The University will be committed to producing graduates who have skills and knowledge to meet Ghana’s industrial, societal and governmental needs.

African students across the continent would also be able to access the University’s academic excellence in teaching and research.

According to the Project Director of TNE, Ravghav Lal, the University is currently working with Ghana’s National Accreditation Board to secure accreditation to start admitting students in October.

Lal explained that students would be able to choose from a range of undergraduate courses in management, business, international relations, computer science, law and psychology and its high acclaimed Global MBA among other post graduate and foundation programmes.

Speaking on the new development, Rakesh Wahi, founder of TNE said: “the campus is our first education venture in West Africa and share group vision of creating a network of branch campus experience in Africa, through quality teaching, state of the art infrastructure, research led curriculum and innovation in delivery of the curriculum.”

Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Mark E. Smith, stated that the campus “offers students a different learning experience with the future career benefits of gaining a globally recognised Lancaster degree.”

Officially known as the University of Lancaster, the Lancashire-England based university was established by Royal charter in 1964 and it is today recognised as outstanding in research and teaching.

The post UK’s Lancaster University To Open In Ghana By October appeared first on Ventures Africa | .

Now in its eighth year, eLearning Africa will be bringing together a wide range of perspectives on ICT for development, education and training. The conference will also be preceded by the annual eLearning Africa round table meeting of education and ICT ministers from across Africa.

“This year our focus will be on innovation and we are all really proud that some of the most exciting and innovative new solutions in education have been pioneered and developed in Africa”, says Rebecca Stromeyer, founder of eLearning Africa and Executive Director of ICWE.

Africa is experiencing a technological surge and it is having a dramatic effect on education throughout the Continent. Tech hubs are blossoming, new mobile devices and apps are being designed and produced in Africa, by Africans, and Africa’s eLearning market is now the fastest-growing in the world.

This local innovation reveals itself in many forms. Expert speakers at the conference will talk on such diverse issues as African MOOCs, eLearning in refugee contexts, technology’s role in preserving oral traditions and imaginative solutions to lack of broadband access.

The overarching themes of the conference, Tradition, Change and Innovation, set up a tension which these speakers will explore in many different and fascinating ways. Erin Hayba, the Associate Community Services Officer at UNHCR, will show the results of his work in the Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya, where the installation of solar-powered ICTs in 39 schools, and an innovative community-based maintenance and sustainability programme, have overcome the traditionally problematic language barriers in the camp and improved the prospects of 80,000 young people.

Mignon Hardie of the FunDza Literacy Trust, South Africa will be talking about the impact of mobile networks on literacy and literature. Her organisation’s creative writing platform shares quality teen fiction among young South Africans and encourages them to share stories – creating their own African content.

The post ICT For Education Solutions: In Africa, By Africans, For The Global Economy appeared first on Ventures Africa | .

The AfDB and the Yunus Social Business have selected Uganda, Tunisia and Togo as the beneficiary countries for the pilot project which will soon be expanded to other African nations.

The two-year programme is said to be implemented in two phases: first, through awareness raising and capacity-building of stakeholders in Social Business; second, with the implementation of social business incubation funds in Tunisia and Togo.

The initiative was announced when Mr Yunus recently paid a visit to the headquarters of the AfDB in Tunis, Tunisia.

According to the AfDB, “This programme is part of the Bank’s Joint Initiative on Youth Employment in Africa, in partnership with the African Union Commission, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the International Labour Organization.

The HSBM programme will be funded by a grant from the Government of Japan and co-financed by the AfDB.

The three countries were selected on the basis of an assessment of their youth unemployment rates. Should the pilot programs prove effective, the Bank aims to expand the initiative to other African countries.

Prof Yunus is a Bangladeshi banker and economist. He established the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh in 1983, fueled by the belief that credit is a fundamental human right. His objective was to help poor people escape from poverty by providing loans on terms suitable to them and by teaching them a few sound financial principles so they could help themselves.

The post Nobel Peace Laureate Prof. Yunus Unveils Social Business Initiative For Africa appeared first on Ventures Africa | .

VENTURES AFRICA – Quitters never win. A sizeable number of the world’s most successful people have failed or had setbacks at one time or the other in their lives. Multi-billionaire, Richard Branson was dyslexic, President Bill Clinton was caught in an infidelity scandal, Ronaldo De Lima nursed an ankle injury for over a year, Steve Jobs was kicked out of Apple – a company which he founded, Ray Charles was a drug addict, Donald Trump lost billions and went bankrupt and Peter denied Jesus Christ three times in one morning! Nobody is born with all the answers to life; setbacks and failures are possible natural occurrences, but, they can and should be surmounted. The ability to keep keeping on in the face of defeat is what separates career champions from failures.

Encourage Yourself

Are you facing a query, laid off, your practising license revoked or your business went bankrupt? Whatever the case may be, the first devastating effect of career setbacks or failures is emotional bankruptcy; life zaps out of you, your confidence evaporates and you are so destabilized the beer becomes your best friend or you walk out of the house without your make-up on. This is totally normal but you must stop wallowing in self-pity and depression, encourage yourself and build your confidence to get your life back in order. Accept that the deed has been done and stop crying over spilt milk. Be strong. Career setbacks usually bring with them stigma and mocking. Ignore the nay sayers. Hang out with people that care about you and engage in activities that lighten you up. It would help cheer you up and refresh your body and soul. Do not dwell on blaming yourself, anyone or anything for your setback instead change your thoughts to ‘what is the next step?’

Learn From Your Setback

Napoleon Hill, author of the classic bestseller, ‘Think And Grow Rich’, wrote in his book: ‘Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.’ This is as true as one plus one equals two . If you experience failure, it is because something somewhere went wrong. If you can take your time to meditate and discover what went wrong, you would discover the problem and with further probing, you would be able to discover the solution to that problem. Experience is the best teacher. The problems facing the ecosystem and the present cities of the world have forced an increase in research and innovators have come up with new ways of doing things. Highly successful individuals are high risk takers who have made many blunders and experienced a lot of setbacks yet they record phenomenal success after having gained a wealth of experience from their setbacks. According to the author of ‘The Bounce Back Book’, Karen Salmansohn, Bill Gates so cherishes the potential of the lessons of failure that he purposely hires people who have made mistakes. She also pointed out that when the New Coke marketing campaign failed, the executive who launched it was fired but former Coca Cola CEO, Roberto Goizueta rehired him because of his ‘risk-taker mentality.’ “You can only stumble if you are moving” Roberto said.

Take Actions And Stick To Them

There are many things that can cause a halt or bump in a person’s career. It could be a downturn in the economy or a particular sector, government policy, health problems, bankruptcy, personal failure, etc. A victim of a career setback brought about by a downturn in the economy or a particular sector could need to take very drastic steps such as changing careers in order to bounce back. A professional who is the architect of his own career failure would need to make the necessary adjustments, if not the failures would repeat themselves. It is crucial to make new decisions, take new steps and stick to them in order to survive a career setback. Albert Einstein taught that it is insanity to keep doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. The UK lost one of her most talented artiste ever – Amy Winehouse, to years of succumb to hard drugs. Many friends and associates tried to talk her out of it but all to no avail. On the other hand, Ray Charles overcame his addiction to drugs and enjoyed a prolonged and successful career.

Often, career setbacks have been catalysts to never before seen levels of success. It is on record that countless individuals have made outstanding achievements just after a major setback. So, do not be afraid as you take new steps to bounce back. Richard Branson’s Virgin Airline grew astronomically after he reluctantly sold his much loved and thriving Virgin Records in order to raise funds to save his failing airline from the crushing assault and siege of British Airways.

The post Handling Career Setbacks Successfully appeared first on Ventures Africa | .

PlanIt Ghana’s roots go back to the hills of Scotland in the United Kingdom. The indigenous firm began in Scotland in 2006, when Yankson and her husband, both Public Relations Professionals, began dreaming of starting their own Event Strategy and Brand Communications firm. After much thought, they finally laid out a plan and spent the next three years steadily preparing for the technical and business aspects of running a firm. Yankson recalls spending as much time as she could every day after work, reading everything she could find on professional event planning. “Our shelves filled up with books and magazines on the subject in no time.” Three years of preparation and one additional business partner later, PlanIt Ghana was born, deriving its name from the services they provided – all things ‘planning’.

The firm began officially in Ghana in 2009, fulfilling a long-held dream of ‘returning home’ for Yankson and her family. In the short time since arriving in Ghana, Gloria has earned herself the Young Creative Star of the Year Award in the Annual Global Professional Achievers (GPA) Gala 2011, beating out some of Ghana’s most renowned CEOs and Entrepreneurs. Again in 2012, Yankson and PlanIt Ghana were awarded the Efie Ne Efie (Home is Home) prize by the Ghana UK Based Achievement (GUBA) Awards, a prestigious annual awards ceremony recognising excellence and achievement in the British Ghanaian community and contributions to Ghanaians at home and abroad. Gloria’s journey to this stage has been one of extreme personal determination and zeal.

After studying at St. Rose’s Secondary School, Yankson obtained qualifications in public relations from the Ghana Insittute of Journalism, The London School of Public Relations and a Masters’ Degree in Public Relations from the University of Stirling in Scotland. For her, the experience she gained working in the industry for 8 years before starting PlanIt, was invaluable. Gloria spent time working with multinational brand such as Sky TV and Hilton Plc where she gained hands-on experience in event planning and design. She then spent close to four years in the Marketing Communications Team for Morgan Stanley, a job she thoroughly loved. “I don’t think you can get that kind of training and experience from sitting in any classroom”, she says.

Before joining PlanIt Ghana full-time, Gloria spent time working at Ghanaian real estate firm, DEVTRACO Limited, as the Director of Corporate Affairs and Marketing. In this position, Yankson truly made her mark. Just 27 years old at the time, she was the only female Director in the company’s top management team and acted as the voice of the company, spearheading the company’s marketing campaigns. Together with her team, they turned DEVTRACO into a household name and in the process bagged six awards, including the prestigious CNBC International Property Award – the premier real estate award globally. DEVTRACO is the first and only Ghanaian real estate company to win this award. Despite her incredible success, she stepped down in 2010 to focus on building the PlanIt brand.

For her, the corporate world was no longer challenging enough: “I felt restrained. And as the passion grew into an obsession, I felt more and more like my ideas were being locked up in a box. Not being able to build new and exciting ideas isn’t really my thing. So inadvertently, I suppose it was really about breaking free from the limitations.” Now, she is living her dream.

PlanIt is a full-service Event Production and Brand Communication services company that specialises in planning and producing Corporate and Social events with a specialty in weddings. The organisation also provides brand communications strategy services for corporate clients looking to launch a new product or service.

Speaking on her plans for PlanIt’s future, she says,

“At the moment, apart from Ghana, we have clients from South Africa, Europe and the USA. It is our hope, as a team, that one day our clientele will be dotted across the world. We’re working towards building PlanIt into a global brand. In a few years we want to look back at how far we’ve come as a Brand Communications & Event Planning Firm; pat ourselves on the back and take a worldwide cruise. That day will soon come.”

Although Yankson does not believe the current Ghanaian economic climate welcomes entrepreneurship, she believes that this shouldn’t stop women from trying. Her advice to young African women: “I am a strong advocate for women in the Ghanaian business world occupying key decision making positions. Women should believe in themselves more. If you can dream it, you can achieve it so go for it girl!”

The post Of Brand Communications And An African Woman appeared first on Ventures Africa | .

VENTURES AFRICA – 10 years ago, Alima Atta sat in a room in her mother’s office and began Sesema PR, a public relations and marketing communications consultancy that provides services to its West Africa clientele. 10 years later, Alima is a successful PR professional with two awards from Lagos State University, Nigeria and an impressive portfolio of clients. Despite Nigeria’s challenging business environment and the influx of untrained public relations practitioners in the industry, Alima Atta has held her own.

A detail-oriented strategic thinker, Alima has great plans for 2013. Sesema PR will be holding a free training for young people with an interest in the PR industry in the first quarter of the year as well as managing a new musical accappella group – Digable Underground. Alima herself is looking forward to expanding into more production work and television. With a clear vision towards the future, Alima shares how she began and her journey as an entrepreneur so far with Ventures Woman.

VW: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you ended up in PR.

AA: I’m the 3rd child of my parents; I have a brother and two sisters. My father Abdul-Aziz Atta, was head of civil service and a permanent secretary in the Nnamdi Azikwe administration. He died in 1972. My mother Iyabo Atta runs the family property business. My sister Sefi Atta is a writer. I studied French and Sociology in University of London and always wanted to be a translator or a diplomat because I loved the language. I later decided to enter marketing and did a postgraduate diploma. I spent two years in the United States and when I returned to England I got a job in conference production in telecoms. While there I learned a lot of skills – event management, marketing, sponsorship recruitment and creative thinking. It was fun but exhausting. I decided to try something else so I went to see a recruitment consultant. She looked at my skills and suggested I go into PR. This was funny because I have two good friends in PR and I’d always seen PR as a fluffy field where you meet celebrities and have parties; I had no idea how much work it was! I decided to try it and went for an interview and I got a job at an agency and that’s how I started in it.

VW: Can you tell us about the LASU award?

AA: Lagos State University (LASU) has actually given me two awards and they have followed my progress since I started 10 years ago which is nice. I came up with a scholarship idea which was to take two students who were the top of their class and sponsor them through their course and then they come into my company to get practical training in the field. It’s a rewarding experience for me but also on a selfish level I want to help my industry by developing the manpower because the biggest complaint remains that students coming out into the workforce do not have the skills and knowledge you as a company needs.

VW: What has been your experience since starting up Sesema PR 10 years ago?

AA: Its been good and bad, times with many clients and times with none but it’s been fulfilling. When I started I was really lucky because my first client was Cisco Systems which a friend of my set up and this was helpful in getting other clients. The downside is when clients don’t recognise the value of what your agency brings and it creates conflict. Also the relationship with media is challenging because it’s not as fully developed compared with other parts of the world.

VW: Can you demystify the relationship between marketing, media, corporate communications and PR?

AA: All those fields are under the umbrella of communications and marketing is the umbrella under which PR, advertising and direct marketing fall. They are all about communicating the value of a product or a service. Corporate communications is very specific, it’s about communicating a company’s brand and also involves internal communications. As a PR agency, we would work with the corporate communications person in an organisation and handle areas they don’t such as media relations, market research etc. The media are the avenues we use to communicate our message so all of these fields work together.

VW: So why is there this conflict between media and PR agencies in Nigeria?

AA: I believe it is a lack of understanding. PR from putting a press release in a paper is not supposed to be paid for, so if you must give someone 10,000 naira to do it, it takes away from the essence of the event of being newsworthy, you might as well call it advertising. This is what happens in Nigeria. Also our industry is not as well paid as, for example, advertising. Even though we have come a long way in the last 5 years in Nigeria, because we provide a service, something intangible, people still struggle to quantify it. Many would rather take out a full page of advertising in a newspaper for one day than pay that amount for a month and have three people working to produce engaging communications about the company’s activities. These factors combined strain the relationship with media.

VW: Why is it so much more developed in other countries?

AA: Unfortunately, we have a lot of factors that devalue the industry in Nigeria. The country’s PR market is flooded with practitioners, many of whom are not professionally trained. So if a professional submits a proposal that costs a million naira and another practitioner submits one of two hundred thousand naira, we know who many would go with. Also paying journalists to put your releases in the paper devalues the newsworthiness. Everywhere else in the world PR is paid for on an hourly basis per level of the PR professional. Very few clients can grasp that method. Generally, appreciation of the value of PR in other countries is higher.

VW: If you had the power to change things what would you do?

AA: Definitely, create more unity in the industry which we are now doing with PRCAN. You have to have scaled certain hurdles to get into the association so if we can collectively build up the value of the industry we can get to the point where a journalist isn’t the PR person for an organisation because he/she has knowledge of media relations. As PR agencies need to show that there is more to PR.

VW: What’s been your most exciting campaign?

AA: We launched Beauty Concerns, a spa in Lagos, a few years ago. We saw the whole process from building the spa till the final launch which was very exciting. We also came up with the concept and ran the pilot for the Indomie Fan Club and it’s really exciting to see it become the biggest children’s fan club in Africa. It was the success of this initiative that led to us handling PR for Indomie.

VW: How do you balance life as an entrepreneur with other demands?

AA: Well I get holidays and time with family but I confess I do work a lot throughout except maybe at Christmas when everyone has shut down (laughs). I would say also, surround yourself with good people because you will have critics and issues. There are issues if you are a woman, if you are young, if you are new. You need people you can cry with and then laugh with. Also keep it fresh, have a place you go to get ideas and keep track of them. I also love reading, traveling and music to relax.

VW: You are a regular presenter on Smooth FM 98.1, Talk Business, can you tell us about that?

AA: Yes, I came up with that idea because I thought about how a few agencies have magazines. I didn’t want that because it’s expensive so I said why not a radio show? I’d already developed a medical radio show on Classic FM ‘Doctors on Air’ before so it made sense. The idea started as a marketing show but when I took it to VISA, who sponsors the programme, they wanted a broader business focus and since then we’ve hosted many great business leaders.

VW: Any final words of advice for young women that want to own their own business?

AA: Yes, never use your gender negatively; women have a key role to play in society and it’s important to think of yourself as a role model from the start. Focus on what it is you want to do early on, try different things but don’t get stuck without knowing where you want to go. Read a lot, it broadens your mind and that’s important for success.

Thank you Alima! Follow @VenturesAfrica on Twitter

The post Journey of An Entrepreneur: Alima Atta, MD Sesema PR appeared first on Ventures Africa | .

Ventures Africa has identified 13 young Africans who have contributed to shaping the future of the continent and the world at large; through their activities and businesses, these global leaders, entrepreneurs, CEOs and intellectuals are young, talented and with proven genius in their distinctive fields. To cap it all, they are all under 35 years! In no respective order, here are 13 Young African Business/Economic Leaders to look out for in 2013.

Ladi Delano, Founder & CEO, Bakrie Delano Africa (BDA)

Nigerian serial entrepreneur, Ladi Delano made his first millions selling liquor while living in China. In 2004, at age 22, he founded Solidarnosc Asia, a Chinese alcoholic beverage company that made Solid XS, a premium brand of Vodka. The company later expanded with the launching of a dining and entertainment venue, The Collection.

Solid XS went on to achieve about 70 percent market share in China and was distributed across over 33 cities in China, with revenue of over $22 million annually. After some time, with the global economic downturn, Solid XS was sold to a rival liquor company for about $20 million.

However before selling Solid XS, Delano had set up a real estate investment company focused on mainland China – called Delano Reid Group. The company went on to raise over $80 million for real estate investments in mainland China profiting from China’s real estate economic boom. Apart from the real estate company, Delano is also a founding partner in DRG CIN Energy and Global DRG Capital, providers of global energy solutions.

In December 2011, Delano shifted focus from the Asia economic boom to establish his latest venture, Bakrie Delano Africa (BDA), in Africa. This time, he partnered with Indonesia conglomerate, the Bakrie Group under a joint venture partnership. His company partnership with Bakrie Group was created to facilitate the expansion of the South East Asia’s conglomerate, in Africa. Through the joint venture, the Bakrie Group would invest about $1 billion over five years in Bakrie Delano Africa (BDA) in areas as diverse as mining, oil & gas and agriculture.

An entrepreneur true to his origin, Ladi believes “Nigeria is attractive to the Bakrie Group as an investment destination for several reasons. Firstly, it is experiencing excellent rates of economic growth, approximately 8 percent per year, which is forecast by a wide cross-section of respected economic commentators to continue over the medium to long term.” The young businessman is definitely one to watch in 2013.

Clare Akamanzi, Chief Operating Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB)

Clare is the Chief Operating Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), a Government institution in charge of accelerating economic growth and development in Rwanda. A foundation member of the board since its creation in 2008; 33 year-old Clare had worked as RDB’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Then, she was in charge of Business Operations and Services at RDB.

Clare grew up in Uganda where her parents had been taken as refugees during the genocide-attack in her home country –Rwanda. Today, she is one of the young Rwandans actively involved in the economic reformation of her country.

Her awareness to public service started at the age of 18 when she worked for Minister of Gender Inyumba at the Ingando- a solidarity camp.

The Masters Degree holder in Trade and Investment Policy cum International Trade and Investment Lawyer has a passion for business promotion. Before her stint at RDB, Clare served as Rwanda’s commercial diplomat in London and a trade negotiator for the Government of Rwanda at the World Trade Organisation at the age of 25. She was also the Deputy Director-General of the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA) from 2006-2008.

The young business leader have also chaired the National Customer care campaign in her country and she is credited as the founder of Prosave, a 100 member savings cooperative that promotes a savings culture among Rwandans.

In 2012, Clare was the only Rwandan among the 192 global young leaders from 59 countries honoured for their outstanding leadership, professional accomplishments and commitment to society by the World Economic Forum.

Ashish Thakkar, Co-Founder and CEO, MaraGroup

At the age of 29, the British-born Ugandan is the co-founder and CEO of Mara Group – a Ugandan conglomerate with tentacles in financial services, hotels, renewable energy, technology and manufacturing with active presence in 17 African countries.

Under his leadership, the annual revenue of Mara Group has been able to clock approximately $100 million.

Aside Mara, Thakkar founded his first company, Raps and later Riley, a manufacturing company that is lauded for producing the most modern corrugated packaging plants in East Africa and Central Africa. He also created Kensington, a real estate business in Dubai and Africa.

Thakkar is a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist. Through his foundation, Mara Foundation –which is one of Africa’s largest non-profit social enterprises – Thakkar has been able to provide mentorship and seed funding to young East African entrepreneurs. He also funds Next Generation Schools, an independent charity focused on improving education quality in disadvantaged secondary schools in Uganda.

This year, the Ugandan billionaire launched Mara.com, Africa’s first multi-lingual online portal for youth mentorship and entrepreneurship. The Mara.com platform will have three dimensions to it: Mentorship, Jobs and Dating. His venture – Mara Mentors, which started as an offline venture by Mara Foundation have been able to mentor about 120 companies.

Achumile “Ace” Majija, Group Lead for the Risk & Capital MI at Prudential Momentum Plc.

A Bcom (Economics and Finance) graduate from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Bcom (honours) in Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management from the University of Cape Town and an MBA with Merit from the University of Leeds Business School in the UK amongst other qualifications; Ace is one of the few quiet African young leaders setting the standards for other African youth to follow.

Sometimes referred to as “Ace” or the “Young Obama from Africa”; he is an avid volunteer and youth ambassador before venturing into business professionally where he started off in Financial Services ( Investment Management) having worked for companies such as Old Mutual and Sanlam. He has also represented his country at the World Youth Congress the World Business Dialogue, and the G20 Youth Summit

At 28, Ace is the first African on the prudential momentum programme (an international leadership development programme for the group) for Prudential Plc– an international financial services company, with presence in Europe, Asia and the US. Ace is currently based at the Group Head Office, as a Group Lead for the Solvency II Risk & Capital MI , including the Use Test process.

With a number of accolades behind his name, such as the South African Chamber of Commerce Rising Star of the Year, and a Young Global Shaper for the World Economic Forum, and also named one of the 200 Young Influential South Africans by the Mail and Guardian ) , he also sits on various boards including UTHANDO SA, Inqubela Investment holdings, Harambe Entrepreneurship Alliance , and SAAA and he is very much involved in socio-economic development projects in his home country and abroad.

Eniola Mafe, Africa Program Manager at Vital Voices Global Partnership

Recently described as a “Convener” in the Diplomatic Courier’s Top 99 under 33 2012. Eniola Mafe is the Africa Program Manager at Vital Voices Global Partnership, a Washington, D.C.-based international non-profit that works with women leaders to advance women’s human rights, political participation, and economic empowerment. Her role as the Program Manager for Africa in Vital Voices Global Partnerships allows her to “bring people together in creative ways to address a pressing international issue or enhance the foreign policy community.”

With a special focus on organizational development, entrepreneurship, and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa, Eniola manages the Africa Businesswomen’s Network (ABWN), a partnership among local African businesswomen’s organizations that enhances the management, business development, and leadership skills of businesswomen. Eniola also manages other programs focused on the growth of women-led small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). According to her “Empowering women isn’t just about the women’s issues. It is about enabling them to have a say in broader issues that have an impact on their world.”

Prior to joining Vital Voices, Eniola worked with Women’s World Banking Ghana (WWBG), where she developed social impact methodology to quantify the social and community impact of the microfinance institutions on its clients, investors, and wider community. According to an article, ”Women like Eniola are the faces and voices of the future – young women who are international in their outlook, multi-dimensional, able to mix and move amongst diverse groups and different circles and can traverse boundaries with their sophisticated global worldview.”

Lorna Rutto, Sustainable Living and Green Technology Entrepreneur, Ecopost

Lorna is the CEO of Ecopost, a Nairobi-based recycling company. Born in Kaptembwa Slums in Kenya, Lorna turned her childhood hobby of melting plastic litters to make ornaments into a viable and eco-sensible business.

After working in the financial industry with her commerce and accounting certificate, Lorna created Ecopost in 2009 – a business that utilizes waste plastic to manufacture plastic lumber and posts as an alternative to wood. The plastic lumbers are also used to create fencing posts, sign posts, building and construction.

Lorna, 28, has sold over 20,000 posts which cumulated to saving over 250 Acres of forest and withdrawn over 1,000,000 kg of plastic waste from the environment. Her business today generates about $120,000 revenue in a year.

Since inception, she has been able to create about 400 jobs in the Kenyan employment-competitive market. She has structured her business in such a way that it will create over 100,000 jobs in the next 15 years.

Her business have not only been able to create jobs for youth and marginalised women in the slums; it has also come a long way in supporting Kenya’s eco-sensible ban of plastic bags.

Among other awards, Lorna won the 2010 Bid Network Nature Challenge Award; 2010 SEED Award, the 2009 Enablis Business Award and the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Nature Award where she took home 1.3 million Shillings ($15, 095 ).

Yetunde Odugbesan, Yetunde Global Consulting LLC.

Yetunde is a young Nigerian blazing trails in Africa and the diaspora. A graduate of the United Nations Worldview Institute – an executive training program for global business professionals, Yetunde is currently working on her PhD in on political corruption and its effect on governmental performance and social services being delivered by local and state government at the Division of Global Affairs at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

25 year-old Yetunde is not new to leadership roles. In high school, she served as a student president, Student Ambassador, Captain of the Varsity Cheerleading team, Founder of the poetry club and most importantly – a consistent honor roll student. Today, she sits on various boards that are aimed at alleviating many of the social and economic issues in various African countries and with her managing consulting company, Yetunde Global Consulting, she offers valuable insight on how to develop and leverage strategic partnerships globally as well as provide branding techniques that can help business and organisation grow to reach its full potential.

She also formed the Young Women’s Guide, a mentorship organisation that helps connect girls with women leaders and groups that can best help them pursue their quest for social change.

Yetunde is a gifted public speaker and youth leader. Her messages are sometimes on key ways to building a better nation. She has been invited by Nigerian governments and the World Bank to speak at conferences and summits. One of such conference includes the U.N. World Conference on the Status of Women, advocating for programs that will empower girls in Africa to realize their potential, even in the midst of poverty and political strife.

Fred Swaniker, Africa Leadership Academy (ALA)

Ghanaian-born serial entrepreneur and business consultant, Fred Swaniker is the co-founder of African leadership Academy (ALA) – a prestigious business in Johannesburg, South Africa that trains and mentors Africa young leaders. Fred co-founded ALA alongside Chris Bradford, Peter Mombaur, and Acha Leke, in 2004 but the school became operational in 2008. With the vision of creating up to 6,000 new leaders for Africa through the ALA’s leadership program in the next 50 years; Fred is helping Africa to shape the path of Africa future business leader in act of leadership and Pan-Africanism.

Fred, 35, is contributing to Africa’s leadership development through his academy by giving the youngsters a world-class academic education, training in entrepreneurship, exposure to mentors and role models, and framework that will enable them to work in an ethical environment. One of Fred’s first formal leadership roles was when he was appointed headmaster of a school in Botswana by his grandmother at just 17 years old, and on a gap year before beginning university.

Aside ALA, Fred is also the founder of Global Leadership Adventures, a leadership development program for youth throughout the world which has about five campuses around the globe (Ghana, South Africa, India, Brazil, and Costa Rica). He also helped to launch Mount Pleasant English Medium School, one of the top-performing private elementary schools in Botswana where he served as a director.

Fred had also worked as the founding Chief Operating Officer of Synexa Life Sciences, a biotechnology company in Cape Town that today employs 30 South African scientists. Before, ALA, he worked in McKinsey & Company, where he advised management teams of large companies across Africa.

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Founder/Managing Director SoleRebels,

Ethiopian-born entrepreneur Bethlehem Alemu, 32, launched her company in Zenabwork, a small village on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia in 2004 as a means of creating jobs for the people in her community by turning their unexploited artisan skill to a worldwide eco-sensible product. Today, the company she started out of necessity is the world’s first Fairtrade Certified footwear by the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) and she has since expanded her business to other continents.

In 2012, the Ethiopia-base entrepreneur opened the company’s first stand-alone store in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second largest city. She has since opened three more with the goal of opening about 30 outlets all together.

Bethlehem is globally recognized to have built a world-class brand from the scratch while empowering her community and country. She projects the company’s global retail roll-out will add $15-20 million in revenue by 2015.

The accounting graduate was been honoured as a Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum, 2011 among other accolades. She received the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 2012 World Economic Forum on Africa which this year took place in Ethiopia.

James Mworia, Chief Executive Officer, Centum Investment Company

In 2001, James started out in Centum as an intern helping to file documents – today, he is the CEO of the Nairobi and Uganda Securities Exchanges listed firm; Centum Investment Company Limited. Centum is the largest quoted investment firm in East Africa with substantial equity investments in blue chips companies like Coca-Cola, UAP Insurance, AON Minet, Nairobi Bottlers, Kenya Wine Agency, Kisii Bottlers, General Motors East Africa and Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB).

Before Centum, his first job was filing in a law firm during school holidays when he was in high school. He has also worked as a senior investment officer at Transcentury Ltd., Kenya.

Mworia, at 34, is one of the youngest CEOs in Kenya and is also an advocate of the High Court, a Chartered Financial Analyst and a Certified Public Accountant all roll in one. He was honored in 2011 as the Africa Young Business Leader of the Year 2011 at the All Africa Business Leader Awards.

June Arunga, Founder and Chief Executive of Open Quest Media LLC.

June is a law degree holder from the University of Buckingham and founder/president of Open Quest Media LLC, a successful multimedia production company based in New York. She also co-founded Black Star Line SA with Herman Chinery-Hesse, a software engineer often referred to as “Bill Gates of Ghana”. The company is a technology-solution provider in the field of mobile phone-based payments and money transfer which particularly targets African entrepreneurs.

June, 31, is a Member of the board of advisers for Global Envison, USA and a Senior Fellow at Istituto Bruno Leoni, Italy.

The Nakuru, Kenya born Arunga has been named by Forbes Magazine as one of its 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa and one of Fast Company’s 100 most Creative People in Business.

June is passionate about globalization and development changes in Africa. Her work over the years has reflected this. In 2003, she did a BBC-produced documentary on Africa tagged-The Devil’s Foothpath with Insight News TV – 5,000 mile journey from Cairo to Cape Town through six countries conflict inflicted countries.

She also served as the writer/co-presenter on the a documentary, Africa: Who is to Blame?; Africa’s Ultimate Resource – a profile on African immigrant entrepreneurs, why they leave and what happens to their ventures when they move business from one continent to another; co-authored The Cell-Phone Revolution in Kenya.

Jessica Shelver, Network Development and Affiliations Officer with Democratic Alliance (DA) Abroad

Johannesburg-born Jessica Shelver was awarded the “Rising Star of the Year” 2012 at the annual South African Business Awards, hosted by the South African Chamber of Commerce at SA House in London. At only 26, Jessica has contributed immensely to shaping the future of politics and business in Africa’s biggest economy, South Africa.

Jessica fell in love with Politics a few years back when she became aware of the power and the influence government and politics has throughout the democratic world. According to her, “Politics for me is the power to effect change, and to make a difference.” Having campaigned vigorously against the controversial Protection of State Information Bill, holding protests in London, Washington and Perth. She was also involved with a number of senior Democratic Alliance leaders, including Helen Zille and Dr Wilmot James, at events in London that have focused on investment and economic growth in our country. The DA Abroad have also partnered with the Ubunye-Unity Trust to raise funds to purchase desks and chairs for a school in the township of Diepsloot, Gauteng – these were delivered to the school at the end of November.

Aside politics, Jessica is also passionate about educational development and community service. “Education is the tool for change and insight. Without it, our world and our nation will continue to descend into petty corruption and unenlightened decision-making.” she says. Surely, she’s one to watch come 2013.

Isis Nyongo, Vice President and Managing Director, InMobi Africa.

At 35, Isis is one of the youngest and most vibrant technology female managers in Africa. She has always worked in media and tech space in Africa. As a young African leader in the tech industry, she has worked in with MyJobsEve, the first online job site in Kenya before moving on to work for MTV and then Google (Business Development Manager for Google’s operation in Africa) where she helped develop mobile strategies for the brand in Africa.

Now, the Stanford and Harvard Business school graduate works is the Vice-President and Managing Director for Africa of InMobi, an innovative global mobile advertising and one of the world’s largest independent mobile advertising networks that help advertisers reach mobile internet users.

Isis was selected as one of a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in January, 2012.

The post 13 Young African Business/Economic Leaders To Watch in 2013 appeared first on Ventures Africa | .

Ventures Africa spoke with Jessica, and she talked about her life, work and future plans.

VA: Tell us a little about yourself

JS: I am a passionate and patriotic South African currently residing in the UK. I grew up in an average South African family and think I was just 16 when I started work as waitress in the local restaurant – establishing what became a life-long love of food and serving people. My Mom and Step Dad worked very hard to give us children what we needed, especially an education, and this has definitely instilled a good work ethic within myself. My mother always taught me to treat others as I would like to be treated, and this is something I still carry with me today. I believe all people are equal.

VA: You were recently honoured as the “Rising Star of the Year” in the South African Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2012; how do you feel about the award and what will you say is the defining factor behind your winning the award.

JS: I am so thrilled to have won this award – it has been a very humbling experience, especially considering the caliber of the other shortlisted nominees. I can’t say necessarily why I won over anyone else, but can only thank all those who have supported me through this journey.

VA: How do you plan to maintain your present prodigy?

JS: I love my country and am passionate about contributing to a positive future for all South Africa. I believe that bringing widespread attention to the challenges affecting our country is the first step to achieving that, as well as getting involved in projects that change people’s lives for the better. Winning this award gives me the platform to do just that – it raises my profile and provides the opportunity for me to draw attention to the initiatives close to my heart. I also hope to inspire other future “Rising Stars” – doing what you do shouldn’t be about winning an award, but about doing what you love.

VA: What do you do as the Network Development and Affiliations Officer at Democratic Alliance Abroad (DAA)?

JS: There are approximately 3 million South Africans living abroad and the DA Abroad aims to mobilise as many of them as we can to get involved in our country’s future. My goal as Network Development and Affiliations Officer is to encourage and support the development of our regional networks around the world. I’m also responsible for identifying like-minded business and organisations that we can work with to achieve mutual objectives.

VA: How has DAA contributed to socio-economic change in local communities in South Africa and the global world?

JS: This year has been a particularly active year for the DA Abroad – we’ve campaigned vigorously against the controversial Protection of State Information Bill, holding protests in London, Washington and Perth. We ’ve hosted a number of senior Democratic Alliance leaders, including Helen Zille and Dr Wilmot James, at events in London that have focused on investment and economic growth in our country. The DA Abroad have also partnered with the Ubunye-Unity Trust to raise funds to purchase desks and chairs for a school in the township of Diepsloot, Gauteng – these were delivered to the school at the end of November.

VA: Aside being a network Development and Affiliations Officer for DAA, you are involved with some community development projects. Kindly tell us about your work experience (s) both past and present.

JS: Giving has always been an integral part of my upbringing – and it’s easy to say that I have always been community-orientated; but working in community development began in earnest over the past two years. My sister Amy also has a Masters in community development and remains an inspiration to me. I became active in the South African community in London just over 2 years ago when I joined the Democratic Alliance Abroad. I was promoted to Network Development and Affiliations Officer within the first year. I’ve also been involved with the launch of the Ubunye-Unity Trust, a UK based charity that looks to facilitate, connect and organise resources, particularly in education, for the betterment of South Africans.

VA: What is your involvement with the “Ubunye-Unity Trust- Adopt a school programme”?

JS: The ‘Adopt a School’ programme was Ubunye-Unity’s inaugural project and one that our trustees feel very strongly about. The school has over 2000 children, whom all compete for desks and chairs in crowded classrooms that vary from new brick-built rooms to shipping containers. We took part in various fundraising events this year to raise money for the school. With these funds we were able to provide the school with desks and chairs and books for the libraries. We were also able to allocate funds to the school so that the children could have their eyes tested.

VA: As an African living abroad, how have you been able to create change(s) in the lives of your countrymen both at home and abroad with your work?

JS: Modern technology and globalisation has shrunk the world, and increasingly, younger South Africans, like myself, may for various reasons find themselves living all over the globe. Contrary to what may be believed about South Africans living abroad, many feel very passionately about their homeland and want to play their part in nation building. The DA Abroad are launching the ‘Vote Home’ campaign which encourages South Africans living abroad to vote in the next national elections in 2014. Many South Africans living abroad have lost touch with what’s happening back home. We see a lot of negative coverage, but not enough about the way our politics are evolving in South Africa and cutting edge insight into challenges. This needs to change.

A groundswell of support is building behind a real desire for hope and change, and that’s really exciting. We want South Africans overseas to be a part of that, to be informed about what it happening back home, and participate in our democracy. Their vote in the 2014 elections will be a crucial to a continued democracy.

VA: How do you see community volunteering improving Africa?

JS: People have many reasons for doing volunteer work on the continent and in South Africa. Many want to help those less fortunate and some are looking for ways to be involved or to make the world a better place. African countries face many complex problems such as poverty, hunger, malnutrition and disease. This has been caused by illiteracy, high population growth rate, corruption, political instability and unjust world economic order. Hundreds of thousands of people volunteer in Africa every year, and these communities all benefit from the range of expertise these volunteers bring to Africa. But an important way to make a real impact is to commit to one or two projects for the long-term. Short-term assistance is great but it does not work in facilitating real change. So as long as long-term relationships are established and maintained, I believe community volunteering has high relevance to Africa.

VA: As a passionate political student/citizen, where do you see South Africa heading to – political and business wise?

JS: Under the current government, South Africa is on a downward spiral. The ANC is no longer the liberation party that Mandela fought so long and hard for and instead is has become entrenched in greed and corruption. This is why the DA is so important, now more than ever. As it has shown in the areas that it governs, where it does govern, communities flourish and grow. This is why it is so important that the DA governs nationally, because they will create this same environment for all South Africans. Despite this situation, I am hopeful. South Africa has limitless potential, much of it patently obvious in the talented people that come out of the country. With sustained direction and political will, the country can achieve its potential and more. For this however, change is needed, a change the DA can offer.

VA: What was the best professional decision you ever made?

JS: To become a member of the Democratic Alliance.

VA: Who are your mentors? Give reasons why you think (they) have inspired you.

JS: Not a mentor as such but most certainly an idol – Nelson Mandela. Madiba understands what it means to fight against enormous odds. He was imprisoned for his political views, and sacrificed his own freedom for the freedom of all South Africans. He believes that every human being is of equal value. He has always inspired me to think beyond myself, and give of myself selflessly.

VA: What information would you like to pass along to readers out there?

JS: If you are a South African citizen living abroad, make sure you vote in the national elections in 2014. Make your mark for the country, as much as for the candidates. If you are returning to waASouth Africa between now and 2014, and have not registered to vote in the last 10 years, please make the effort to register.

VA: Any message for readers / budding social entrepreneurs - Say that in your local language and translate that in English

JS: Kubalulekile ukujunda zithobe uzehlise ukuze wazi ukujunda. Imjundo yija lakho ekekho ongalithatha kuwe zithobe. Angavu meli umuntu oma endleleni yakho, ukuze iphupho lakho lijeezeke kutsho u Mandela. – (Zulu - South African local language)

(Translation in English) Getting an education is the most important thing you can do for yourself. This is something nobody can ever take away from you. Put your head down, and don’t let anything stand in your way of what you would like to achieve. As Nelson Mandela said ‘If you study diligently then you can become a president’.

VA: What are your hopes, thoughts and aspiration for this holiday season and how will this reflect on your plans for the coming year?

JS: All I want is for every child in the world to have access to education… Education is the tool for change and insight. Without it, our world and our nation will continue to descend into petty corruption and unenlightened decision-making. I would like to encourage all South African expats living abroad that are travelling home to register to vote in the next elections while on holiday and be part of the important change we need to see in SA.

The post Meet “The Rising Star” of South African Business – Jessica Shelver appeared first on Ventures Africa | .

“I am honored by this award,” Tewolde said in his acceptance speech.

He added saying: “This and the recent awards Ethiopian has been receiving are recognitions of the important role our airline is playing in Africa. Ethiopian is providing the air connectivity that is critical for fostering increased investment and trade flows to the continent.”

According to online publication, 2merkato, Tewolde who has served Ethiopian in the last 26 years, bagged the coveted award for his efficient leadership that has seen the national carrier grow into an internationally recognized carrier, as a Star Alliance member.

Ethiopian Airlines became the first carrier in Africa to acquire the Boeing B787-Dreamliner, the most advanced aircraft, in a deal which was funded by JP Morgan for 10 deliveries of the aircraft.

Following its membership of Star Alliance, the national carrier’s terminal at Heathrow, Beijing Airport, and several other major airports, has been upgraded.

Based on report, Ethiopian Airlines is in the third year of implementation of its 15-year strategic roadmap, Vision 2025, which will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with seven profit centers grossing total revenue of 10 billion dollars by 2025.

The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) is a nonprofit, membership-based organization established in 1993 to promote business and investment between the United States and African countries. CCA is the premier American organization devoted to U.S.-Africa business relations and includes as members more than 180 companies, which represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa.

The post Tewolde Gebremariam Bags “African Business Leader of the Year” Award appeared first on Ventures Africa | .

AACSB Accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education, and has been earned by less than five percent of the world’s business programmes. Today, there are 666 business schools in 45 countries and territories that maintain AACSB Accreditation.

Commenting on the achievement, Prof John Powell, director of the USB, said: “It’s been a long journey. Some years ago USB made a decision that it would measure itself against the finest business schools in the world. We set out to gain accreditations from the three international bodies. EQUIS and AMBA came first and today we heard that the final jewel in the crown, AACSB, has just fallen into place. Well, not fallen exactly; it’s taken many years of preparation, self-reflection and development carefully to position the USB in this upper echelon of international business schools.”

He added: “There is no escape from the eagle-eyed gaze of these accreditation teams; they look everywhere and end up knowing your business better than you do, and that’s actually the benefit. The recognition is great, for sure. To be a member of an elite group of perhaps 60 schools in the world who wear this Triple Crown is satisfying, but the real benefit is the contribution all three bodies have made to the development of the School. We can be sure that from our students’ point of view we are offering top-tier international standard business education – from all points of view.”

Powell said it was a great day for the USB, its students, management, support staff, faculty, alumni and friends in the business world, and while the USB believed firmly that there are many excellent business school in South Africa, “I hope they will allow us to feel, at least for today…that we are the best”.

Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting. AACSB Accreditation represents the highest achievement for an educational institution that awards business degrees, according to John J. Fernandes, president and chief executive officer of AACSB International.

“AACSB congratulates the University of Stellenbosch and Director John Powell on earning accreditation, and we welcome them into the family of AACSB-accredited business schools,” said Fernandes. “Director Powell and the faculty, directors, and staff of the University of Stellenbosch are to be commended for their role in earning accreditation.”

Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal review, evaluation, and adjustment and can take several years to complete. During these years, the school develops and implements a plan to meet the AACSB Accreditation Standards, which require a high quality teaching environment, a commitment to continuous improvement, and curricula responsive to the needs of businesses. Also required by the AACSB standards, all accredited schools must go through a peer review process every five years in order to maintain their accreditation.

“It takes a great deal of self-evaluation and determination to earn AACSB Accreditation, and I commend the University of Stellenbosch Business School for its dedication to management education, as well as its leadership in the community,” said Fernandes. “Through accreditation, the University of Stellenbosch Business School has not only met specific standards of excellence, but has also made a commitment to on-going improvement to ensure that the institution will continue to deliver high quality education to its students.”

The post Stellenbosch Becomes First African University To Be Triple Accredited appeared first on Ventures Africa | .