By 1993, Uganda’s economic indicators were a far cry from what they are today. The East African state was, by then, just emerging from a string of civil wars. The infrastructure lay in ruins and unemployment was startlingly high. The banking sector was one of the few that offered enviable job opportunities. But here was Regina Mukiibi Mugongo, who had diligently worked with the now defunct Uganda Commercial Bank for 15 years, desperate to throw in the towel so as to become an entrepreneur.
Mukiibi rose through the ranks from a banking assistant to an accountant. She sought early retirement to enter into the travel business. But her request was turned down by her employers, who increased her salary, for they thought it was all about the money. Barely a year later, they learned that they were wrong when she submitted a second retirement request, this one was granted.
Mukiibi joined her brother’s travel bureau and it was on one of her numerous trips abroad that she discovered a business idea that would see her forge a new way.
“It was during these many trips to Europe that me and my brother [Frederick Katamba Mukiibi] thought about starting a funeral service company to offer professional send-offs for the deceased, just like we had witnessed,” she recalls.
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Little did she know that it would take years before they would see a cent. In 1994, they registered the Uganda Funeral Services (UFS) and pioneered its service across the African Great Lakes region. It took three years before operations kicked off in 1997, mainly due to differing cultural beliefs and practices within the region. Traditionally, nobody left the responsibility to handle and prepare the dead for burial to people not from the deceased’s clan and family.
“We risked the wrath of society and indeed they called us all sorts of names for our innovation. Most people interpreted our venture as taboo,” says Mukiibi.
Sadly, things would become harder before they became easier. Her brother, who was also a renowned lawyer in Kampala, passed away on a year after the company started operations, leaving her the mantle to carry on with the challenge of undertaking.
“For two months, I didn’t think I would be able to carry forward the business. Society was vehemently against what we had initiated that I even thought about going back to the bank to plead for my former job,” Mukiibi notes.
At the time, the communities around Bweyogerere, a Kampala city suburb on the eastern flank, were up in arms against the new funeral home she had established using part of her retirement package. It was the first of its kind in the country and a cultural shock to most. Nothing seemed to petrify residents more than learning that the funeral parlor was used for the embalmment of bodies, keeping vigil for the deceased and as a preservation room for cadavers.
She sought refuge by joining numerous national investor networks. Besides the support and protection the organizations offered her, they also held several events during which Mukibi created awareness for and marketed her services.
Mukiibi was forced to take on several jobs at no cost for demonstrational purposes and as a survival tactic. It was with relief that Mukiibi learned that similar services were being introduced by the Catholic Church in Uganda. Church leaders gave her hope and counseled her against giving up. When a priest passed on, the church enlisted her services. Soon after, elite citizens and the state also joined her list of clientele, as did foreign embassies in Kampala that need to repatriate bodies of the deceased.
Soon her business took off and she applied for a credit facility from a local commercial bank to boost it. This came easily given her good track record in the banking service. The funds helped her procure a permanent home within the precincts of Kampala.
Today, UFS’s offices are abuzz. Clients are constantly seen walking in and out. On the day that I conduct this interview, six families are processing a dignified goodbye for their departed. Mukiibi juggles between responding to my questions and playing her part as director in approving clients’ paperwork. She has to interrupt our interview to answer a few telephone calls with pathologists, clients and her team. It is then that I reflect on how Mukiibi has successfully transitioned from being a seasoned banker to an individual who stands side-by-side with bereaved families.
“When a departed family member is sent off in a dignified manner, in a way it reduces the trauma and agony that the bereaved family suffers,” she says.
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It was at Salisbury College of Funeral Sciences and Embalming in London that Mukiibi undertook professional training. Today, she is the proud proprietor of the only company in the African Great Lakes region to be a member of the National Funeral Directors Association based in Brookfield, Wisconsin, in the United States. She is also a council member of the International Federation of Thanatologists Association (IFTA) and FIAT-IFTA – the world organization of funeral operators headquartered in the Netherlands.
To date, she has won various international and local accolades in recognition of her outstanding service, the latest being the 2013 Phenomenal Woman of Funeral Services Trailblazer Award, which she picked up from the US-based 100 Black Women of Funeral Service, during their convention in Austin, Texas in October. Other accolades include the Best Ugandan Innovator in the senior category for the year 2004, Best Woman Entrepreneur 2007 and Regional Entrepreneur. She was also recognized as one of the top 50 brands when Uganda celebrated 50 years of independence in 2012.
With a fleet of over 30 hearses and a large team, Mukiibi stands out as a preferred service provider in a field that has since attracted about a dozen similar entities.
An expatriate from Thailand helps make customized coffin designs and other high-end furniture in the carpentry workshop she has established. Because Mukiibi understands the value of skills, she occasionally flies in professionals to train her staff in handling funeral services.
Her venture into neighboring Rwanda was short-lived due to what she describes as “non-commercial viability and unfriendly investment environment”. Regardless, she is happy with the breakthrough made in her home country.
Although in Uganda, like in many other African countries, most people rush into funeral arrangements after losing a person, Mukiibi says there is a growing trend to plan ahead for terminally-ill clients. Others have walked into her office to plan their own funerals. Her business has even transcended religious barriers as she has handled funerals for Muslim clients.
“People come in when they are completely shattered but they leave with a smile. Some have given us awesome gifts in appreciation,” she adds.
Her 10-year goal includes establishing a one-stop funeral center with a well-equipped morgue, modern crematorium, a cemetery and a funeral service institute affiliated to the US-based Mount Aida Funeral Training Institute.
Mukiibi bore the death of her brother and opposition to her business, but from her conviction sprung new life in a services industry that was unexplored in Africa.

From Banker To  The Business Of Burial

Women walk for miles with buckets on their heads to fetch water, as the warm air rustles the leaves of the eucalyptus trees. Children play outside and men work for little or no pay. Here, in the village of Zenebework, Addis Ababa, one of the most impoverished parts of Ethiopia, the people rely on international aid for food and supplies.
“It’s how we lived and how we survived…” says Bethlehem Alemu, founder and CEO of SoleRebels.
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When Alemu was a young girl she was saddened to see her neighbors struggle to make a decent living because of the lack of jobs.
“I don’t like to call people poor. I would call them disadvantaged… if you give opportunities to the poor, they will no longer be poor.”
After university she returned home, determined to create a better life for her community, one that would empower it through its members’ creative skills. With $10,000 and a few employees her dream and artisanal shoe brand began to take shape.
“It has a strong investment on people. It’s not about giving aid but teaching people life skills that will sustain them in the future.”
SoleRebels makes eco-friendly shoes that combine traditional Ethiopian Selate and Barabasso shoes with modern production. The shoes are made from recycled tires and natural fibers. Alemu says that although the market share for green products is small, it opens up a lot of opportunities. However, this requires a lot of marketing.
“We selected shoes because we saw that footwear was an excellent platform to begin to share many of the indigenous, eco-sensible, craft heritage and artisanal talents that we have here in Ethiopia,” she says.
It was a simple idea that turned the company into the first fair trade-certified footwear brand under the World Fair Trade Organization. Over the years SoleRebels has expanded and become the fastest-growing African footwear brand with stores in over 30 countries across the world. It is also the country’s number one exporter to the United States.
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The success of the company has transformed Alemu into one of the most successful businesswomen in the world. She has appeared on the Forbes ‘100 Most Powerful Women in the World’ list and was selected by the World Economic Forum (WEF), as a 2011 Young Global Leader. Last year, she sat alongside Sir Richard Branson, Bob Geldof and Arianna Huffington as one of the councilors at the One Young World (OYW) summit, which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In her address to the youth at OYW, she spoke of the importance of being innovative and how blazing your own path will pave the way for others to follow.
“When I started the business I was afraid because the market was not there&#8230; I didn’t follow anybody’s road. What’s happening in Africa is there is one big road and everybody’s following it.”
One of her biggest challenges was breaking through the mindset of those who believed an African footwear brand would not succeed.
“There are a lot of entrepreneurs in Ethiopia who are doing really well, but they don’t know how to sell their product, how to market it, or how to brand it. It’s not only a problem in Ethiopia, it’s all over Africa.”
Another issue that troubles many female businesswomen is gender inequality. Alemu, fortunately, has never been treated differently or had difficulties because she is a woman.
“I don’t think females should think like a female, they have to see themselves as a person who has a dream and can make their dreams come true. I don’t want to put myself back in that box when I am already out of that box.”
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According to Alemu, the key to a successful business – whether you are in Africa, Europe or America – is to follow the business strategies of successful companies and adjust them to suit your community. The problem for Africans is the disconnect and lack of trading agreements between other countries.
“Whenever people want to start a business, they always look up to somebody and that’s a problem. We don’t ask: ‘how are other companies reaching this point?’ or “how am I going to build that inside my company?’”
As the founder, she has ambitious dreams for her Ethiopian-based company and wants it to become the “Apple of Africa”.
“I am inspired by the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs. I love how he came up with the idea and said I want to have this kind of product next week and then people put it in front of him the next week.”
Looking back, Alemu never thought that the footwear company with the quirky name would become what it is today. She set out to create a business that would allow her to earn an income and better the lives of the people around her, and today she is one of Africa’s most successful female entrepreneurs.
The people of Zenebework, who once felt hopeless, now stand with dignity. It was one small step for Alemu, but one giant leap for Ethiopia.
She just happened to do it in a pair of  SoleRebels.
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In The Shoes Of A Rebel

Oozing opulence, the South African wine industry has evolved into a key sector that contributes towards the country’s GDP. As a generational industry, transformation and development have been a constant cavity. New players within this $2.24-billion (R25-billion) industry are making world-respected wines, while also changing realities around black and female participation.
The Cape Winelands is the ultimate wine lovers’ pilgrimage. Most of the gems in South African winemaking can be found here. It is compared to the well-renowned Napa Valley in the United States and some of the greatest wine-making communities in Europe.
Initially seen as an old-money hobby, winemaking in South Africa has grown to such an extent that it is on par and in some cases superseding the quality of wines produced by the industry’s international counterparts.
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Female winemakers, such as Rose Jordaan, have changed the perception of women within the industry. Through dedication and consistency in quality winemaking, this former architect partnered with her husband – now exiting CEO of First National Bank, Michael Jordaan – and opened Bartinney Wine Estate in 2006. The 40-hectare estate is situated in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. The charm of the property, combined with the quality of the wine produced, is a clear symbol of how this entrepreneur, mother and tri-athlete appreciates her life – simple, balanced and strategic.
“My first career as an architect groomed me for my current career as a wine proprietor. There are huge similarities, for instance conceiving a building with its context and constraints is similar to conceiving a vineyard within a unique territory,” says Jordaan.
Growing up in the winelands, winemaking has always been at the back of Jordaan’s mind and when the opportunity to purchase a fix-me-upper wine estate arose, she jumped at it.
“There is something extraordinary about being involved in such an ancient art that includes passion and guts,” she adds.
With her passion and commitment nestled in conservation and environmental protection initiatives, Bartinney wines are farmed organically – although still awaiting certification – with no pesticides or herbicides.
Jordaan started the Banhoek Conservancy, which has signed 95% of the land owners in Banhoek, Stellenbosch, with a commitment to further the aims of social and environmental issues in the valley. Bartinney is carbon neutral in both farming practice and winemaking. It reduces its carbon footprint by planting mostly endemic trees (over 7,000), and it has a photovoltaic bank (solar energy), which reduces power usage from the national grid by 50%. She has recently planted a ‘walking fynbos vineyard’, the first of its kind, and the permanent cover crop is planted with endemic grasses and smaller fynbos plants. Unemployment is high in South Africa and the decision to go without mechanization means that people are employed instead.
While Jordaan might be the new kid on the block, her short tenure has already seen her elected as the chairwoman of the Women in Wine Exchange.
“In this industry I have learned that through hard work and commitment you are able to receive tremendous support and generosity in return,” she says.
This role is to ensure that the female winemakers meet every two months to exchange ideas and empower one another through network building and identifying solutions to the day-to-day challenges that they face.
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“There is a tremendous need for young women within the industry to unite in an effort to change the face of the industry.”
She identifies the need for transformation within the industry, from gender issues to dissolving the color lines, as an imperative.
“The South African wine industry is one of the fastest-transforming industries with both the entry of women and the opening of doors to previously disadvantaged communities.
“I recently gave a lecture on the Biodiversity in Wine Initiative (BWI) of which we have Champion Status at the Pinotage Institute [a disadvantaged youth initiative], where the youngsters were very excited by the idea of conservation as an integral part of wine farming,” she says.
She understands that change is essential for an industry that is characteristically kept within the family. Jordaan is optimistic about the direction in which the change is occurring, but sees the government as a potential obstacle to the rate at which change could occur.
“Government taxes the wine industry heavily, I believe if all that tax money could go into educating the youth in the wine industry as well as supporting the disadvantaged communities involved in the industry, we would generally be moving in the right direction much faster,” she says.
Recently, a group of winemakers from the Cape Winelands collaborated with AfrAsia Bank in an effort to curb the affects of generations of great economic and social divide within the wine industry. The resulting AfrAsia Bank Cape Wineland Auction was launched in October, at the same hour in eight of the world’s most iconic wine-loving locations: São Paolo, Seattle, Zurich, Franschhoek, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Manila and Sydney.
This year will see the start of an exclusive wine auction with a difference. Its aim is to raise funds to improve the quality of education of children living in the Wineland regions. The three-day gathering for the AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction opens on the night of March 13 with a party hosted by one of South Africa’s most prestigious Franschhoek properties. Multiple high-end Winelands events will follow before it will culminate with a luncheon and auction – a celebratory tour de force of wine and culinary elegance hosted by the country’s top winemakers and a culinary team lead by grande chef Margot Janse of Le Quartier Français.
Curated by 20 specially designated ambassadors, of which Jordaan is one, the auction offers everything from a single rare vintage to wine experiences to those who crave exclusive access to the beating heart of the wine industry. It’ll also provide Jordaan the space to grow further.
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A Rose Among The Vines

A lot of women have come up – there are many more rising up to the challenge and a wind of change is definitely blowing. Yes, I am in a male-dominated industry and I’m not ready to back down.”
These are the gutsy words of Nigerian business mogul Ngozi Oyewole, CEO of Noxie Limited – a leading Nigerian diversified service provider.
From trucking and haulage, protective equipment for rigs, to interior decoration, furniture supplies for multinationals and promotional items, Oyewole is a busy woman with a roving eye for ideas, many of which she has brought to life.
There is an infectious exuberance and confidence about Oyewole, one that is just as visible as her business savvy nature and can-do attitude. The evidence speaks volumes in her work, a trait many might not have expected. An Ikwerre princess – born into a the royal home of HRM Eze Frank Eke in Rivers State, Nigeria, who was also once governor – Oyewole is privileged, but that has not made her complacent or idle.
“My father was governor, he is also a king and society expected us to be spoon-fed and lazy but that isn’t the case. I had a thinking head on my shoulders and I wasn’t going to be swayed away by societal expectations or norms,” says Oyewole.
Sitting pretty today, with a fast-growing and diversified business with strong expansionary visions, Oyewole attributes her relentless drive and business acumen to her mother’s strong influence.
“My mother [Evangelist Beatrice Eke] was a very strong woman. She owned various businesses from hotels to beauty salons and she was very entrepreneurial. After school, there were expectations on us to work in similar areas,” she says.
After an undergraduate qualification in business administration and a postgraduate in information technology in the United Kingdom, Oyewole did just the opposite – she plunged into the corporate world and worked with a few UK-based firms, before returning to Nigeria to undergo her National Youth Service (NYSC) Program. Thereafter, she settled into the Nigerian corporate landscape.
“When I got married and had the first of my three children, my husband and I made the decision that I take a break from my career and raise our kids to an appreciable age.
“I started trading in 1993, when my youngest child started nursery school, and I would go overseas to buy clothes, shoes and household items to sell locally. I chose ‘Noxie’ as my business name because it was a pet name my sister-in-law coined for me, when she had difficulty pronouncing my name. I started with a small shop in Ikoyi Hotel and have since grown and diversified into several business interests over the years. I incorporated Noxie Limited in 2001,” says Oyewole
This was the beginning of a journey that Oyewole has found fulfilling and challenging, and yet it highlights the business terrain for women on the continent to be steep and rocky. In the same breath, however, she believes that women can only go as far as they allow themselves. A strong will, self-motivation and competence should be a businesswoman’s creed.
“The challenges I have faced over time are the same most women experience in our type of environment. In a society predominantly dominated by men, most times people don’t take you seriously because of your gender, but once you demonstrate your competence, dedication and professionalism on every job you undertake, they eventually have no hang-ups with dealing with you,” she adds.
Women need a voice within various business sectors and yet the inability to get finance from banks remains a major deterrent. More women should challenge the status quo by proving that they are capable and dependent business leaders.
Oyewole’s passion for entrepreneurship is shaped by her formidable mother, supportive family and her faith in God. All have fueled a healthy restlessness that drives her from venture to venture. Each has comforted her when her professional limits were tested and have pushed her towards self-development.
“Most of the businesses I run, I got into accidentally, after which I developed myself in these areas until I mastered the different technicalities. I have always been restless and enterprising. I’m very comfortable with what I do and it doesn’t intimidate me in any way.”
Noxie Limited has a portfolio that includes: office furniture, interior decoration for office space and the home, personal protective equipment (PPE), uniforms and industrial apparel, promotional items, barge and tugboat leasing as well as trucking and haulage.
As CEO, Oyewole sets the company’s long-term strategy to negotiating major contracts and financing. Having learnt the ropes and earned her stripes, Oyewole’s advice for young upcoming women is: “Have a conviction. Know what you want. Yes, African women do need a voice but self-conviction also goes a long way. The African woman can only go so far if she doesn’t believe in herself first.”
I am keen to find out if and how education has influenced such lucid business gusto.
“You don’t need to be in the classroom or an academic to be educated. It doesn’t take a paper qualification to make a formidable woman. As a woman, look for your strength and what makes you tick. Find what you like to do and do it very well,” she answers.
Noxie, as she is fondly called, may have achieved some grand feats in business but always sets her eyes on bigger projects.
“A major client contacted us to cater to their personal protective equipment business because they were impressed with our performance and track record on previous orders. I was thrilled on hearing the news but my excitement was also short-lived as I began to make assessments of my available resources, both financial and personnel. Although, I knew I had challenges in both areas, within me I believed I could surmount anything that came my way. I quickly realized that I needed to move up to a higher plane in terms of corporate image and presentation. I summoned up courage, took on the challenge head-on and the rest is history!”
Just like any entrepreneur worth their salt, Oyewole has various short, medium and long-term goals in mind. In the near future, she plans to open a showroom for Noxie’s home and office furnishings, and protective gear. Her medium-term goals are to set up a local factory for the office furniture as well as a production line for corporate uniforms, apparel and flame-retardant overalls and personal protective wear made from 100% cotton. Country-wide and regional expansion is on the cards as part of her long-term ambitions.
It might appear a far cry from the cushy comforts of royalty but Oyewole is transcending the myth that women are to be seen and not heard and from all indications, doff your hats as the Queen of gear is here to stay.

So Sure Of Her Business, She Put Her Pet Name To It

Women perform 66% of the world’s work, yet they only earn 10% of income generated across the globe, according to the United Nations Development Programme.
Statistics like these serve as a stark reminder of how far women still need to go to become equal players in the business arena. And with seven of the fastest-growing economies based in Africa, it is critical that female entrepreneurs take advantage of the expansion.
WEConnect International, a corporate-led, non-profit that empowers female business owners to succeed in local and global markets, has come to Africa’s shores to help businesswomen make their mark.
“If you look at the power of the markets, there is huge growth potential for our corporate clients in Africa,” says Elizabeth Vazquez, CEO and co-founder of WEConnect.
The network, which is headquartered in the United States, held its first African launch in South Africa. Vazquez says Nigeria is next.
WEConnect certifies women’s business enterprises based outside the United States to make it easier for multinational corporations to source from them. It also connects its corporate members with businesses that have at least a 51% women ownership.
The corporations represent $700 billion in annual purchasing power. They include Coca-Cola, HP, Intel, Pfizer, Master Card, Boeing, Wal-Mart, IBM, and Procter and Gamble.
“We are looking for countries that want to grow businesses, grow wealth and create jobs. We want early investment… because we know if you spend on women, they tend to invest in families and communities,” says Vazquez.
Last year, WEConnect’s corporate members as well as the Vital Voices Global Partnership and the Clinton Global Initiative announced a commitment to source $1.5 billion globally from female-owned businesses by 2018.
The agreement focuses on training female entrepreneurs to be ready to supply goods. The partners committed themselves to mentoring and targeting at least 15,000 female-owned businesses globally in that same five-year period.
WEConnect, which has female business owners from 70 different countries worldwide, has launched in South Africa with the blessing of the Trade and Industry Department.
“Studies have proven women are very good at paying back bank loans… but banks still don’t trust them. But it is not only [banks], but it is even by us in government. We still have a long way to go to realize women can drive and sustain business.
“[But it has been shown] wherever there are very powerful organizations of women, there will be very strong, sustainable women entrepreneurs because women thrive on networking,” Nomvula Makgotlho, chief director of women empowerment at the department, told guests attending the South African launch.
She says structures are imperative in lobbying for female entrepreneurs in order to change perceptions about how women have graduated from the kitchen and classroom into business.
“Women lack access to markets, they lack access to procurement. The journey of empowering women is a very difficult one. You make enemies on the way,” says Makgothlo.
Kalvenie Raja, who heads up the women’s fund at South Africa’s Industrial Development Corporation, agrees that it has not been an easy journey for women in South Africa.
“When we did BEE [black economic empowerment], women were somehow lost along the way. We need to see women coming into these markets,” she told the launch.
Accenture, a management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, is one of WEConnect’s corporate clients. Linda Basson, who heads up procurement for Accenture South Africa, says the value of the network cannot be underestimated.
“By widening the supply base, you increase competition and also get greater creativity and innovation.”
“Being socially responsible is quite fashionable. We can’t look to government for hand-outs anymore.”
WEConnect has appointed Nathalie Chinje to head up its South African program. Chinje is the founder and director of an entirely female-owned marketing company, Upbeat Marketing.
While bias against female-led businesses remains entrenched, WEConnect is helping the so-called green ceiling turn a new shade of gender equality.

Get Out Of The Kitchen

As the world gathered to mourn Nelson Mandela’s passing in early December, I reflected on the lessons I learned from the great man – humility, strength and a passion for South Africa and her people – and how they have affected and guided my professional path. This has been particularly poignant for me in my role as ‘curator of people’ of the various companies in which I have worked. People are at the heart of every business and in my career, I have strived to imbue the leadership principles espoused by Mandela – that good leaders collaborate openly, honestly and consistently with others in order to reach a common goal.
Mandela’s commitment to the creation of a non-racial and non-sexist democracy in South Africa has had a particularly strong impact on my career. Women across the world continue to fight for recognition, particularly in the corporate environment – and I am grateful for the leaders, who fought for freedom and those who fought to ensure that women were not excluded from the conversations surrounding equal rights for all. I am particularly proud to represent women in the mining industry through my positions as executive director of Anglo American in South Africa and vice president of the South African Chamber of Mines. My appointment as the first black female in the position of executive director of Anglo American is a credit to the company’s commitment to transformation and diversity in the workplace.
I took up my post at Anglo American on 1 September 2012, at an incredibly difficult time for the South African mining industry. I immediately had to take on a crisis management role, as Anglo American and South Africa at large grappled with the tragedy at Marikana and the rolling strike action across the mining industry. This difficult period spurred critical conversations about the role of mining in our society. It was a turning point for the industry as we realized that we needed to work harder to ensure that more people benefit from our country’s phenomenal natural resources. I am proud to be a part of a company that is committed to this goal.
My position as executive head of human resources at Anglo American Platinum (prior to taking up the executive director role) prepared me for the extremely difficult time in the aftermath of Marikana. However, I was able to improve relationships with unions, bring wage negotiations to a successful conclusion and build a cohesive and unified team. I value that time as I learned how to deal with difficult situations and to value my independence and unique point of view. These were lessons I started to learn from an early age, when my parents, particularly my father, strove to instill an attitude of independence in me and ensured that I received a good education.
Both through the lessons that I learned from my previous career choices, as well as a strong personal conviction, I have remained committed to working with Anglo American’s executive leadership team, as a member of the Group Management Committee (GMC), to drive the company’s extensive transformation and empowerment programs.
One of the core components of my role at Anglo American is the creation of a unified team across the disparate organization. I am lucky that I can engage with stakeholders from a diversity of backgrounds. While my responsibilities at Anglo American involve communicating with those of different mindsets, it is important to remember that ultimately we’re all working towards a common goal. It is about coming up with solutions, while keeping your eye on the bigger picture.
This skill was honed when I worked for the Consultative Business Movement, helping to build relationships between business leaders and politicians in South Africa pre-1994, when the National Party was talking to the African National Congress  for the first time. It was at this time that I was able to put to good use the lessons I learned throughout my upbringing regarding facilitating and finding solutions to difficult problems. I am proud to have contributed to the smooth progress of democracy in South Africa, and count my tenure there as one of my biggest personal achievements.
I am inspired by people who have a vision for what they do, and follow through with what they believe in, no matter what obstacles they meet. I am also inspired by other women in leadership positions such as Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, who are role models not only to me but to many other younger women. I also take time to refresh internally, making sure to spend quality time with my family, and connect with our good Lord for strength and endurance.

At The Helm Of Africa’s  Biggest Ship

I like to talk to the common people, I don’t like politics.”
Mae Azango sits on the edge of her bed in her old home that is wedged in a rocky enclave between the gray United States embassy and the modern apartments occupied by expatriate workers in Mamba Point, the poshest part of Monrovia, Liberia. Azango’s larger-than-life personality fills every inch of the dim, cramped, lemon-colored room where she lives with her 11-year-old daughter, Madasi. Within five minutes Azango has hijacked the interview and is yelling out the story of how she came to be one of the best-known female journalists in Liberia. Without a hint of irony, Azango refers to herself in the third person, claims to be a household name and universally feared by Liberia’s political establishment; then announces to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that she will never compromise herself by taking a job from her.
Some might say Azango likes to bluff or show off, but the 41-year-old single mother is one of a new generation of headstrong female journalists, who are not afraid to compete with their male counterparts or reel off lists of their achievements.
“This breed is more aggressive than what we had before,” says Elizabeth Hoff, who was the first female managing editor of a Liberian newspaper and the first woman to be elected president of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL).
Hoff, who now serves as deputy information minister, remained an editor throughout the heat of Liberia’s 14-year civil war that ended in 2003. She says a lot has changed since she worked in journalism, when many women left the profession out of fear for their safety. Those who stayed on fought sexism and struggled to win respect from their male colleagues.
Azango is one of a handful of female journalists in Liberia who have not only earned respect from their male colleagues, but also international recognition. She is part of New Narratives, an organization that supports independent media in Liberia. Founded and headed by Prue Clarke, an Australian foreign correspondent who reported in Africa for a number of years, the organization was set up in 2010, with funding from a Goldman Sachs partner. New Narratives teamed up the muckraking daily newspaper FrontPage Africa, for which Azango and the other fellows work.
These reporters have driven much of the hard-hitting reporting on violence against women and girls in Liberia, ranging from stories on child rape, teen prostitution, maternal health, corruption and education, for which they have won domestic and international accolades.
Azango received the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) International Press Freedom award in 2012 for her controversial reporting on female circumcision, a practice that takes place in the traditional Sande societies that exist within 10 of Liberia’s 16 tribes. She says she received death threats and was forced into hiding, moving from house to house and avoiding the newspaper office for a month. Mohamed Keita, the advocacy coordinator for CPJ’s Africa Program, described Azango as “outspoken”, “fearless”, and “persistent.”
But this was not the first time Azango had experienced threats of violence. Like her other female colleagues who are part of New Narratives, Azango’s experiences of coming of age during the war compelled her to become a journalist and report on the struggles of women and girls.
Azango recounts, in vivid detail, a memory from the early days of the war, when she was 18-years-old and pregnant with her first child, Victor, who is now 22. She says the pregnancy saved her from being forcibly taken as a girlfriend by a rebel.
Charles Taylor’s forces had closed in on Monrovia and Azango was picking potatoes around her home. She kept crossing a checkpoint that was controlled by a fierce commander.
“‘Why am I keep seeing a pregnant woman?’ he yelled. ‘I am looking for a young girl and she is spoiled, why is she in front of me? At the count of five if you don’t disappear I will spray you.’ I was running like a cut, dead dog,” says Azango.
With a father who was an associate Supreme Court justice and a mother who was a teacher, Azango initially aspired to be a hotel manager. But after 10 years of war in her homeland, Azango’s memories of a privileged childhood were replaced with raw experiences of being a poor refugee in neighboring Côte d’Ivoire.
When she returned from exile in 2000, Azango studied journalism at the University of Liberia and has never looked back. Unlike most journalists who focus on the sensational stories surrounding the political establishment, Azango writes about the masses, the ordinary Liberians who live on less than a dollar a day.
“I like to talk to the common people, I don’t like politics,” Azango tells FORBES WOMAN AFRICA. “Why? Because I feel politics come and go.”
But she is committed to journalism that delivers political change. Her reporting attracted so much international attention that the government called for an end to female genital mutilation, although Azango says it continues. Azango’s report on the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl by a police officer who walked free for over three months, led to the his arrest.
While the horrific violence perpetrated against women during Liberia’s civil war has come to an end, many Liberian women and girls continue to struggle with sexism and abuse and it doesn’t stop in the workplace. One renowned journalist and editor, who died recently, even had a policy of not hiring female reporters.
Wade Williams, 31, is one of two female newsroom chiefs in Liberia, also a New Narratives fellow and Azango&#8217;s colleague and friend. Her past three years at FrontPage Africa have proved challenging, with some of her male colleagues hesitant to accept her leading role. But after three years in the job, the reporters have grown to respect her and women have taken a leading role in the newspaper headed by journalist and editor Rodney Sieh.
Last year Williams became the second Liberian woman to win Journalist of the Year at the PUL awards, since the press union was established in 1964.
For Clarke, these achievements have led to a major shift in how female journalists are perceived in Liberia.
“The sheer fact that women, who were once considered worthy of being nothing more than anchors and doing entertainment, are now breaking the most important stories in Liberia and are among the most credible journalists in Liberia has revolutionized everything,” Clarke tells FORBES WOMAN AFRICA.
Back in Azango’s room we discuss the future of her career. She is uncertain as to whether she wants to continue being a journalist or become an activist working with abused women. The line between activism and journalism has always been a thin one for Azango.
As we leave her house she stands on the stoop and yells, “thank you for taking up my whole day,” in a sarcastic tone, pretending not to have enjoyed telling her story. Dressed in leggings, a bright red t-shirt and floral hair tie, Azango is surrounded by children and women with white knuckles rubbing wet clothes against washing racks. She flashes her broad smile and flips out a nonchalant wave. Perhaps she has reason to bluff.

Words Mightier Than The Sword

We need to start running this country differently,” says Arunma Oteh.
The journalists scribble and the cameras flash. Then Oteh accuses the chairman of the House of Representatives of the Nigerian Capital Market of corruption and unaccountability. This was the 2012 public inquiry into the near collapse of the Nigerian Capital Market.
Oteh has been the director general of the Nigerian Securities Exchange Commission since January 2010. She believes there are no sacred cows in the dispensation of justice.  This conviction has driven the reformation of the Nigerian Capital Market.
“I was brought up to always stand up for the right thing, even if it means standing alone. For me, it was standing up for the right thing in spite of the costs. I was angry that a system that is so well endowed was being led irresponsibly. I have had the power to make choices over the years – we all do. I have always chosen excellence over anything else. I had built an international career, reputation and standing for 22 years anchored on this. I knew there would be risks that I would be misunderstood, but I also felt the benefits to society far outweighed any costs attached for me.
“If I didn’t do it, who would?”
It was one of many questions Oteh pondered upon her appointment, and in her role as chief regulator of Nigeria’s Stock Exchange.
“I wanted to contribute my own bit to realizing Nigeria’s potential. I believed Nigeria was a well-kept secret that was often misunderstood in terms of its opportunities and potential. There wasn’t a good understanding of the role the capital markets played in transforming the economy – I was prepared to change this,” she says.
With a vocabulary peppered with words like transparency, good governance and accountability, Oteh fought market rigging, the pumping and dumping of shares, and wash sales. She steered the Nigerian Capital Market towards demutualization and capital adequacy.
“I was bent on creating a broader understanding of the value of a world-class, functioning capital market in the transformation of the economy. Wealth is in very few hands. What the capital market does is to create an opportunity for fairer equitable wealth distribution. This can only happen under a thorough structure. I wanted to set an indelible example for the Nigerian public sector. Integrity is so crucial while developing this framework, however, and it was important to rebuild investors’ trust and confidence in the system again,” says Oteh.
This is nothing different from how Oteh normally operates. As a high school student she wanted to become an inventor, but graduated in computer science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her first corporate job involved being responsible for corporate finance at a stockbroking firm. She completed her MBA at Harvard Business School and worked for the Harvard Center for International Development. In 1992 she joined the African Development Bank (AfDB) as a senior capital investment officer and group treasurer, responsible for fund raising and investments in international capital markets. Oteh was appointed vice president for corporate management at AfDB in 2006.
How does one keep this track record? Oteh believes she has happened upon the right opportunities. She wants more women to access these structures.
“I think a lot of women have exceeded expectation in Africa, in terms of commitment and approach to their jobs.”
Oteh believes the challenge lies in women being equally involved at different levels of decision making. Girl must have access to the same opportunities as boys, so these opportunities are later present in the workplace. Creating a meritocracy in the workplace, where the best suited and qualified individual gets the job, is vital. Successful women should focus on developing upcoming leaders. Women should pave the way for younger women to climb the corporate ladder, through mentorship and coaching. Oteh wants to develop the entrepreneurial spirit among women.
“A number of women helped and supported me in my journey too. They believed in me and instilled the notion that the sky is the limit. You can really go as far as you want to go in life.”
Women also face a lack of access to finance. These are economic issues that act as deterrents to the growth of the economy.
“I believe when given the right opportunities, women excel at their respective roles,” says Oteh.
She has won the admiration of many, especially after ruffling a few feathers, but Oteh faced much resistance in the reformation she championed.
“Some people preserve the status quo because of the benefits the status quo has for them – we can change that. There are no countries that have taken the bold steps we have made in the financial sector in the last few years. It was interesting to see the public opinion on this too. I think people realize that Nigerians are good people who like the right things to be done. I think we just need to stand up more for what is right,” she says.
Her resilience and cutthroat decision-making have earned her the title of the Iron Lady.
“This is not a negative tag for me. The only other person I remember being called that, was Margaret Thatcher, and I found her to be a bold, decisive transformer, who influenced the UK economy positively. She fought fiercely against the status quo. So, if leading change, being passionate, resilient and decisive about a great course is what makes me an Iron Lady, then I proudly raise my hand up high to that tag.”
The Nigerian Stock market crashed from a peak of N12.6 trillion ($78.7 billion) in March 2008 to N4 trillion ($25 billion) in 2009. It has recovered since and closed at N13 trillion ($81.2 billion) in late 2013.
Oteh did not become an inventor, but she is re-inventing a system that was once tainted.

The Iron Lady Who Stood Alone

She walks into the room with great confidence, wearing a full black suit. Although she is on holiday, she has made time to meet FORBES WOMAN AFRICA – that is just the type of person she is. She reaches out her hand, introduces herself and apologizes for being late. It is hard to believe that this poised figure is Thuli Madonsela, whose name is being kicked around the political scene like an empty tin can.
The fight between her and the South Africa government is all about Nkandla – the private home of South African President Jacob Zuma. It sits on a vast amount of land and cost over R200 million ($18.3 million) of, reportedly, taxpayers’ money to upgrade security. The president claims to have taken out a R800,000 ($73,200) loan for the purposes of the renovations. Besides the thatched huts built for his family and the beautiful landscape of KwaZulu-Natal province, one of its features is a so-called ‘fire pool’. It has been explained away by his spin doctors, for it is not a recreational swimming pool, but a water reservoir in case of fire.
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Who would be bold enough to investigate these allegations against the head of state? That woman is public protector, Thuli Madonsela.
“I don’t see it as me versus the government, it’s my team versus maladministration. For any government, if they want to govern in perpetuity, maladministration is an enemy because your ability to govern, or the authority people give you to govern, is withdrawn one piece at a time if there is maladministration.”
It all began in December 2011 when a citizen lodged a complaint to the public protector’s office regarding how the country was spending its money. A few months later, another citizen lodged a complaint against the president, under the Executive Members’ Ethnics Act, accusing him of using money to which he was not entitled. Madonsela had 30 days to respond.
“Firstly, when the complaint was made, I didn’t think that it was going against the president because procurement is not a presidential matter. So, at no stage did I think there would be any direct involvement with the president.”
The public protector’s office compiled information provided by several ministers, some of whom were also under investigation. Her team began asking harder questions, which raised red flags.
“The minister of police said he was going to give us information, so we were expecting it. Then, he said when he comes back from his honeymoon, he will give us the necessary information. When he came back, he wrote us a letter saying that he doesn’t understand why we were doing this investigation because as ministers they have everything under control and they are investigating [the matter].”
The ministers and security cluster opposing the investigation took Madonsela to court on the charge that the investigation would compromise the security of the president. Meanwhile, in December 2013, the 12,000-page provisional Nkandla report was published on the Mail and Guardian. Madonsela, a member of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), was accused of being underhanded. Some called her a heroine, while ANC loyalists hissed that she was a traitor.
At the time of writing, Madonsela could not comment on the findings of the final report. President Zuma was presented the findings in two capacities, as president of the country and the accused.
But there is more to her job than what appears in the media.
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“In reality most of the cases that take our time on a day-to-day basis are from ordinary people, who are just grappling with being denied one or another service. Usually, people who are struggling with an ID or permanent residence, people who are struggling with a grant and also people who have been unfairly treated in employment situations in government and who can’t go to the CCMA, or can’t go to the public service commission, or who would go to those but the service processes take forever.”
The frenzy has put Madonsela in the public eye. Many people expect her to be a loud and aggressive woman but are surprised by her soft-spoken nature.
“Some man once saw me and he seemed almost disappointed in meeting me, we were doing a walkabout in the mall and he said to me, ‘Oh aunty you’re just a little girl, I thought you were taller.’ Then I said to my team, ‘He always made me feel guilty that I’m not taller,” she laughs.
In her spare time, when she is not flexing her muscles, she enjoys reading women’s magazines  and listening to classical music. At home, she jokingly admits her children often remind her that she is not the ‘PP’, but simply a mom. She never fears for her safety or that of her children saying that, “I think other people fear for my family more than I do. My view on it, and this is the view my team takes, is that if anyone wanted to do anything wrong to me they would have done it at the early stages of this investigation. You don’t let the investigation complete and then you want to do something to someone because what would that achieve?”
Looking back, Madonsela has few regrets but there are things she would do differently with the Nkandla report.
“I should never have given the ministers a provisional report with the findings. And my team warned me against it because you are giving a provisional report for security filtering to someone who is one of the investigated…”
After her term in office, Madonsela has set her sights on writing another couple of hundred pages.
“When I finish, for a year or two, I would like to focus on writing, writing about the potential of this office [of the public protector], not just for South Africa, but for Africa and the world. It has enormous potential, but it’s not fully known, understood and exploited because it’s an office that has potential for transformative work.”
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Madonsela also wants to go back to the bar, this time as an advocate, where she will continue her fight against injustice. Clearly we haven’t heard the last of Madonsela.

Thuli Madonsela vs. The Government

Growing up was not easy for Daphne Mashile-Nkosi, but it prepared her for the troubles of mining. The manganese tycoon had a tough time breaking through the sector, especially as a woman. She was ousted from her own company, Kalahari Resources, but has since returned to reclaim her rightful throne and is recruiting more women to join her.
Born in Pilgrims Rest in Mpumalanga, South Africa, as the youngest of four children, Mashile-Nkosi lived with her grandmother until she moved to Soweto in Johannesburg, to join her mother. Her family moved around constantly and rented backrooms in the township. Her mother, a seamstress, would go hungry to ensure that she could provide as much as possible for her children, who she was raising single-handedly. It was from her that Mashile-Nkosi learned the power of staying. Her father, a general dealer who owned a football club, was quite the opposite and had little to do with his family.
The children at school looked down on her because she once brought a soggy sandwich for lunch, had a second-hand uniform and walked for kilometers to get an education. Poor families, such as hers, received a parcel of peanut butter and powdered milk from the government. Because of her humble beginnings, she vowed to rise above poverty.
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“I think those are the things that actually shaped me and made me the strong person that I am,” says Mashile-Nkosi.
There was much she would have to endure first. Teachers called her an ugly duckling and kept her from certain activities because her clothes were worn. But Mashile-Nkosi was a bright child who soared through school. In 1976, she needed $0.17 (R1.80) to write her final exams. She did the washing and ironing for her neighbor to pay the exam fee.
“What you put in is what you get out, there’s no manna that is going to fall from heaven,” says Mashile-Nkosi.
These humbling experiences made her conscious of her words and actions. Today, she has an undisputable love for clothes that stems from growing up in a time when, as a black person, your appearance showed that you had made it big.
She believes that one is shaped by numerous factors: school, parents, the environment and the status quo. This philosophy stems from the help she received throughout her journey. It is she who lends a helping hand to others these days.
Mashile-Nkosi’s next struggle was against apartheid. In her final school year, she participated in the 1976 Soweto Uprising that saw thousands of black pupils take to the streets in protest against the compulsory use of Afrikaans in schooling. The backlash killed many school children and caused uproar around the world.
It was among the activists that Mashile-Nkosi felt she finally belonged. Between 1976 and 1991, she became an underground operative for the African National Congress (ANC). In 1991, when it was clear that democracy would be imminent and the ANC was unbanned, she was a member of a welfare organization that helped return 1976 exiles.
She paid for her activism with her time as she was detained on several occasions. The first of which was a nine-month stint in solitary confinement. The authorities labeled her “a threat to the security of the state,” according to section three of the Security Act. They were long and desperate days under lock and key.
Mashile-Nkosi was so determined to speak to the person in the neighboring cell that she used a blanket to soak up the water from the toilet, her neighbor did the same. Then she covered her head with the blanket, so as not to be heard, and used the toilet as a telephone.
Years later she worked at retail and furniture stores and then at an IT company, but always struggled to settle.
“I was fired so many times. I then realized that I can never be employed. I was a performer at work but my big mouth wouldn’t allow it. I became a troublemaker because I asked the difficult questions,” she says.
This led her to establish an IT company, Temoso Telecommunication. She won a $9.03-million (R100-million) contract, but gave it away because she felt that she did not have the experience, money or the capacity needed to deliver on the project.
“I was not ready for it. Rather than mess up my name I’d rather give it to someone who could deliver,” she says.
It was in 1998 that Mashile-Nkosi’s foray into mining began, when mining businessman Sipho Nkosi, of no relation to her – who had occupied senior positions at Anglo-American Coal Corporation and BHP Billiton – approached her to start a coal mining company, Eyesizwe Coal, with him.
Mining was in her blood. Her grandfather, like many in those days, was a miner for Transvaal Gold Mining Enterprise. As the only woman in Eyesizwe, she wanted to bring more onboard. Her partner gave her a 24-hour deadline to do so. Strangely enough, she found a chartered accountant from the women’s consortium that had fired her by fax years earlier.
The story goes like this: a member of the consortium called to ask that she wait by her work fax machine for a very important document. An excited Mashile-Nkosi was not expecting what came next. Hurt and ashamed, she hid the letter in her bag and sat alone, until another member mentioned that she too had received the same fax.
Mashile-Nkosi became a rebel at Eyesizwe. After two years, she decided to start a mining company, Kalahari Resources, with the hope of pushing the role of women in mining. When she started the company people called her “the mad woman”, and said that she would never see the light of day in mining.
“We are Africans first and Africans are brought up to believe that women cannot do certain things… And also we are not brought up as women to support each other.”
In 2006, Eyesizwe merged with Kumba Resources’ non-iron ore assets to form Exxaro, which would be run by Nkosi. Today, it is the second-largest coal producer in the country with an annual production of 40 million tons and is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Limited.
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Overnight, disaster struck Mashile-Nkosi and her brother as they were removed from the company’s list of directors and eight names were put in their places.
Speaking to FORBES AFRICA, at last year&#8217;s Mining Indaba, Mashile-Nkosi said: “I listened to some of the comments. The more I told my story, the more certain people doubted whether these assets belonged to me.”
One of those names belonged to Sandile Majali, who was an $1-million (R11-million) ANC donor in 2003. After a court battle, Majali was arrested for fraud and offered to pay Mashile-Nkosi’s legal costs. The siblings were restored to their company. In late 2010, Majali was found dead in his hotel room. He was no stranger to bad press and was reportedly involved in the Iraqi Oil-for-Food scandal.
Mashile-Nkosi pushed on with the Kalagadi Manganese project, in the Northern Cape, as a protest project on behalf of women. This was at a time when manganese was the territory of two multinationals – Anglo American and Assmang. After a long wait, Kalagadi’s license was awarded in 2005. A $1.13-million (R12.5-million) loan from Investec paid for the prefeasibility study. The favorable results landed them a $5.42-million (R60-million) loan from South Africa’s state-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), which finances developmental projects.
Kalahari resources has a 40% stake in Kalagadi – 62% of which belongs to Mashile-Nkosi – while the IDC holds 10% and global steelmaker ArcelorMittal holds the remaining 50%. The contenders for a partnership on the Kalagadi project were ArcelorMittal, as well as French and Chinese mining companies. ArcelorMittal won the bid because it is a consumer of manganese, while the others are producers who, at the worst of times, may choose to sell their product first.
But the relationship with ArcelorMittal soured and went to court. The steelmaker alleged a lack of corporate governance, which left Mashile-Nkosi and her team no option but to buy them out. They signed a $350.25-million (R3.9-billion) buyout deal in December 2012 and the relationship is the best it has ever been. It was a difficult time, having to raise billions for a smelter as well as the $350.25 million (R3.9 billion) for equity. Discussions for the equity are, as of going to print, being held with the Public Investment Corporation, one of the Africa’s largest investment managers.
“You need to take the initiative of making sure people believe in you, by doing it.”
The project involved sinking a shaft (±R1.5 billion), building an operational plant (±R2 billion), a sinter plant (±R3 billion) and a smelter (±R6 billion). A $650-million (R7.2-billion) framework agreement for the smelter has been signed. The team is working on the commercial terms, after approaching a number of funding institutions.
Mashile-Nkosi is the first black women to own a manganese mine and sinter plant. Her husband, Dan Nkosi, was her greatest supporter, but never got to see her dream fulfilled. The struggle veteran and former Robben Island inmate died from a throat operation that went wrong. She poured the pain of losing her partner into her work.
Black people have historically bought mines that are known to have plentiful resources and well-established infrastructure. In her case, and what sets Kalagadi apart, the land was bare. There was no electricity, water, rail or roads. And the diesel for the generators alone cost $25.30 million (R280 million).
The underground ore has 37% manganese content and three million tons will be mined. Once sintered, it will be transported to the Coega Industrial Development Zone, in the Eastern Cape, for smelting. Projected net sales revenues for the financial years ending 2015, 2016 and 2017 are $100 million (R1.1 billion), $433 million (R4.8 billion), and $632.63 million (R7 billion) respectively.
The mine launch was attended by government officials, including President Jacob Zuma, economic development minister Ebrahim Patel, and minister of mineral resources Susan Shabangu.
“We are proud that as we celebrate 20 years of democracy, we can count amongst this government’s achievements in the mining industry, the fact that we have more women in the sector. We hope that Ms Daphne Mashile-Nkosi’s example can serve as an inspiration to all women and remind them that it is indeed possible to achieve great things in a sector that has traditionally been male-dominated,” says Shabangu.
Thirty thousand jobs were created during the construction phase and the production phase will provide 3,000 full-time jobs. According to the South African Chamber of Mines, 10 people are supported for every job created in the mining sector. In the near future, Kalagadi wants half of its workforce to be women. All this at a time when mining is struggling in South Africa.
Mashile-Nkosi encourages people to nurture a culture of selflessness and upliftment, which she believes can also boost personal growth. The entrepreneur condemns, what she refers to as, the prevailing sense of entitlement.
“My grandmother [an orphan that became a domestic worker at 13] said to me one day: ‘I, or your mother, don’t owe you anything, we don’t have to work for you, we don’t have to feed you, we don’t have to clothe you. You are in this life on your own and you must get through this life.’”
The manganese tycoon believes that it is her calling to encourage fellow African women to become entrepreneurs through the words of her grandmother.

Struggle And Strife For The Woman  Who Gave Away  A $9.3-Million Deal

Ruth wanted to see ‘a bit of Africa’ in 10 days. “Drive around, see some countries,” she asked.
Aged 30, complicated, full of life, excitable, blonde, tall and beautiful, Ruth expects a lot. She’s Canadian and works in medical admin in Saudi Arabia.
So off we set, drove Johannesburg to Francistown, spent night one in Woodlands overnight camp. Rack of lamb expertly braaied by yours truly (thank you, thank you) over Mopani wood coals, a tame guinea fowl flock waking us early the next morning with screeches and clucks as squirrels danced across our chalet’s thatch, that special bushveld smell infusing our coffee and rusks.
“Excellent!” judged Ruth.
At the Chobe River we searched for our booking at ‘Ouma se Plekkie’, discovering it was called Kasane Self-Catering and was the home of a former Chairman of BirdLife Botswana. Heuglin’s Robin sang us to sleep after brilliantly braaied steak (thank you), salad and potatoes, readying us for our afternoon cruise on the river. (Yes, I do know its new name is a White-browed Robin-chat but they don’t sing as well.)
A small elephant herd on an island came to the boat, another herd walked alongside us, 50 hippos gave us the hairy eyeball, open-billed and yellow-billed storks vied with carmine bee-eaters, long-toed plovers and jacanas to entertain us.
“Splendid,” said Ruth.
And the morning and the evening were the second day. Behold, on the third day we did rise at dawn, enter a small craft and scurry up and down the Chobe River, seeing puku buck, impala, cheeky warthogs, a giraffe, 100 hippos and an impressive herd of 300 buffalo. White-fronted bee-eaters and red-billed oxpeckers waved us goodbye.
Africa’s bureaucratic irritation struck us for the first time as we crossed from Botswana’s clean border through the mess that is Zimbabwe’s border post. A 60-minute wait plus $75 for a stamp for Ruth, single entry only. If we walked across the bridge at Victoria Falls to Zambia it would be another $75 for her. Idiocy.
We stayed at the Victoria Falls Rest Camp ($40 a night for a chalet for two) on night one, then moved to the Victoria Falls Hotel after Ruth rafted the mighty Zambezi.
“Awesome,” said Ruth.
So was that lovely old colonial hotel, great room, splendid atmosphere, superb manager, cheerful and helpful staff.
“Fabulous,” said Ruth.
We watched a video of her trip at Shoestrings, the backpacker place. Loud music, cold beer, indifferent pizza but ultra-fiery chilli.
“Burnt my tongue,” bemoaned Ruth, as we breakfasted or rather feasted the next morning with the splendor of the Victoria Falls Hotel view before us.
What makes this hotel so special, owned as it is half by Zimbabwe’s railways and half by Zambia’s?
“It’s the staff, and the history, and it is iconic, indulgent even opulent,” says manager Giulio Togni.
He is being modest.
Cape Town-born, this hotelier plays a big part in making sure the hotel charms every guest. And it’s green, with a worm farm and its own large vegetable and herb garden which
feeds guests.
We have now been in Vic Falls for two-and-a-half days and three nights. Intrepid rafter Ruth has still not seen the falls.
“Tomorrow,” she says.
So we book into the luxurious Stanley and Livingstone, where Mike the Head Ranger gets us off the game vehicle to walk down to the river to confront a black rhino and her calf.
Calm until she smells us, the mother snorts, whirls around, half charges. Mike shouts at her, she backs off – and Ruth has backed away quite a significant distance.
“Awesome,” says Ruth. “My heartbeat raced!”
Excited she asks, “Were you nervous?”
“No,” I lie. (She needs to feel safe, is my justification.)
That evening we stalk buffalo on foot before sundowners of G&amp;Ts on a high rock.
“We were really close!” says Ruth, and Mike admits even he was worked up.
“Exciting,” says Ruth, “hey?”
Next is Hwange, two nights in Zimbabwe’s popular reserve. With ranger Mike we decide Ruth’s ‘tribal totem’ is a honey badger so it is uncanny that early the first morning we see two honey badgers at our braai place.
Top three sightings for us at Hwange are the badgers at our chalet at 5.30AM, a tawny eagle at the waterhole, and a dozen herds of elephant cavorting in mud, water and around our car.
“Better than sex,” says Ruth.
Welcome to Africa, my dear.

‘Better Than Sex’

To say Nicky Oppenheimer is understated is an understatement in itself. It is tantamount to saying his family – the third richest in Africa – is well off; or that Winston Churchill, another famous Old Harrovian, was a fair public speaker.
It must be tough suffering the stare and glare that goes with being the scion of a powerful world famous family, but Oppenheimer wears his eminence lightly as he sits opposite me for this rare interview. This Johannesburg office may be dressed lavishly, but the man himself, in a blue open-necked shirt, is not. He is measured, calm and guarded as he chats about everything from entrepreneurs and corruption to government and business. There is a glint of pride in the eye when he mentions, fleetingly at the end of the interview, his son’s first class cricket career as an Oxford Blue. Jonathan Oppenheimer bowled for Combined Universities against one of the world’s finest batsmen, West Indian Brian Lara.
“He bowled the first three and moved them away and then brought one back into the pad. Lara LBW Oppenheimer 0,” chuckles the proud father.
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The laidback calm belies a busy few years for the Oppenheimers and the two corporate giants that the family took generations to build: Anglo American and De Beers. In the next few years, the family will invest billions into Africa and her entrepreneurs with straightforward business philosophy.
“You have to learn to get on with people, you have to learn to determine the bullshit from the serious stuff, and then you have to have a good common sense and a vision of where you want to get to,” says Oppenheimer.
This no nonsense approach is driving the family forward in the business of private equity. The investment drive came after the wrench of selling out from De Beers, the largest diamond producer in the world. Along with Anglo American, De Beers may have survived political upheaval and two world wars, but the recession of 2008 proved a turning point.
“From a De Beers perspective, it came at a bad time. De Beers had just being opening new mines so we had to borrow money to pay for the mines – you don’t get a return very quickly – so we had to renegotiate our debt conversance with the bank, that environment wasn’t easy. We managed, we had to turn to our shareholders and get more money from them; this was post privatization. So both Anglo and the family put up more money, which was brave on both our parts,” says Oppenheimer.
“In my father’s lifetime, he talked about the great depression, where the situation was far more dramatic than anything I ever had to face, and you knew that people wanted to have diamonds, there was never any lessening of desire just that they didn’t have the income to do it. So you had to cut your cloth to suit that and wait for the times to improve… It never occurred to me that the business wouldn’t recover, there were times where you have somewhat sleepless nights.”
The emotional decision came in 2011. After 85 years, the Oppenheimers voted to sell their 40% stake in De Beers, the business that built the family fortune, for an estimated $5.1 billion. For the first time in decades, the family had no stake in any listed company.
“Not quite a difficult decision, the fact that there were three shareholders in De Beers, the family, Anglo and the Botswana Government was always in my view an unstable arrangement and I knew something was going to happen at some stage. Either Anglo would say it was not a business for them or they would say they really want to be in it in a much more serious way than we are at the moment and they came out on that side and made us a very fair and reasonable offer. And then of course I was in a difficult position because I had to deal with a business I had been in all my life on the one hand, and then the requirements of the family, my sister, her children, my children. We ended up in a situation where my heart made me say ‘look we should stay with De Beers’ but my head knew absolutely clear that this was the right deal to do.”
Analysts in Johannesburg will say Mary Slack, Oppenheimer’s sister, was a strong voice in the decision to sell.
“She (my sister) was not in the day to day running of the business… We all ended up wanting to sell,” replies Oppenheimer.
The parting broke a link with De Beers that dates back to Nicky’s grandfather, who led the family’s charge into Africa.
A London trading company posted 21-year-old EO Oppenheimer, the son of a German cigar merchant, to South Africa to buy diamonds. He took to the diamond trade like a duck to water and his knowledge of the stones was unparalleled; legend has it that Oppenheimer used to carry a note book around him to write down any useful business information. By the time he was 30, Oppenheimer was the mayor of the diamond town of Kimberly – no mean feat in an age when grey hair ruled the roost.
“I always remember him as a very quiet guy, I remember him as the sort of guy that if you bumped into him you rebounded,” says Oppenheimer.
The formidable Harry Oppenheimer was the next generation – a strident man who made his mark both in business and politics, as well as guiding his son in the art of business.
“No, I don’t think he was a tough man in business, he had a very good view of the right way to get to a point, to how to negotiate his way there. I would have thought my grandfather was a tougher business man,” says Oppenheimer.
“I always knew that my father was there and I could discuss business matters with him, and that gave you a head start, it never got you to the finishing line, so that was whether you could deliver or not. He taught me business went on and it was an assessment of risk and to be a successful business man you have to take risks. There is no good being risk adverse, then you go nowhere.”
Nicky Oppenheimer’s air harks back to the gentility of 1950s Britain, where he began his education at prep school at the age of seven. Harrow and Christ Church Oxford followed.
“I am of an age where going to university was the last holiday of your life and I thought that was absolutely fantastic. Politics, philosophy and economics was a good sort of all-round degree. I thought it was fantastic, wonderful life. I didn’t work very hard I got a third-class degree at the end of it all. But I had a lot of fun,” he says.
When Oppenheimer arrived home in South Africa, the army called him for national service.
“The army had a terrible problem with me and that was that I had a degree, and so if you have a degree you did your basics and then became an officer. So, I became an officer and then they had no idea what to do with me. I had no skills that were of any use to them at all. I was sent to a great big parking lot just outside Pretoria and I signed my name every time a vehicle came in and I signed saying the vehicle had four tyres and two headlights. I always say that the army taught me how to sign my name very fast,” he smiles.
Then, Oppenheimer took his seat on the board, which he was to occupy for 37 years.
“It is what I saw myself doing; I had a particular love within the Anglo business, the diamond business. I was lucky enough to achieve what any diamond person’s primary ambition would be and that’s become chairman of De Beers. I’ve been extraordinarily lucky,” he says.
Not too soon after the De Beers exit in 2011, the family set up its investment arm Tana Africa Capital with the investment company E. Oppenheimer &amp; Son and Temasek, a sovereign wealth fund from Singapore. The partners put up $150 million each and sources say the family is also ready to invest the billions from the De Beers deal. The investment company will look at agriculture and consumer businesses. It will also consider deals in media, healthcare and education up to $50 million.
“We are Africans and we would like to invest in Africa. So we are busy looking for things to do, we have some investments but we are constantly on the lookout,” says Oppenheimer.
Tana Africa Capital has already invested in Promasidor Group, a company founded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1979, that sells everything from powdered milk to tea in 30 African countries. Regina is Egypt’s second largest pasta manufacturer and owns the country’s only durum wheat flour mill. It has an expanding export business into Africa and the Middle East.
Oppenheimer has faith in African entrepreneurs.
“People are pretty entrepreneurial in Africa and growing so and that is very encouraging, a constraint in Africa is bureaucracy,” he says.
“The problem rests on the fact that, so many African economies are mineral based. The thing with minerals is that you can’t pick them up and take them anywhere and that allows government, wherever they are, to be bureaucratic, which is not business friendly, because a business can’t simply say I don’t like you I’m going to go somewhere else, you’ve got to deal with it. As a continent we’ve got to learn that you’ve got to be business friendly and find ways to create an environment for business to flourish and that means a bit of a mind change. The important thing is they (governments) have a huge role to play in controlling the environment. The less they have to do with the actual business, in my view, the better.”
I venture that, in the words of Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is to keep government out of business.
“What one has to realize and what governments have to understand is, they are missing an opportunity. The penny will fall and then they must do much more than you talked about. They have to create the environment, they have to set the rules and regulations and tax rates but actually running of business is something short term that government is really bad at.”
And corruption?
“You have to stand up for what is right, corruption is an extremely insidious and dangerous thing and very difficult to eradicate once it starts… I often ask people once you’ve become a corrupt society, how do you stop being a corrupt society? And you don’t get very satisfactory answers. I think you have to demonstrate that you can be successful and contribute to society while being ethically sound, and it will be a long and slow process.”
More legislation, I venture.
“I always worry about legislation and what is does. When legislation comes forward, it is designed to catch the crooks. To my mind the crooks are always too clever to be caught. What is does is make honest people’s lives intolerable. So there has to be legislation but there has to be a drive to get people to believe in business ethics and doing the right thing.”
Then there is the struggling mining industry, which Oppenheimer spent more than half of his life working in. South Africa was shaken by a costly four-month strike in the platinum mines, followed by sapping and unprecedented power cuts. The Energy Intensive User Group that represents 32 of the country’s biggest energy consumers – including the smelters and mines – says 97% of its members are cutting back on capital projects because of a fear of power cuts.
“I think [mining] has a huge contribution to make. People talk about it like it’s a curse, which it certainly isn’t. Minerals have a future, if you’re blessed with minerals that’s a fantastically good start – you’ve got to use them. I think what happened in Botswana is a good example of a country that has taken its diamond revenues and put it to a good cause. You’ve got to find a way of encouraging mining, and mining is more long term than almost anything else. So you’ve got to create an environment where somebody is going to invest billions of dollars with a view that the first return will be seven to ten years away and the confidence to believe that the deal you have and environment you’re dealing in will still be there in seven to ten years. Then you will find people who will invest and companies and businesses will do… It is going to depend on the mining legislation, which is a bit up in the air at the moment. If you want to invest in a mine, you have to say ‘am I confident that the environment that the government creates for me will stand the seven to ten year test.’”
Oppenheimer concedes that the battered image of mining, in the land of his birth, has made foreign investors think twice.
“I think that people are looking at South Africa and waiting to see – that’s a bad situation. You want them not to be in wait mode, you want them to be in invest mode. The key thing in South Africa seems to be the creation of jobs. The government task I think should be to do everything in its power to create jobs so that the huge number of unemployed youth we have in the country can get jobs, get wages, fair proper wages and that needs to color every decision they make,”
says Oppenheimer.
As for the man himself, he is throwing himself into a number of philanthropic projects including the effort to save the endangered pangolin. Apparently, the long-tailed, scaly mammal is prone to electric security fences in the bush and is dying out.
If the pangolin survives and corruption dies, surely anything is possible in Africa.

‘Corruption  Is An Extremely Insidious And Dangerous Thing’

Bitcoins were worth nothing in 2009, when the digital cryptocurrency was first minted on the computer of its mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, who claimed to live in Japan.
Four years later the value of one Bitcoin surpassed $1,100, thanks in large part to a surge in speculative interest from China. A little-known Shanghai company called BTC China met the demand and quickly became the world’s largest Bitcoin exchange, with more than 100,000 of the virtual coins, or $100 million, traded on a single day, nearly double the market share of its closest competitor, Japan’s Mt. Gox.
BTC China attracted headlines and a  <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2491" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FO012014_086-222x300.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="300" />$5 million investment in the fall from Silicon Valley’s Lightspeed Venture Partners as well as its China arm. But its rapid growth, and that of Bitcoin, also attracted the attention of the Chinese government.
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Unwanted attention, as it turned out. In December the People’s Bank of China decreed that merchants may not accept Bitcoin and forbade banks and payment processors from converting Bitcoin into yuan. The price of Bitcoin fell below $500 in response.
Bitcoin is still widely embraced by technophiles and libertarians (and porn and pot-dealing websites) because the currency is all digital, easily transported across borders and resistant to state controls. A Bitcoin is “mined” on privately owned, specialized computing equipment and passed around by a global, peer-to-peer network of computers. Transactions are trackable, but the parties to each transaction are not. Bitcoin has attracted entrepreneurs and investors excited about its legitimate use: cutting out the middlemen in online payments. In December venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz placed the biggest Bitcoin bet so far with a $25 million investment in San Francisco’s Coinbase, a platform for buying, selling and storing Bitcoins in the U.S. “As the world becomes more digital, paying physically with bills, gold or credit cards will seem archaic. Everyone will have Bitcoins,” says BTC China CEO Bobby Lee.
But China’s actions over the past weeks have put BTC China’s future in doubt. After Chinese regulators held a closed-door meeting to warn financial companies against working with exchanges, BTC China was swiftly abandoned by two payment processors. “There are 300 payment processors in China. We’re going to go down the list and find one that will work with us,” says an optimistic Lee. He doesn’t think the government is trying to put him out of business but rather put the screws on Bitcoin to cut down on the rampant speculation. “They haven’t declared exchanges illegal. That gives us room to maneuver, so there’s still hope.”
Lightspeed’s Jeremy Liew is keeping a distant focus. “Anyone investing in Bitcoin companies and Bitcoin specifically should be doing so with the expectation that there will be a lot of volatility driven by regulatory announcements. We invest over 5- to 10-year horizons, not over two-week horizons,” says Liew. “For Bitcoin to be credible, we need executives who have the gravitas to make its case to regulators. That’s Bobby.”
Lee, 38, was born in the Ivory Coast to parents who had moved there from China to set up a flip-flop factory. He was sent to an elite boarding school in the States, graduated from Stanford and spent eight years as an engineer at Yahoo in California. He moved to China in 2006 to work as an engineer at EMC. In 2011 he became Wal-Mart’s chief technology officer in China, charged with helping to build its commerce site.
Lee first heard about Bitcoin in the spring of 2011 while visiting his family in California. Lee’s brother, Charles, was using some of his computer equipment to mine Bitcoin at home. Lee thought he would do the same back in China and bought a bunch of graphics cards from his brother. He started mining in July, the same month he started at Wal-Mart. Neither lasted long.
“It was a hot summer, and the computers created a lot of heat,” says Lee. “My wife said it was too noisy and hot, and so I turned it off in October.” He mined 25 coins, which struck him as a “waste” because they were worth just $300 total at the time and he had spent $1,000 on mining gear.
When Wal-Mart decided to partner with an existing e-commerce site in 2012 rather than build its own, Lee found himself jobless. His mind returned to those Bitcoins gathering digital dust on his computer. His brother had founded a competing cryptocurrency called Litecoin, but Lee wanted to focus on bringing Bitcoin to China. BTC China had popped up two years earlier as the country’s first site for Bitcoin trading. “It was just two guys working part-time on it,” says Lee. They were charging a 0.3% trading fee, but seeing just a few hundred trades per day. Lee sought out its cofounders to convince them it could be bigger. Lee became CEO in April.
They relaunched the site in June and went out looking for venture capital. When they landed the round from Lightspeed in September, they eliminated their fee. That kicked off a bidding frenzy fueled also by the free Bitcoin p.r. that came when the FBI took down Bitcoin-only drug site Silk Road and Baidu announced it would accept Bitcoin for security services, plus the positive buzz around U.S. Senate hearings on the digital currency.
But then the People’s Bank of China, responding to what it says was a wave of consumer concerns, declared in December that Bitcoin wasn’t a recognized currency and shouldn’t be used in the market, prompting Baidu and other Chinese firms to stop taking it as payment. As the extent of the real-world ban became clear, the price of a Bitcoin dropped to $345 on BTC China.
Lee initially saw the declaration as just a speed bump. Chinese citizens were still free to trade Bitcoin. BTC China stayed on the good side of the government’s concerns about money-laundering by asking customers for official identification. BTC also reinstated trading fees to cut down on the frenzy. But days later the government crushed hopes of a thriving trading business when it unofficially barred payment processors from working with Bitcoin exchanges. Suddenly BTC China and others would no longer be able to move their customers’ funds from yuan to Bitcoin and back—which is what exchanges exist to do. “We’re reading the tea leaves,” says Shanghai Bitcoin entrepreneur Jack Wang. “But it looks like they’re going to squeeze the exchanges until they’re not able to operate.”
China’s move is not without precedent. Eleven years ago Chinese Web service Tencent created a virtual currency called Q Coin for use in games. It became increasingly valuable offline and started trading on exchanges along with renminbi and gold. The government declared such use illegal in 2007, sending its real world value crashing to nothing.
China is still letting people play with Bitcoin in its country, but by cutting off ways to convert it to real money, it is turning it into the digital Monopoly money that skeptics have always dismissed it as being. “If necessary, we’ll go into other Bitcoin services,” says Lee. The company plans to launch a secure online Bitcoin wallet called Picasso at the end of December. “This is not the end. It may be the end of a chapter, but it’s not the end of our company.”

China Bites  Into Bitcoin

The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) 20 Share Index closed last year at an enviable 19.2%, settling at 4,927 points. Similarly, investors’ wealth rose from Ksh1.27 trillion ($14.7 billion) to Ksh1.92 trillion ($22.2 billion)—an equivalent of 51.2%. With government debt and real estate yielding an average of 8.2% and 6% respectively, equities easily became the top performing asset class.
Therefore, with an average inflation of 5.7% throughout last year, it means equities gave the best return in real terms. Persistent foreign investor interest, falling interest rates and general favorable economic conditions are some of the main factors that supported the rally. Notwithstanding the heightened political tension early in the year and the almost 100% rise in overall inflation, the market proved to be more robust than expected.
The top five counters, Centum Investment Company, British American Investments, CFC Insurance, Pan Africa Insurance and Safaricom, all doubled in price within the 12-month period on the back of stellar returns. Laggards of the year included Mumias, Kenol Kobil and Scangroup, which all lost more than 25% of their value due to difficult operating environments and negative sentiment. Safaricom became the first NSE-listed company to rise to a capitalization of Ksh400 billion ($4.6 billion) when its share price went past the Ksh10 mark for the first time.
Foreign investors piled into big caps like East African Breweries, Bamburi Cement, Equity Bank and KCB Bank, as appetite for African equities improved. The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) now indicates that foreigners account for 22.4% of investors’ holdings, up from a low of 7.9% in 2008, according to its third quarter Statistical Bulletin 2013. This group now averages 50% on investors’ monthly participation in the market. Net cash inflows from this investor category for the nine months ending last September amounted to Ksh22.6 billion ($262 million), almost matching the total sum for the full year in 2012, which stood at Ksh21.7 billion ($251 million).
NSE saw its total listings go up to 61 following the listing of Home Afrika, a real estate developer which joined the market by way of introduction. The firm floated 405 million shares on the NSE’s Growth Enterprise Market Segment. There were no delistings during the year. CMC Holdings remained suspended, pending the resolution of corporate governance issues and a take-over bid by the Al–Futtaim Group. Access Kenya and Rea Vipingo were also suspended from active trading following take-over notices.
This year the market is poised to keep up with the trend of the overall economy, in effect setting the stage for the continuation. The former major resistance at the 5,000 level may soon turn into a support area, especially if first quarter numbers are solid. The country is projected to grow by 6.2% this year according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), an improvement from 5.9% in 2013 and 4.6% the year earlier. However, IMF’s managing director, Christine Lagarde, warned that the gradual tapering of the United States monetary stimulus program in coming months could temper equity returns and massive outflows could ensue as a result.
Nevertheless, one of the sectors expected to do well is the energy sector owing to the confirmation of higher amounts of recoverable oil, over and above the 300 million barrels so far reported; a scenario likely to spur additional capital expenditure into the country. In this regard, Transcentury is best placed to attract investor attention as it is the only listed stock closely involved in oil and gas exploration. Civicon, one of its important subsidiaries, was recently awarded a lucrative contract involving the building of supporting infrastructure around oil exploration blocks in northern Kenya.
Other sectors anticipated to deliver good returns include the banking and consumer sectors according to risk and research firm Stratlink Africa. It argues the two sectors will experience robust growth, fueled by increasing demand for financial services and technology, especially in the mobile banking arena. In this regard, Kenya Airways, Cooperative Bank, NIC Bank and Barclays Kenya provide a potential hunting ground. However, the firm cautioned that there is risk to this outlook, stemming from the uncertainty surrounding the International Criminal Court cases against the president and his deputy.
Nonetheless, the market multiple stands at 16, meaning there are opportunities to be found. I therefore would like to wish all the bargain hunters out there all the best investing in 2014.

NSE’S AMAZING  BULL RUN

I arrived on the main Seychelles island of Mahe in the middle of the night, uncomfortable and annoyed. It was just a four and half hour flight from Johannesburg, but I spent most of the day at OR Tambo International Airport as my flight was delayed for several hours. All, however, was forgotten by sunrise, as I woke up to the amazing natural beauty of the island. Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands, but the majority of them are home only to the abundant bird life. The islands are clean, the people are friendly and the beaches are sublime. The sand feels like you are walking in a bag of flour. The water is cool and clear and the waves are soft and subtle, even at high tide.
If you manage to pull yourself away from the beach, walking through the streets is relaxed and safe and you are surrounded by lush green-covered mountains. The islands are largely underdeveloped. Coming from the fast-paced, traffic-crazy Johannesburg; it is just what was needed, as you are forced into a state of relaxation.
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My trip began in Victoria, the economic hub and capital of Seychelles. Despite being the most populated of all the islands, I found myself completely surrounded by nature. A walk up to the Morne Seychellois National Park is most rewarding. The park is at the top of Mahe’s tallest peak, which at over 900 meters high, provides magnificent views. Back on lower ground, I enjoyed a tour of the famous Takamaka Rum Distillery at La Plaine St Andre followed by a short history lesson on sugarcane juice as they call it, the production process, and the different flavors of island rums.
The next best thing to do in the Seychelles is eat. The food is mostly Creole-style, spicy curries and grills. Some restaurants even serve bat curry—I am told it tastes like chicken. The dish is made in only a few upmarket restaurants as a delicacy. Shark chutney also peaked my interest. I was horrified, until I learnt that sharks are not caught for consumption but are used when they get mistakenly caught in fishing nets.
The islands make for the perfect beach holiday but you need to have deep pockets. The Seychelles rupee is at almost 1:1 to the South African rand, but very weak. Basic items cost four times what you would pay in South Africa. Agriculture is minimal as there is very little land space and the population is a mere 86,000, making manufacturing a non-industry. As a result, everything is imported. The Seychelles has a multi-party democracy with a socialist government. The locals have free access to health and education and because tourism makes up 70% of the economy, Seychellois pay reduced prices on most services. A local pays almost a quarter of the price that a tourist pays for a ferry ride from one island to another.
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Traveling between the islands by ferry and a ride to the main tourist island of Praslin is a must. It boasts several beaches that consistently win accolades. The Anse Lazio beach took top honors in the 2012 World Travel Awards and was also listed as one of the 25 most beautiful beaches in the world in 2013 by travel website, Trip Advisor. Seychelles enjoys summer all year round making the beaches accessible at any time. Apart from lying around the beach, one can venture out to sea for a bit of snorkeling. The crystal clear water makes the experience memorable, more so if you find yourself swimming next to a yellow turtle. The islands have the world’s largest population of hawksbill turtles. The nation is also famous for its giant tortoises which can be found roaming around freely on certain beaches. Most of the species cannot be found in other parts of the world because of rapid urbanization.
A walk through the famous Vallee de Mai nature reserve must be comparable to walking through the Garden of Eden. Long towering palms with giant leaves hover above, with rare bird species creating an almost scary jungle experience. If you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of the endangered black parrot, but you will have to rely on your memory for that experience as no cameras are allowed in the forest. You also cannot miss the fascinating Coco de Mer plants which resemble male and female genitals.
The quaint island of La Digue has small narrow roads that are cut through lush forests. No cars are allowed, except for the few that belong to tour companies, and riding a bicycle is the main mode of transport. I spotted a few brave tourists attempting to hike to the statue of St Mary on the tip of the island.
The Seychelles is a tourist haven and a major source of income to the country. But, for years only the Europeans could afford it. Italians, Germans and the French are the most frequent visitors. When Europe went into recession in 2009, the Seychelles followed. The tiny country received a loan from the IMF to revive the economy, and the focus has since changed. Seychelles is now turning to Africa.
The government is working on creating partnerships to attract foreign investment from the continent and to lessen its heavy dependence on tourism. Eden Island boasts luxury villas for the uber-rich, ranging between $425,000 and $2.2 million. Over 40% of these are owned by South Africans.
Across the bridge in Mahe, Seychellois live in modest homes. There are no big shopping malls and fast food outlets at every corner. The locals are simple, caring and community orientated. They admit they do not care for lavish lifestyles, but they do care for each other.
“The one thing about Seychelles, no-one dies hungry and no-one dies alone,” says Elsie Sinon, a tour guide with the Seychelles Tourism Board.
The fishing industry contributes 30% of the revenue to the economy. The government wants foreign investment to double the fishing industry’s contribution to GDP. So far, only India has recently invested in a tuna factory on the main island of Mahe. With more ocean than land, Seychelles is not only looking for more fish but for oil too. Earlier this year, the government opened official bids for oil exploration. Two companies, one from London and another from Australia, grabbed the opportunity and have already conducted preliminary studies which found that there is in fact a fortune lying beneath the sea bed.
The thought of oil drilling in a country that depends on fishing, beautiful beaches and deep sea coral for tourism, is slightly alarming. But it seems the research has been done and the risks are being well managed.
“We understand the risk, a government department has been set up to specifically manage the oil exploration and the environmental impact assessments show little risk to the natural habitat,” says the country’s finance minister Pierre Laporte.
It will be an absolute shame if the natural environment is devastated. Unlike most island destinations, the Seychelles is largely untouched. The beaches are pristine and not very populated. What a treat to have a little piece of an island all to yourself.

Tag: February 2014

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

From Banker To The Business Of Burial

In The Shoes Of A Rebel

A Rose Among The Vines

So Sure Of Her Business, She Put Her Pet Name To It

Get Out Of The Kitchen

At The Helm Of Africa’s Biggest Ship

Words Mightier Than The Sword

The Iron Lady Who Stood Alone

Thuli Madonsela vs. The Government

Struggle And Strife For The Woman Who Gave Away A $9.3-Million Deal

‘Better Than Sex’

‘Corruption Is An Extremely Insidious And Dangerous Thing’

China Bites Into Bitcoin

NSE’S AMAZING BULL RUN

White Sands, Shark Chutney And Spice