Africa Rising or African Renaissance? Who is defining Africa's sustainable development and investment opportunities?
Can percpetion be real if it does not include the primary stakeholders?
The recent appreciation of the fastest growth of African economy has given rise to a series of new appraisal about the future of Africa.
The question remains, is Africa creating a renaissance based on the needs and aspirations of its people or the Global Corporate perception of the increasing 500 million of 900 million Africans who can consume western gadgets and products?
The real questions is have Africans designed their own agenda based on their sustainable development and Investment opportunities needs and aspirations of its people (including the Global African Diaspora that make up more than one Billion people?). This is the real question who is defining Africa's perspective and aspirations?
Writing on unfiltered academics qualitative opinion or speculation about the future of Afroca under the title of Africa Rising and let us reap the harvest conversation is not going to cut it.
African perceptions should arise from the series of realistic scientific qualitative and quantitative research based on reality and facts that is documented on the ground in African institutions and global collaborative partners.
I find the premise of Africa rising questionable, what do you think. Let us get your perspective
Dr BMJ
Editorial Review - Library Journal vol. 133 iss. 13 p. 94 (c) 08/15/2008
Mahajan (McCombs Sch. of Business, Univ. of Texas, Austin) here revisits The 86 Percent Solution: How To Succeed in the Biggest Marketing Opportunity of the 21st Century , a book he coauthored with Kamini Banga, advocating that there is a ripe market in the 86 percent of the earth's population located in the Third World, a demographic largely ignored by modern companies. Now he specifically addresses Africa, noting that there are 900 million potential consumers who fall into two broad groups. The "Black Diamond" group consists of 500 million Africans who are newly at or near a middle-class income. The other group is made up of the destitute who, the author points out, must still buy staples like rice, soap, and cooking oil. The first group is ready for traditional consumer purchases such as televisions, refrigerators, and automobiles. The second is primed to have small profits leveraged through modern organization and distribution methods. The author concludes that Africa today is where China and India, now attractive markets, were 20 years ago. Unfortunately, Mahajan relies primarily on anecdotal evidence, asking the reader to accept inductive leaps that aren't clearly supported by the text. Possibly appropriate for institutions with large undergraduate marketing programs.—Robert Perret, Southwestern Coll. Lib., Winfield, KS
getAbstract Book Review: Africa Rising
“We know everything about how Africans die, but we know little about how Africans live,” said Swedish author and self-proclaimed African-at-heart, Henning Mankell. This is a book about Africa, but its protagonists are not disease-ridden men and women, starving children or raging warlords. Vijay Mahajan paints a picture of a continent overflowing with entrepreneurial spirit and economic opportunity.
He excitedly strings together story after story of entrepreneurial gardens planted in what looked like deserts. At the same time, he makes it quite clear that if you expect to make money in Africa simply by copying business models from elsewhere, you might as well forget about it.
To succeed, you must take the time to understand how Africans live and, especially, to learn what their daily challenges are, be they economic, political, institutional or existential. Opening the door of opportunity in Africa requires just a little extra portion of creativity.
Mahajan covers a lot of ground in this book. His inspiring case studies will teach you lessons about innovation and entrepreneurship that you can apply anywhere in the world. However, while this book might encourage you to plunge into business in Africa, you will have to turn to another source for hands-on advice. For that reason, getAbstract recommends this work to entrepreneurs and strategists who have not yet considered the African market – not those who are ready to go.
Read more about this book in the online summary: http://www.getabstract.com/summary/11486/africa-rising.html
Editorial Review - Library Journal vol. 133 iss. 13 p. 94 (c) 08/15/2008
Mahajan (McCombs Sch. of Business, Univ. of Texas, Austin) here revisits The 86 Percent Solution: How To Succeed in the Biggest Marketing Opportunity of the 21st Century , a book he coauthored with Kamini Banga, advocating that there is a ripe market in the 86 percent of the earth's population located in the Third World, a demographic largely ignored by modern companies.
Now he specifically addresses Africa, noting that there are 900 million potential consumers who fall into two broad groups. The "Black Diamond" group consists of 500 million Africans who are newly at or near a middle-class income. The other group is made up of the destitute who, the author points out, must still buy staples like rice, soap, and cooking oil.
The first group is ready for traditional consumer purchases such as televisions, refrigerators, and automobiles. The second is primed to have small profits leveraged through modern organization and distribution methods. The author concludes that Africa today is where China and India, now attractive markets, were 20 years ago.
Unfortunately, Mahajan relies primarily on anecdotal evidence, asking the reader to accept inductive leaps that aren't clearly supported by the text. Possibly appropriate for institutions with large undergraduate marketing programs.—Robert Perret, Southwestern Coll. Lib., Winfield, KS
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