Aug 25, 2019
What I Learned in Dar es Salaam
A little over a week ago, I boarded an Ethiopian Airlines flight which landed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I was among the lucky few entrepreneurs selected by the The Citizens & Diaspora Directorate (CIDO) of the African Union (AU) to participate in a three-day boot camp to learn how to scale up our businesses. I believe we were 20 entrepreneurs bearing the flag of 16 nations.
It was the first time for me to attend such an event and subsequently, I wondered why I never had the interest to do so. It was such an enriching experience and I wanted to share some of the things that I learned during the boot camp. Quite frankly, I could write a book about it, so I will only focus on a few highlights and overarching themes.
Lesson 1: Dar es Salaam is a beautiful city
Yes, this is true. From the Julius Nyerere International Airport to the Oyster Bay neighborhood where I lodged at, it was an easy ride with no noticeable potholes. Even when we toured the area just a bit during the nights, I noticed the cleanness all around. Perhaps this was accentuated by the growth of real estate in the city. There’s a level of sophistication to the buildings in Dar es Salaam that I was drawn to: shopping centers, apartments, restaurants, office spaces, etc…are all quite developed.
I was surprised to learn that although English is a de facto official language in the country, many Tanzanians didn’t seem to understand it well. I think it’s due to the fact that Swahili is the de jure official language and the lingua franca as well, so among Tanzanians English is maybe an afterthought. In other English-speaking countries that I know well, such as Ghana, you can always manage to have a conversation with someone even in the most basic English. In any case, this doesn’t seem to be an impediment for foreigners living and working in Tanzania.
A highlight of this was when we went to the beachfront during a late afternoon to try out some street food. As soon as the shuttle van parked and the door opened, a young man had already rushed to the door and began firing off a rapid sequence of excited words that almost seemed like he was yodeling. Everyone burst out laughing and in my mind I was like, “brother, I have no idea what you’re saying but let’s turn up to some street food!”.
By the way, in the debate of Tanzanian food compared to Togolese food or West African food in general, I think the conclusion is quite obvious 😊.
I should note that Tanzanians are quite courteous and willing to accommodate foreigners. During our after-work sessions in the city, we didn’t have any problem getting directions and making new friends.
Lesson 2: Not all Africans want to get on a boat and leave the continent
It’s a sad reality that Africans are still risking their lives using all avenues to flee from the continent. It no longer shocks people to see via their T.V. and phone screens, lifeless African bodies littered on the shores of some Western countries — it’s become routine. Governments, multilateral organisations, and the civil society are all trying to find a solution to this vexatious issue of clandestine immigration. This is a good thing, but let’s also remember the African entrepreneurs who are indirectly combating clandestine immigration and the brain drain at the core.
The boot camp gave me a glimpse of the diversity and the dynamism among young African entrepreneurs at home and in the diaspora . It’s the other facet of the African youth that most people don’t fully grasp. I can’t possibly detail a list of all the entrepreneurs and their stories in this article. The CIDO will soon create a biography page for the entrepreneurs who attended the boot camp and as soon as the page goes live, I’ll link it here.
Their businesses range from agribusiness to cosmetics, recruiting to food processing, coworking spaces and many more. Their stories are even more inspiring and for me, it’s a reflection of an Africa that no longer wants to be “resilient”. It’s an Africa that is now on the offensive, a continent that has realized it must focus on scoring instead of being a good goalkeeper.
Lesson 3: Above all, networking is important
I’ve learned the importance of networking since business school. Some of my professors never stopped urging us to develop a strong network with our classmates and professionals. They were correct in doing so because most of us who listened to them didn’t struggle to find our first jobs. As an entrepreneur, it’s equally important to have a network of fellow entrepreneurs and mentors. This network will consistently encourage and challenge you in your activities and this is a good thing.
“Friendship isn’t only about receiving”
During the boot camp, I had the chance to listen to the story of all the entrepreneurs present. Beyond the fact that their stories were all inspiring and motivating, it allowed me to reorganize the strategic plans for my activities because some of them are doing better in some areas of their businesses than I am. I can also imagine the possibilities of partnering with some of the entrepreneurs in the near future, creating a win-win situation for everyone.
And so, by rubbing shoulders with like-minded folks or people involved in activities that are parallel or complementary to yours, you begin to grow your network (friends, business people, mentors, policy makers, etc) and you’ll realize that you have more leverage in many challenging situations. I certainly have made great friendships during the boot camp and since friendship isn’t only about receiving, I intend to put myself in a position where I can help them grow their operations in any way that I can.
Lesson 4: The AU is a partner, not an adversary
It’s important to remind readers of the importance of the AU and its underlying vision of a united and prosperous Africa. It’s a very difficult task to unite 55 nations and to entrust this mission in the hands of professionals from different backgrounds who have their individual qualities and flaws. Year after year though, the AU has displayed a vested interested in moving the continent forward and the creation of CIDO is an evidence of this. It shows that the organization understands the complexity of Africa’s development, hence it’s reaching out to the talented diaspora of the continent.
In this spirit, I thank the AU delegates that were present during the boot camp, particularly Eiman Kheir and Angela Odai. I will them on to continue their great work. I also extend my gratitude to the facilitators and the experts who trained us, as well as The African Perspective (TAP) media which was in charge of documenting the event. Special thanks to Youssouf Simbo Diakité who has become a mentor and a brother to me.
Forward, always
To end this piece, I want to encourage the entrepreneurs who participated in the boot camp. Most times, the journey is bewildering, but it should reassure you to realize that the great entrepreneurs who inspire you, have much bigger problems and headaches than you do. This is because entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted. Fortunately, when you take stock from where you started till now, you’d all agree with me that you’ve certainly advanced in some ways.
Remember that entrepreneurship and team sports are akin. It’s not really about which player gets substitute time or who starts the game. It has always been about what a player can prove during the minutes that’s allotted to him/her. In the same way, as an entrepreneur, focus on your strengths and be ready to seize opportunities because they will always present themselves. Godspeed to everyone and since the world is a global village, we shall meet again in the near future. So long my friends.
