Making the case for Afro-optimism

Book under review: Africa is open for business

Author: Victor Kgomoeswana

Publisher: Macmillan

This 2015 book presents fifty insights into business from different countries across Africa. The more the author researched and made presentations, the more confident he grew in his optimism. He writes, “I have become a self-confessed Afro-optimist dedicated to telling the story of Africa to my children, friends, colleagues and the world. Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Ethiopia have become my preferred holiday destinations. While parts of Africa are indeed far from perfect, ignorance about the continent offends me bitterly and I have made it my business to understand the opportunities, the risks and the rewards of Africa’s endowment.” 

[In the caption, Victor Kgomoeswana (with the Planet Books proprietor) when he visited Lusaka for a Stanbic Bank sponsored launch, to compliment his South African release of the book.]

He confesses that he is not as familiar with Franco-phone Africa, but nonetheless the experiences he records give a representative picture of business on the continent. He launched his book in 2014, and in March this year Stanbic Bank sponsored a local launch and book signing at Planet Books and a number of meetings with the author at various fora. 

One example Mr Kgomoeswana gives is the growth of M-Pesa in Kenya, (‘M’ is for Mobile and ‘pesa’ means money in Kiswahili, he tells us). He goes on to write, “From less than 30% of the population having access to banking in Kenya and with no hope of banks opening branches in most backwater villages and towns across Africa, Safaricom paved the way for banking without a bank… To date less than 5% of Africans have access to a fixed line, compared to 69% with mobile access.” Mobile phones are fast becoming a major tool all over Africa (Zambia is no exception) for all sorts of helplines, advertising, education, insurance and a host of other uses. In Kenya, the author tells us, “Nearly 20 million Kenyans were using the system by 2013.”  We look forward to the day we will pay for a taxi rides or bus fares or restaurant meals with mobile money in Zambia. 

His book sheds light on various business pioneers and projects. His book is somewhat balanced, where he acknowledges the problem of the Nigerian 419 scams, the Arab spring and corruption challenges. But overall his book leaves you feeling motivated, that we can achieve the dream, if we face the challenges with sobriety and tact. 

His book achieves its goal to shed light on some incredible business achievements, and will hopefully stir up optimism and drive for building a stronger Africa in the years ahead.

[I intend to use this platform to publish more book reviews from my archives, many previously published in B & R. Send in your comments!]