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Olatorera Oniru and her journey to successful e-commerce business leader

15 September 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Leaders

At just 29 years old, Oniru has achieved more in the last decade than many people do in a lifetime. She grew up partly in Nigeria, and partly in the USA, which provided her with a unique mix of cultural experiences and educational background. She moved to the US with her family at the beginning of high school, after which she completed a business administration degree at North Carolina A&T University in 2008.

Wall Street, Banking and Life in New York

After university, she was recruited to Wall Street where she spent two “exhilarating” years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch as a Senior Analyst. Africa was still on her mind however, and she always knew she would return to her homeland. During her years at Wall Street, she also served as the co-founder and president of the Network of African Professionals in New York City. Following her success in New York, she accepted a role with the Bank of Nigeria as a Senior Supervisor which she eventually gave up to complete her Master’s degree at Emory University, Atlanta. During her years in the business world Oniru traveled to over 50 cities in four different continents. This exposure to different industries, cultures and environments was instrumental in the development of her later business. She had aspirations to connect Africa with the rest of the world through something she loved: Fashion.

Unfulfilled by the Corporate World

The majority of the business plan for Dressmeoutlet was finalized while she was completing her Master’s degree at Emory. She had spent several years working for fortune 500 companies in both the USA and Nigeria and had established herself in the corporate world. Despite holding prestigious roles and earning a substantial salary, she says she never felt 100% comfortable in this environment. She felt ill at ease living in a materialistic, corporate environment, knowing the poverty rate was over 65% in her native Nigeria. She took her financial experience and business acumen and established her e-commerce fashion startup in January 2016. It has been referred to as “the Amazon of the fashion world” and essentially connects retailers and consumers via a giant online shopping database. After just six months of operation it has customers in over 15 different countries including the US and France. Although it showcases apparel, accessories and beauty products from all over the world, it strongly favors African producers, which is the motivation behind the company. Oniru wants to create global visibility for African products while creating employment and opportunities for people throughout the continent.

Big Plans for an even Bigger Picture

Oniru only thinks in grand terms. She wants her business to act as a catalyst for the African fashion industry’s emergence, while also combating cyclical poverty and youth employment in undeveloped areas. She said recently, “Success for me, means witnessing a reduction in poverty across Africa, witnessing a worldwide increase in the appreciation of human creativity.” She believes in her company 100%. Her dream of fighting youth unemployment while becoming a role model for other entrepreneurs and women inspired her. She took a leap of faith, leaving her lucrative career in finance to found her ambitious start-up venture. Fortunately, this has paid off and her website already stocks over 1000 different products from across the globe. In just six months it has become a major player in the e-commerce world, and has connected over 500 artisans with consumers. Oniru is more invested in this than most entrepreneurs, funding the startup entirely from her own savings. She explains: “I love fashion, I love the retail industry, and I love Africa. Beyond that, I have always had the yearn to go entrepreneurial and develop my own empire that would serve as a role model to other startup journeys”. Oniru’s tenacity, experience and drive are evidently a winning combination. She is committed to social change and inspired by fuelling development in Africa. If the last six months are anything to go by, this fashion retailer is here to stay.

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Namibia fights to save grassland, livestock industry

12 September 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Environment

Namibia has launched an ambitious $2 billion effort to restore depleted grasslands that are critical to the southwest African nation’s economy. More than two thirds of the population of Namibia depends on grasslands for its livelihood. But drought, erosion, overgrazing and the encroachment of bush have drastically reduced the profitability of lives
tock farming. Experts estimate Namibian cattle farming is losing $100 million a year. At the same time, experts predict that production of course grains, which are used to feed livestock, will drop by nearly one-third in southern Africa by 2030. The projection lends urgency to Namibia’s effort to maximize feed available on its rangelands. Leon Lubbe, chief rangeland researcher of the Namibia Rangeland Management Policy and Strategy, said the goal of the project is to improve both the nutrient cycle if the land as well as the water cycle in order to halt degradation by 2030.

Biodiversity is essential

The project also seeks to restore biodiversity by nurturing key plants, practicing erosion control, reclamation of denuded rangelands, and “managing rangelands for heterogeneity rather than for homogeneity,” Lubbe said.
The restoration effort, launched in 2012, is expected to take 20 years. According to the World Bank, livestock and meat production along with fisheries, tourism and mining, are major contributors to the Namibian economy – all of which are cyclical and are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including drought. Namibia has a population of nearly 2.5 million and a gross domestic product of $11.5 billion in 2015.
Namibia also has been hard hit this year by its most severe drought in more than two decades. The president of Namibia declared a state of emergency in June amid reports of crop failures and dying livestock. Business owners in the capital of Windhoek were ordered to cut water usage by 30 percent.

Bush threatens grasslands

In addition to water shortages, the encroachment of bush on grasslands is a significant challenge for livestock farmers.
More than 70 million acres of Namibian rangeland are endangered by high-density bush.
Government-sponsored programs such as the De-Bushing Advisory Service are helping cattle farmers clear bush with training and advice on appropriate techniques and equipment as well as practices for maintaining the land and preventing the brush from returning once it is cleared.
Another promising experiment focuses on converting bush to cattle feed. A cooperative project of Namibia and Germany is testing practices in two Bush-to- Feed pilot projects. The tests are incorporating encroaching bush with other supplements to produce affordable cattle feed.

Emergency food source

A few commercial farms have already begun producing feed from bush. Organizers say Bush-to- Feed has the potential to be replicated throughout Namibia as an immediate response to severe drought in tandem with brush-clearing efforts to secure the range land in the long term.
The typical process involves harvesting the encroaching bush, milling the biomass and mixing it with suitable supplements in order to increase the nutritional content and digestibility of the feed.
Typically the projects use bush species including Acacia mellifera, Dycrostachys cinerea and Rigozum trichotomum.
While production costs are currently high, ongoing research is expected to develop more efficient practices once the pilot projects are completed in May 2017.
Experts from Namibia and around the world are expected to share best practices for reclaiming the nation’s grasslands in September during a three-day meeting of the Coordinating Unit for the National Rangeland Management Policy and Strategy.
The efforts hold potential to turn around Namibia’s struggling livestock industry, which has seen declines in recent years. A 2013 drought saw the number of cattle drop from 2.9 million to 2.6 million while sheep umbers dropped from 2.7 million to 2.2 million.

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South African entrepreneur succeeds with designer socks

6 September 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Leaders

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Serial South African entrepreneur Nicholas Haralambous has hit it big with a line of colorful designer socks that are sold in 20 countries around the world.

Haralambous, who counts his company Nic Harry as his ninth business venture, markets socks made from environmentally friendly bamboo fiber. Nic Socks are worn by celebrities including cricket player Herschelle Gibbs, rugby player Bob Skinstad, actor Maps Maponyane, and Mmusi Maimane, leader of South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance party.

Haralambous, who is in his early thirties, got the idea for the business after buying brightly colored imported socks years ago. He did not like the quality or the design. After selling a tech venture he had founded, he used the some of the proceeds in 2012 to launch Nic Harry, a fashion venture that produces the socks and other men’s accessories.

The Cape Town entrepreneur considers socks the foundation of a classy wardrobe for men who may have limited options for accessories. Men should dress “from the ground up,” Haralambous said.

Sales increase rapidly

He sold 6,500 pairs of socks worldwide during the first year of the business. Sales grew ten-fold the second year to 66,000 pairs, and the company expected to sell more than 100,000 pairs in 2015.

His best-seller is The Barbershop sock, which is popular in 10 countries. The company has produced about 70 designs with more than 60 in stock.

Socks sell for as little as $10 a pair. Buyers can subscribe to buy one or two pairs of socks each month and the company also offers early access to new designs and loyalty pricing.

In addition to socks, the company sells accessories including scarves, ties and pocket squares.

Haralambous said the subscription model is the first in South Africa.

Success after nine tries

He said Nic Harry is his tenth business venture in a decade – and he said he has learned a lot from failure.

He didn’t intend to be an entrepreneur. He studied journalism, philosophy and politics at Rhodes University in Eastern Cape and took jobs in talk radio and newspapers.

But he had started his first business while in school, at age 19, and he left the Mail & Guardian to join a start up called Zoopy. He also co-founded Motribe, a mobile social network builder. Motribe was his most successful venture before Nic Harry and Mxit, the mobile messaging giant, bought the company.

With no business training, Haralambous said he mostly learned by trial and error.

Perseverance is critical to success

“Build, fail, learn, and repeat,” he said, emphasizing that successful entrepreneurs will need to persevere in the face of many obstacles. “You’re going to face hardship. If you want the long-term benefit you need the short-term pain and risk.”

He said it is important to see problems as puzzles to solve rather than as roadblocks.

He said he started the accessories company with about $400 he made from his previous business and increased it to more than $2,000 within six weeks.

While many doubted he could build a successful company, Haralambous persisted. He found a manufacturer who could make samples at reasonable cost. He put photos online. Within a month, he had sold more than 1,000 pairs in South Africa and farther afield in the United States and France.

Lessons for entrepreneurs

He said his success carries a lesson for fellow entrepreneurs in his country because it shows it is possible to build a valuable enterprise with only a small amount of money.

Haralambous sees himself as a disruptor in South Africa’s fashion industry, which he says has become complacent.
“The online space is going to disrupt the fashion industry in South Africa. I’m getting in early enough so I’m the leading disrupter.”

 

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Vanessa Zommi: the entrepreneur fighting diabetes with Tea

5 September 2016 Comments (0) Leaders

Vanessa Zommi

Vanessa Zommi’s business is flourishing in her native Cameroon. She has an established business with social entrepreneurship at its heart. Zommi got an early taste for entrepreneurship by watching her mother sell computers after school, “I started learning how to make money, how to market a product, and how to talk to customers. I learnt the basics.” These early experiences would shape her future immensely.

Family has always been incredibly important to Zommi, 21, who comes from a household of six children. She lost both grandparents to diabetes, so when her mother was diagnosed she decided to take action. Knowing from a young age that she wanted to become a social entrepreneur, this drive to find a treatment for her mother led her to the perfect business

Diabetes rates rising among lower-income classes in Cameroon

She researched diabetes and potential treatments for her mother. While looking for natural remedies, she discovered the Moringa Oliefera tree which reportedly has over 40 known antioxidants. Among its health benefits is a noticeable blood-sugar reduction, around two hours after consumption. These health benefits were the cornerstone of her product and she saw its potential as both a treatment and prevention of diabetes. She started processing the Moringa leaf into tea, before selling it as a convenient and enjoyable health supplement.

Diabetes is an increasing health problem in Cameroon, mainly due to poverty rates and a lack of education concerning diet and nutrition. Poverty is one of the leading causes of diabetes throughout Africa as much of the cheap food and snacks are sugary and highly processed. The cost of healthcare often prevents early detection, with many of the sufferers in Cameroon unaware of their condition. The medicine used to treat the condition is also out of reach for many of the country’s rural poor. According to Zommi’s research, up to 15% of Cameroonians suffer from diabetes, and as many as 80% are not aware of it.

A tea with health benefits

Zommi’s tea is marketed as “Afya Moringa Tea” and currently supplies consumers in Molyko, Cameroon. Tea drinkers currently make up 5% of the population in her native country. She has ambitious plans: Zommi’s vision is to see that number rise to 40% by 2025. She wants to see the product marketed across the country as an affordable health supplement, for people at risk of diabetes and as a treatment for those who already have the condition. Zommi explains: “So at first I was doing this just for my mom, but then I realized this could help other people like her in Cameroon, as well as Africa.”

Conventional medicine too expensive for most

Compared to the soaring costs of medicines such as insulin, her tea is affordable and accessible to the local population. It costs just $2 USD per 40 g, and she hopes to reduce the price further once mass production commences. Alongside her ambitious plans for herbal domination in Cameroon, she hopes her product can spread throughout low-income areas across the continent.

The recent success of her business earned her the prestigious Anzisha award for 2015. It recognizes innovative entrepreneurs throughout Africa, in many different industries. Her self-belief and determination has got her far. She said recently: “The day I knew this was going to work is when I discovered that there is more availability of Moringa in Cameroon than there are areas of abject poverty.”

Helping other people help themselves

Zommi is tenacious, driven and her passion is helping other people. Her tea company now trains farmers to grow Moringa, and she helps provide the seeds to start their own crops. She is also an advocate for women in business, and believes that you don’t have to be naturally talented at entrepreneurship; you just have to have the drive and work hard at it. She explained: “so to all the young entrepreneurs – don’t be afraid! It will be difficult, but if you don’t give up, it will be worth it.” Cameroon needs more entrepreneurs like Vanessa Zommi.

 

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Omar Samra: entrepreneur, adventurer and humanitarian

5 September 2016 Comments (0) Leaders

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Omar Samra may be one of the most interesting Africans alive today. The 38 year old Egyptian is a highly distinguished explorer, holding a string of adventuring firsts to his name. Samra has experienced great tragedy, and then gone on to conquer that adversity, becoming a renowned motivational speaker and notable writer. He started life as a severely asthmatic child, but is now scheduled to become Egypt’s first astronaut. What’s more, Samra is known as a conscientious, highly successful entrepreneur and philanthropist; he is most certainly a unique individual.

Early life and career

Heavily asthmatic, weak and unfit as a child Samra said he couldn’t even finish a lap of his local 400 metre track. In an early sign of his deep and unwavering resolve, he set out to conquer his condition, dedicating himself to a brutal six days a week running regime. He gradually built up his fitness and became less reliant on medications. Aged 16, he climbed his first mountain in Switzerland and a passion was born.

In 2000, Samra obtained a degree in Economics from the University of Cairo. He then worked in London and Hong Kong, climbing the corporate ladder with the banking giant HSBC. However, adventure’s call gnawed at him, prompting a yearlong odyssey which took him through 14 countries in Asia and South America and saw him scale numerous mountains. He returned to the corporate world before completing an MBA in entrepreneurship with the London Business School in 2007.

Mt Everest, Kilimanjaro and a special partnership

Later that year he fulfilled a lifelong dream of climbing Mount Everest, becoming the youngest Arab and first Egyptian to arrive at the peak of the world. After defeating Everest, he yearned for another challenge, deciding to pursue the “Seven Summits”, the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. On a 2008 trip to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, he met his future wife and business partner Marwa Fayed.

Together, Samra and Fayed built a challenging and daring business. Their company, Wild Guanabana focussed on providing carefully selected, life changing adventure trips to destinations around the globe. The idea spawned from their love of travel, and their passion to encourage people to challenge themselves and transform their lives.

Their business began to blossom. The firm became the Middle East and Africa’s first carbon-neutral travel company, dedicated to sustainability, eco-protection, awareness regarding environmental issues, as well as collaboration and partnerships with environmental projects around the globe.

Not content with their efforts, the couple wanted to find another way to give back and enhance lives. In 2010 Marwa Fayed founded Cairo’s Toy Run for Orphanages. She gathered used and unwanted toys from around the city, and gave them as gifts to underprivileged, orphaned children. She said: “every child has the right to a toy; a loving friend and companion to nourish their creative minds.”

The Seven Summits and a desolate nadir

Samra continued his effort to scale the Seven Summits. By 2012, he only had one peak left on his list, Mt Denali in Alaska. He failed in his first attempt, but he finally summited North America’s highest peak in May 2013.

Just after this momentous achievement, Samra flew back to Miami where his wife Marwa Fayed was due to give birth to their first child. On the 17th of June 2013 their daughter, Teela was born. Just five days later, Marwa Fayed tragically and unexpectedly passed away due to complications from the birth.

Obviously this unimaginable tragedy took an immense toll on Samra. He found an outlet for his grief when he remembered the Toy Run initiative his wife started. He renamed the charity Marwa Fayed’s Toy Run as a way of keeping her memory alive. With the help of her family and friends, the project grew quickly. Today the organization has delivered hundreds of thousands of toys to children across the world. In 2014 the project was recognized by the Middle East Broadcasting Centre as Humanitarian Project of the year.

As part of his healing process, Samra wanted to get back to something he loved, adventuring. In April 2015 he became one of just 40 people in history to complete the ‘’Explorers Grand Slam”; skiing to both poles in addition to climbing the Seven Summits.

Today, Wild Guanabana is thriving. The company has had a huge increase in bookings and believes its revenue will increase 70% compared to last year. If that wasn’t enough he hopes to soon become Egypt’s first man in space after winning a grueling competition. One thing is for certain Omar Samar is remarkable human being, a genuine inspiration, and a role model for Egypt and beyond.

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How did South Africa overtake Nigeria to be crowned South Africa’s largest economy?

30 August 2016 Comments (0) Business, Economy

According to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook, South Africa has dethroned Nigeria to once again become Africa’s biggest economy. The two African nations have swapped the title many times in recent years. Nigeria previously held the designation since 2014.

The reasons behind South Africa’s re-coronation are fairly simple. When nations are compared to each other, the values of their respective economies are converted into USD, the international benchmark. Therefore, the results are heavily affected by the fluctuations of international exchange rates.

This most recent announcement has been arrived at by comparing the last GDP figures, from December 2015, with exchange rates from August 2016. The numbers state that South Africa’s economy is now worth $301bn and Nigeria’s is worth $296bn. However looking at this designation in isolation is largely meaningless, telling little about how the economies in these two countries are actually faring.

Currency crash sends Nigeria to second place

In June of this year, Nigeria ended its 16 month peg of the Naira against the USD. The peg was put in place in order to stabilize the currency, fixing the value of the Naira to 199 against the USD. However this measure was costly, as the government had to spend billions of dollars worth of currency reserves to uphold it.

Analysts say the global slump in oil prices inadvertently forced Nigeria to abandon the peg. With reduced oil revenues, and government reserves already at critically low levels, there was little choice but to end the fixed value of the Naira. As soon as the control was removed, the value of Nigeria’s currency went into a tailspin. Today the Naira is worth 308.5 vs the USD, compared with the fixed 199 a few months ago. As a result approximately $169bn has been wiped off the value of the Nigerian economy.

Conversely, the South African Rand has risen in recent months. The currency experienced major falls late in 2015; however the Rand is now 17% higher against the dollar than where it sat at the beginning of the year. These two factors explain the recent exchange in status as Africa’s biggest economy.

Alan Cameron, an economist at Exotix Partners said, “More than the growth outlook, in the short term the ranking of these economies is likely to be determined by exchange rate movements,”

Questionable results

A strong argument can be made that Nigeria’s economy has been overvalued since the introduction of the peg, and that the market has corrected itself now that the measure has been removed. However, it would only take a modest rally of the Naira for Nigeria to again eclipse South Africa as Africa’s biggest economy.

Some analysts have called these recent results into question, citing problems with the methodology used to arrive at the new figures. KPMG senior economist Christie Viljoen explained his concerns: “The time difference between the two data points (December 2015 GDP vs August 2016 exchange rates) makes these calculations spurious at best and not really a reliable indicator of recent developments.”

In the coming months, both South Africa and Nigeria will be releasing their official 2016 Q2 GDP reports. Viljoen believes that these figures will bring clarity to the situation, and that there is a possibility that Nigeria will regain the top spot.

Beyond the figures both Nigeria and South Africa are struggling

However these figures can be distracting. A look beneath the surface reveals a somewhat more troublesome picture. Both South Africa and Nigeria’s economies contracted in Q1 of this year. South Africa posted negative growth of -1.2% while Nigeria recorded -0.63%. If either nation posts a contraction for Q2, it will be in recession.

In South Africa, unemployment is at a distressingly high 26.7%, while in Nigeria employment has increased every month this year to 12.1%. South Africa’s economy is fairly dependent on the mining industry which exports heavily to China. The global slump in commodities prices along with China’s slowdown has heaped misery on the sector. What’s more it could see its borrowing power reduced if its credit rating is downgraded later this year. Nigeria has been staggered by extreme levels of inflation, currently at 16.5%, regional terrorism, and the oil crisis.

The rest of the world is no doubt more interested in the arbitrary title of “Africa’s biggest economy” than either South Africa or Nigeria, who both realizes they have serious issues to address.

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Nana Boateng Osei and his sustainable vision for Ghana

26 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Leaders

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Nana Boateng Osei is the young man behind the stylish luxury eco-eyewear company: Bôhten. He hails from a Ghanaian family that is deeply proud of its heritage. He has travelled the world, conceived various outlandish business ideas and even appeared on the Canadian version of Dragon’s Den. Today his company Bôhten is going from strength to strength, while also giving back to his home country, Ghana.

Travel, the Big Apple, education and Lilo

Osei’s early life certainly wasn’t dull. Due to his father’s job as a diplomat for the Foreign Ministry of Ghana, Osei and his siblings spent long periods of time in countries such as the U.K, the U.S, Yugoslavia and South Africa. His family eventually settled to live permanently in New York City. However, they held on tightly to their Ghanaian roots; Osei has said that at home his family would always speak Twi and eat traditional Ghanaian dishes. They became closely involved in the Bronx’s large Ghanaian community and retained strong links with family in their home nation.

In 2007, Osei moved to Canada to study at Environmental Science at the University of Ottawa. It was while at University that he first began to create and pursue his own business ideas. In 2009, Osei opened a marketing firm Lilo Enterprises, which was designed to connect sustainable and environmental product manufacturers to consumers. Lilo foreshadowed the creation of Bôhten, highlighting the causes that Osei holds dear. He also flirted with other unorthodox businesses such as vertical gardens and limousine services during this time.

Ghanaian beginnings and the Dragons’ Den

Bôhten eyewear was born from the culmination of multiple ideas. Firstly, Osei was inspired by a trip back to Ghana where he was moved by the natural beauty of the area. Also, some of his family worked in the local wood business which interested him. These factors swirled with his love of fashion and passion for sustainability. He said “At some point, my interests began to play off of each other and during that trip, the seed of the idea for using reclaimed wood for glasses was planted.”

In 2012 he started initial work on Bôhten while still at University. He derived the company from his own name, Boateng, which means prosperity in Twi. Osei got the chance to pitch his business in the infamous Dragons’ Den during a student special episode. While he impressed with his pitch, he didn’t receive an offer from the Dragons, who felt the business was too young.

Osei wasn’t deterred by the Dragons’ decisions. He went on to bring family members into the business to help him grow the organization. Osei has said that with hindsight, investment partners may have stifled his creative freedom, and that the company has managed to move forward without them by knuckling down and getting things done.

The exposure from appearing on the show led to skyrocketing sales and growth. Some say the Dragons missed out.

A sustainable vision for Ghana

Sustainability is at the heart of the business; Bôhten uses reclaimed wood from items such as chairs and tables, all sourced in Western Africa. Additionally Osei wants to use Bôhten as means to better the economy in Ghana. The company currently manufactures its glasses in Canada. However, later this year the firm intends to open a full-scale manufacturing plant in Ghana. The plant going live will be the realization of a long term ambition for Bôhten. “Our ultimate mission is to create a zero-waste facility in Africa that will not only serve to create jobs but also educate people the importance of eye care, sustainable design and social entrepreneurship.”

Osei says that eye care is woefully inadequate in Africa. He explained that the high levels of UV radiation on the continent are responsible for some of the issues that African’s face. To combat such problems, Osei has partnered Bôhten with eyesight charity Sightsavers. For every sale Bôhten makes, the company will make a donation to Sightsavers programs, aimed at eradicating avoidable blindness in West Africa.

As Bôhten grows, so will the benefits that it brings to Ghana and other nations in the region. Nana Boateng Osei is tenacious, compassionate and conscientious individual; a great example for Ghana and Africa as a whole.

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Morocco and the AU: A Game of Thrones?

24 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Economy, Politics

African Union

After 30 years on the outside, Morocco is seeking a return to the African Union body that it dramatically left in 1984. As of 2002 this body is called the African Union, previously known as The Organization of African Unity (OAU). Some see this move as long overdue while critics see it as an insidious maneuver to further Moroccan agendas. The controversial and complex situation revolves around Morocco’s disputed ownership of the Western Sahara in North-West Africa. Much has changed since Morocco’s departure, including the AU itself.

The ghosts of the past are not easily dispelled. Regional entities remain untrusting towards Morocco after the nation claimed ownership of the Western Sahara region in the wake of the Spanish withdrawal in 1975. Critics condemned the action as an illegal annexation and an opportunistic land-grab: the region contains vast phosphate resources, abundant fisheries and large untapped oil potential. Morocco however believes that the Western Sahara has always been part of Greater Morocco’s true borders. This annexation for them was merely a return of the Sahara to the “motherland”, and not an aggressive power play. The Western Sahara’s partially recognized ruling body, the SADR (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic), severely contest these historical claims to ownership.

History of Morocco’s relationship with the AU

When the independence of the Western Sahara was recognized by the OAU, Morocco immediately exited the union and has been on the outside ever since. So the question is: what has changed? In recent years Morocco has been fostering closer relations with its regional neighbors. This may just be the next step in the process of strengthening their African ties, with a desire to become a key economic and political player in the continent. “For a long time our friends have been asking us to return to them so that Morocco can take up its natural place within its institutional family,” King Mohammed VI said in a speech to African leaders. Morocco claims the motives are entirely separate from its stance on the Western Sahara, and wishes to rejoin solely from an economic standpoint.

A more cynical reasoning is that after many years of diminished regional influence due to its absence from the AU, Morocco will be in a stronger position to undermine the legitimacy of the Western Sahara once inside the organization. An official from the AU speaking with anonymity said, “The AU general secretariat is concerned that Morocco wants to return in order to argue the SADR issue from within the AU.”

Will their stubbornness keep them from rejoining?

Morocco is unlikely to concede any significant points over their occupation of the Western Sahara. Some commentators feel that it is likely that they will continue some form of hostilities towards the SADR whether inside or outside the AU. The rest of the union needs to carefully consider whether it can better manage the outcome of disagreement with Morocco inside, or outside the union. Morocco’s return to the organization will undoubtedly cause conflicts. The nations of the AU and beyond are already taking sides. Despite Egypt and Tunisia’s links to Morocco via their common cultural identity and geographic locations, they have not issued statements or official comments supporting Morocco’s potential re-entry. Mona Omar, an assistant to the Egyptian foreign minister said, “Egypt is committed to taking neutral positions when it comes to Algeria and Morocco.”

Realistically, 30 years ago when Morocco left, the union was a far less influential and interventionist body. If it returns it will be to an entity that is far more prepared and capable to intercede in conflict. It will not sit back and watch Morocco bully the Western Sahara, even if it re-enters with no restrictions on its actions.

The African Union’s evolution

Today, the AU is a pan-African organization designed to promote peace and prosperity throughout the continent of Africa. It is quite different to the OAU in that it can and does intervene in conflict and is not just advisory in nature. Its Peace and Security Council can deploy military forces and initiate peacekeeping missions throughout Africa, while also suspending memberships if countries abandon democratic practices, excluding them from trade relations and intercontinental funds. This is particularly pertinent to the discussion, the AU will not play placid spectator to Morocco’s intimidation. Morocco will be required to make some concessions to its diplomatic relations if it wants to play a central role within the African Union.

The circumstances surrounding Morocco’s departure remain unchanged, so critics have questioned Morocco’s timing and motives. The dispute over the Western Sahara is unresolved, causing tension throughout the whole of North Africa. For all parties to be duly satisfied it will take delicate diplomacy and Morocco would undoubtedly need to meet certain stipulations laid out by the union. Both parties have made it clear that they will not be compromising on their standpoint on the SADR; whether this will be a sticking point over Morocco’s membership, remains to be seen.

 

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Thato Kgatlhanye and her “upcycled” solar powered schoolbags

24 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Featured, Leaders

Thato Kgatlhanye

Thato Kgatlhanye is a bright South African startup entrepreneur who is using innovation to benefit lives of local youths.

Thato Kgatlhanye is another shining tech star to come out of South Africa in recent years. Her passion for social change and empowerment is reflected in her landmark product: the solar powered school bag.

At age 18, Kgatlhanye founded Rethaka, literally meaning “we are fellows.” She set out with no concrete business plan in mind, just the idea that she wanted to do something that impacted young people and benefited underprivileged communities. Less than two years later, Repurpose was born.

Combining tech innovation and social motivation

Kgatlhanye had noticed that many children in South Africa walked to school carrying their books, or using plastic carrier bags. She was concerned that they frequently journeyed along busy roads, often late at night. Her vision was to create a practical book bag for disadvantaged students that could be low-cost and environmentally friendly.

Kgatlhanye and her business partner Rea Ngwane founded Repurpose with a $50,000 seed. The two childhood friends generated the startup capital by winning hard fought business competitions, and attracting corporate grants. They produced a prototype in partnership with an industrial product designer, before launching their brand of “upcycled” school bags. The bags are made from hundreds of reclaimed plastic carrier bags. They contain a solar powered battery element designed to charge on the student’s walk to school, and then emit light for up to 12 hours. Not only are these bags strong, durable and waterproof but they also come in many bright and unique designs and are made from high visibility materials.

Utilizing waste materials

The bags were designed with three core concepts in mind, forming the cornerstones of Repurpose’s success.

The first is its recycling element, which helps to alleviate Africa’s plastic crisis by upcycling collected carrier bags into a useful end product. Repurpose sets up “PurposeTextile” Banks for locals to deposit used plastic bags, taking them out of the environment ready to be made into repurposed bags.

The second is the bags’ durability and practical nature. They are long lasting, waterproof and available in bright colors. They are also made out of a highly reflective material in order to be more visible to vehicles. Three children are needlessly killed every day on dangerous South African roads, often walking to and from school along roads not built for pedestrian travel.

The final element is the solar powered light. The solar panel charges on the student’s walk to school and then can be used as a lantern for up to 12 hours of light. Many children cannot study once it gets dark as their families’ cannot afford candles or kerosene. Furthermore, around 3 million people are killed globally each year from accidents and illnesses involving kerosene and other temporary light sources.

Repurpose bags

Upcycling, generous donors and low-income families

Repurpose seeks out “Giving Partners,” who are matched with low-income schools that pay for a consignment of bags. Although Rethaka is a for-profit, women-owned business, they profess to do “what is right, not what is easy,” and their ethos is focused on generating profits, jobs and empowerment in otherwise struggling communities.

A recent graduate in Brand Management from Vega University, Kgatlhanye is enjoying her business success at a very young age. Her company has now dispensed over 10,000 backpacks, with plans to roll out further development and promotion of her bags. Repurpose has significant potential for the rest of Africa. Kgatlhanye has expressed a desire to extend her project across the continent, where it can save lives, benefit the environment and benefit children on a far grander scale. They intend set up more workshops in other African countries over the next 5 years, creating jobs and extending their reach. They also want to partner with large organizations like UNICEF to distribute the bags on a larger scale to identified African communities.

But Kgatlhanye is setting herself even wider targets. After identifying a new market, her next project is a range of luxury bags to be sold in the western world. This will be on a one-for-one model, donating one backpack for each bag sold. At just 23 years old, she is part of a new generation of change makers in South Africa. These individuals are utilizing their business acumen, entrepreneurial ideas and commitment to social progress for the greater good.

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Nana Boateng Osei and his sustainable vision for Ghana

22 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Featured, Leaders

Nana Boateng Osei

Nana Boateng Osei and his company Bôhten have created an innovative and sustainable product that is benefiting his home country of Ghana.

Nana Boateng Osei is the young man behind the stylish luxury eco-eyewear company Bôhten. He hails from a Ghanaian family that is deeply proud of its heritage. He has travelled the world, conceived various outlandish business ideas and even appeared on the Canadian version of Dragon’s Den. Today his company Bôhten is going from strength to strength, while also giving back to his home country, Ghana.

Travel, the Big Apple, education and Lilo

Osei’s early life certainly wasn’t dull. Due to his father’s job as a diplomat for the Foreign Ministry of Ghana, Osei and his siblings spent long periods of time in countries such as the U.K, the U.S, Yugoslavia and South Africa. His family eventually settled to live permanently in New York City. However, they held on tightly to their Ghanaian roots; Osei has said that at home his family would always speak Twi and eat traditional Ghanaian dishes. They became closely involved in the Bronx’s large Ghanaian community and retained strong links with family in their home nation.

In 2007, Osei moved to Canada to study Environmental Science at the University of Ottawa. It was while at University that he first began to create and pursue his own business ideas. In 2009, Osei opened a marketing firm Lilo Enterprises, which was designed to connect sustainable and environmental product manufacturers to consumers. Lilo foreshadowed the creation of Bôhten, highlighting the causes that Osei holds dear. He also flirted with other unorthodox businesses such as vertical gardens and limousine services during this time.

Ghanaian beginnings and the Dragons’ Den

Nana Boateng Osei

Bôhten eyewear was born from the culmination of multiple ideas. Firstly, Osei was inspired by a trip back to Ghana where he was moved by the natural beauty of the area. Also, some of his family worked in the local wood business, which interested him. These factors swirled with his love of fashion and passion for sustainability. He said, “At some point, my interests began to play off of each other and during that trip, the seed of the idea for using reclaimed wood for glasses was planted.”

In 2012 he started initial work on Bôhten while still at University. He derived the company from his own name, Boateng, which means prosperity in Twi. Osei got the chance to pitch his business in the infamous Dragons’ Den during a student special episode. While he impressed with his pitch, he didn’t receive an offer from the Dragons, who felt the business was too young.

Osei wasn’t deterred by the Dragons’ decisions. He went on to bring family members into the business to help him grow the organization. Osei has said that with hindsight, investment partners may have stifled his creative freedom, and that the company has managed to move forward without them by knuckling down and getting things done.

The exposure from appearing on the show led to skyrocketing sales and growth. Some say the Dragons missed out.

A sustainable vision for Ghana

Sustainability is at the heart of the business; Bôhten uses reclaimed wood from items such as chairs and tables, all sourced in Western Africa. Additionally Osei wants to use Bôhten as means to better the economy in Ghana. The company currently manufactures its glasses in Canada. However, later this year the firm intends to open a full-scale manufacturing plant in Ghana. The plant going live will be the realization of a long term ambition for Bôhten. “Our ultimate mission is to create a zero-waste facility in Africa that will not only serve to create jobs but also educate people the importance of eye care, sustainable design and social entrepreneurship.”

Osei says that eye care is woefully inadequate in Africa. He explained that the high levels of UV radiation on the continent are responsible for some of the issues that African’s face. To combat such problems, Osei has partnered Bôhten with eyesight charity Sightsavers. For every sale Bôhten makes, the company will make a donation to Sightsavers programs, aimed at eradicating avoidable blindness in West Africa.

As Bôhten grows, so will the benefits that it brings to Ghana and other nations in the region. Nana Boateng Osei is tenacious, compassionate and conscientious individual; a great example for Ghana and Africa as a whole.

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