place

[00:43:22] [SPEAKER_02]: about

[00:43:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Africa

[00:43:23] [SPEAKER_02]: without

[00:43:24] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:43:25] [SPEAKER_02]: participation

[00:43:26] [SPEAKER_02]: of the

[00:43:26] [SPEAKER_02]: African

[00:43:27] [SPEAKER_02]: SMEs

[00:43:28] [SPEAKER_02]: being

[00:43:28] [SPEAKER_02]: central

[00:43:29] [SPEAKER_02]: to

[00:43:29] [SPEAKER_02]: that

[00:43:30] [SPEAKER_02]: conversation

[00:43:31] [SPEAKER_02]: to

[00:43:31] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:43:32] [SPEAKER_02]: development

[00:43:32] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:43:33] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:43:33] [SPEAKER_02]: direction

[00:43:34] [SPEAKER_02]: in

[00:43:34] [SPEAKER_02]: which

[00:43:35] [SPEAKER_02]: the

[00:43:35] [SPEAKER_02]: economic

[00:43:36] [SPEAKER_02]: development

[00:43:36] [SPEAKER_02]: of

[00:43:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Africa

[00:43:37] [SPEAKER_02]: is

[00:43:38] [SPEAKER_02]: going

[00:43:38] [SPEAKER_02]: to

[00:43:38] [SPEAKER_02]: take

[00:43:38] [SPEAKER_02]: place

[00:43:39] [SPEAKER_01]: brilliant

[00:43:40] [SPEAKER_01]: brilliant

[00:43:40] [SPEAKER_01]: so

[00:43:41] [SPEAKER_01]: looking

[00:43:41] [SPEAKER_01]: ahead

[00:43:42] [SPEAKER_01]: and

[00:43:42] [SPEAKER_01]: looking

[00:43:43] [SPEAKER_01]: closer

[00:43:43] [SPEAKER_01]: to

[00:43:43] [SPEAKER_01]: home

[00:43:44] [SPEAKER_01]: what

[00:43:44] [SPEAKER_01]: are

[00:43:45] [SPEAKER_01]: your

[00:43:45] [SPEAKER_01]: goals

[00:43:45] [SPEAKER_01]: over

[00:43:46] [SPEAKER_01]: say

[00:43:46] [SPEAKER_01]: the

[00:43:46] [SPEAKER_01]: next

[00:43:46] [SPEAKER_01]: five

[00:43:47] [SPEAKER_01]: years

[00:43:47] [SPEAKER_01]: what

[00:43:47] [SPEAKER_01]: work

[00:43:48] [SPEAKER_01]: will

[00:43:48] [SPEAKER_01]: you

[00:43:48] [SPEAKER_01]: be

[00:43:48] [SPEAKER_01]: doing

[00:43:48] [SPEAKER_01]: to

[00:43:49] [SPEAKER_01]: advocate

[00:43:49] [SPEAKER_01]: for

[00:43:50] [SPEAKER_01]: entrepreneurship

[00:43:51] [SPEAKER_01]: in

[00:43:51] [SPEAKER_01]: Africa

[00:43:51] [SPEAKER_02]: well I

[00:43:53] [SPEAKER_02]: certainly

[00:43:53] [SPEAKER_02]: want to

[00:43:54] [SPEAKER_02]: continue

[00:43:54] [SPEAKER_02]: doing

[00:43:54] [SPEAKER_02]: what

[00:43:55] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm

[00:43:55] [SPEAKER_02]: doing

[00:43:55] [SPEAKER_02]: which

[00:43:56] [SPEAKER_02]: is

[00:43:56] [SPEAKER_02]: supporting

[00:43:56] [SPEAKER_02]: enterprises

[00:44:57] [SPEAKER_02]: no longer a part of any sort of given institution in the way that I was with the Tony Illumaloo

[00:45:05] [SPEAKER_02]: Foundation. But I am grateful, immensely grateful to the Tony Illumaloo Foundation for taking the

[00:45:12] [SPEAKER_02]: risk in inviting me to be a part of their journey and giving me the insights and the experience

[00:45:22] [SPEAKER_02]: and of experiencing Africa through the eyes of the African entrepreneurs. And whether it's the next

[00:45:32] [SPEAKER_02]: five years, 10 years, for as long as I live, I will continue to really advocate in the loudest

[00:45:40] [SPEAKER_02]: possible way for African entrepreneurship. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Thank you for

[00:45:46] [SPEAKER_01]: that, Paminda. Last question. Oh my gosh. Okay.

[00:45:51] [SPEAKER_01]: Quote of the Week. As people, we often have quotes, mantras, proverbs or affirmations that

[00:45:57] [SPEAKER_01]: keep us going when times are challenging or when times are good. Do you have one that you

[00:46:01] [SPEAKER_02]: can share with us today? You know, that's very interesting. I don't know. I always say

[00:46:07] [SPEAKER_02]: that you must, you know, if you find, when you find yourself in a place where you feel excited,

[00:46:14] [SPEAKER_02]: fearful, all at the same time, then you're in the right place. I.e., you know, life is about taking

[00:46:24] [SPEAKER_02]: risks. Tony Illumaloo Foundation took a risk with me. I took a risk going to the continent and the impact

[00:46:33] [SPEAKER_02]: of that risk is phenomenal on every front. So take risks, believe in change and never, ever, ever give up.

[00:46:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I like that. I like that. Thank you for sharing that with us today, Paminda. We have come to the end

[00:46:50] [SPEAKER_01]: of our conversation and it's been a fantastic conversation. Thank you for sharing your

[00:46:55] [SPEAKER_01]: incredible journey and knowledge. It's clear that you've done a lot of amazing work to empower African

[00:47:03] [SPEAKER_01]: entrepreneurs and also help reshape in your own way, the global perception or narrative of African

[00:47:11] [SPEAKER_01]: entrepreneurship and long may it continue. So yeah, thank you for joining us on the podcast today. It's

[00:47:18] [SPEAKER_02]: been an absolute pleasure having you. Joseph, thank you so much. Thank you for reaching out and thank you

[00:47:24] [SPEAKER_01]: for this amazing conversation. Fantastic. And we will speak soon. Absolutely.

[00:47:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you to everyone who has listened and stay tuned to the podcast. If you've enjoyed this episode,

[00:47:37] [SPEAKER_01]: please subscribe, share or tell a friend about it. You can also rate, review us in Apple Podcasts

[00:47:42] [SPEAKER_01]: or wherever you download your podcast. Thank you and see you next week for the Unlocking Africa podcast.