You have lived as an expatriate in your prime time in many African countries. What have you learned during this time?
Living in some African countries throughout my childhood and in my professional career, definitely conditioned an appreciation of diversity. It also gave me an unshakeable passion for Africa as a whole. I took note of how similar we are as Africans and got to understand the challenges that we face across borders at a more local level. There's a richness in the cultures of Africa that I also got to experience which has a bearing on my point of view today. Living abroad has been a great cultural preparation. I think because of my experiences while living in different borders, I was well-prepared for college in the United States and for working and travelling in various places in my later professional life.
Today, you live in Mauritius.
Yes, I live in the north of the island. I moved here in July 2015 to set up the African Leadership University's flagship campus African Leadership College (ALC). It's a great place to be based while still travelling for business.
Depending on their nationality almost 20% of Expat.com's members are self-employed or entrepreneurs. Do you think that living abroad boosts people's ambition to become entrepreneurs? Has your experience abroad played a role in the foundation of the African Leadership Academy and ALU?
Absolutely. Many of my entrepreneurial ideas have been formed from ideas that I picked up in different countries that I travelled to. It could have been a pain point that I had in a place that I lived or an amalgamation of ideas that I have encountered during my travels or from people that I have met along the way. I am inspired by things that I've seen, and that's why I think expats, in general, tend to become entrepreneurs.
My experiences living as an expat in several African countries inspired the African Leadership University because I've seen the continent's many faces through my time in different cities. More specifically, coming from a family of expats, my formative influences were invested in my family's reverence for education, not only for acquiring but for sharing it. My mother, Edna Wilhelmina Swaniker, a noted educator for over 29 years, started a school in Botswana. Years later, I followed in those footsteps co-founding the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa. Through a unique, ground-breaking academic programme, ALA sought to encourage its pupils to become more entrepreneurial, if not entrepreneurs. Through specific classes in Leadership and African Studies, students understood that the keepers of the continent's fate would not be the leaders of old but themselves, who would emerge through calibrated guidance and support.
Eventually, I decided to scale up the idea of ALA through ALU. This latest addition to this conglomerate for change is an institution committed to innovating the tertiary education space across Africa — a challenge pertinent to the times and economic context of the continent.
As a keynote speaker at the TEDGlobal 2014, you bet that the 4th generation of African leaders would boost the continent's wealth and prosperity. But great men's success also depends on external factors, such as a country's stability, economic potential, people's readiness for change, strong institutions, a solid educational and legal framework. How can we prepare the leaders of tomorrow to battle these external barriers?
I agree. External factors play a huge role in determining the success of leaders. What this means is that we must understand leadership in a holistic sense. At ALU, we recognise that leadership is exercised not only at the top of government but also across different economic sectors — in industry, in science and technology, in the arts, in communities and the media. Good leadership also goes beyond individuals, so those great leaders create strong institutions that outlive them. I wouldn't say that we're preparing our young leaders to do battle with these barriers. Rather, I'd say we're encouraging them to build pathways through them.
Importantly, we prepare our leaders at ALA and ALU by surrounding them with a network of adequate support through their peers and building a community of alumni they can turn to. At every turn, we ensure that they have like minded and equally passionate people within their reach.
Another important facet is instilling values that form the basis of a leader's principles. At ALU, some of these include courage, restless excellence, and ownership. These are more than just words — they are mantras that drive their moral compass and set the bar for all those under their leadership. Finally, wellness and support, leadership exercises mind, body and soul, and we establish the tone for this here at ALU. Our young leaders have access to counselling at any time as well as the ALUAlive fitness programme where students join in sport and learn about healthy lifestyle habits. All of these together prepare our young people for the challenges ahead.
As an entrepreneur, can you tell us more about the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Africa? In which countries do we find the most innovative hubs? Which countries are the most attractive to entrepreneurs and why? Do certain countries attract certain sectors?
I think you'll see time and time again the countries doing relatively well in attracting entrepreneurs are those who place human development at the forefront. That is governments that invest more in their people than in their extractive industries for example. These countries understand that it is their people who will enable economic transformation and some of the people will be entrepreneurs.
As an entrepreneur, my primary considerations are the policy environment, the rule of law, and the legal structures. These three work, in tandem, to form the basis for any vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. This is what helps nurture a good entrepreneurship ecosystem. It encourages innovation, fosters the growth of business, and continuously seeks to improve the operational end regulatory environment for businesses. We have established our first two campuses in Mauritius and Rwanda — countries that have deliberate policies aimed at making them regional education and scientific hubs. You'll also find that these countries are also investor and entrepreneur friendly.
Could you cite five African companies that emerged in 2016? In what sectors can African entrepreneurs make a difference?
There are quite a few African startups that are breaking the mould on the status quo continent-wide. Here are just a few of them: Fuzu based in Nairobi is building an integrated African careers platform allowing people to upskill as they look for job opportunities in the region. Another Kenyan offering, Flare, is launching a ‘Uber' for ambulances responding the many issues locals were having contacting emergency services. Dr CADx, a Zimbabwean innovation that uses Computer Aided Diagnostics to provide doctors with accurate and low-cost imaging for diagnostic purposes. WeFarm, an East African hit with investors, allows farmers to connect with vital agricultural information via SMS, building on the efficacy of Mpesa. SafeMotos, an innovative transport hailing app from Rwanda known as the ‘Uber' of local popular passenger motorcycles.
All in all, I think startups that will do well, like the above are directly responding to the continent's seven grand challenge's — governance, health, climate change, infrastructure, urbanisation, education, unemployment in numerous forms. Also, a business that capitalises on Africa's opportunities — empowerment of women, agriculture, conservation, job creation, and regional integration — will see success.
As the founder of the African Leadership Academy and ALU, what is your vision for the future of education? Ranking indexes such as THE or QS do not feature African universities at all. How can we change that?
My vision for the future of African education is one where education is aligned around a fundamental purpose. Specifically, the more we can harness education around solving society's greatest challenges, as mentioned above, the more impactful it will be.
Excellent education imparts character, it gives the recipient a sense of identity, and it also provides the student with essential skills and knowledge. So in the future, education should be accessible and relevant enough to provide all of the above.
The reason why many African universities don't make the international league tables is that the criteria used include the quality and frequency of their research, the size of their endowments, average salaries of graduates, the facilities available on site. In my opinion, what makes great education isn't any of these things, it's a trinity of great faculty, great students and great curriculum. If you have these things and nothing else, you can still deliver great outcomes for your students, and I think that is why African universities are missing on these tables but still managing to educate dynamic and capable individuals across many fields.
© All the photos used in this article are by ALU/Keshawve Jeewon.
