“For god’s sake, please stop the aid” …..to Africa?

Guest post by: Ken Teyie
Become an Author

Free PDF Download
Africa’s Looming Food Crisis can be Mitigated - By Ken Teyie

I was moved by an old article by Ethan Zuckerman on aid to Africa that he capture during the TED conference in Tanzania Last year in which he captured views of a Kenyan economist on Aid and opportunity to Africa. Below are excerpts from the article:

Africa’s economic weakness comes from a failure to commercialize the resources and inventions of the continent, this is according to a self taught Kenyan economist, James Shikwati who is urging Africans to “stop addressing problems and start addressing African opportunities.” Famine, he tells us, is a business challenge: 200 million people are facing food shortage, and they’re a market. Malaria, with 300-500 million cases a year and $12 billion in economic loss, is an economic opportunity.

Chris Anderson references his now-legendary interview in Spiegel, reported under the title, “For god’s sake, please stop the aid“. He is “shockingly misguided, amazingly wrong,” according to Jeffrey Sachs… which makes him very popular already with some of our audience.

“How can you say you don’t have a job in Africa when there are all these opportunities?” Shikwati points to a new Kenyan business focused on indoor insecticide spraying, protecting houses from roaches and mosquitoes for six months. The cost is affordable - from 100 to 400 Kenyan shillings - and providing this service is an entrepreneurial opportunity for otherwise unemployed Kenyans.

The challenge for Africa is for businesses to move beyond their home countries and spread throughout the continent. “What’s missing is not money, but confidence.” Shikwati suggests that use culture to introduce people to business and build their confidence. He wants to “create passion amongst the youth” through business competitions and awards.

He fears there’s a “constrained vision” that Africans suffer from, a need to release the African mind. “If I eat yams, people say I’m poor - I should eat bread. That’s nonsense.” It’s the result of cultural preconception, he believes. “People are looking at African entrepreneurs as corrupt and untrustworthy
- a leader may be corrupt, but Africans are not corrupt.” To succeed, Africans need to challenge these stereotypes, internally and externally.

From the outside, Shikwati tells us, “Aid looks quite sexy. If we see a beggar on the street, we feel we should help him.” But this might not be the right decision. “If you’ve been giving us aid and have made us lose confidence in ourselves… I think you are not helping Africa.” Instead, he asks Shikwati to invest in Africa, or to allow the Africans to sell their products globally. But African companies have to step up as well. “How many indigenous African businesses are ready to tap into COMESA, a market of 400 million people? Or East African Community , a market of 100 million people.”

Shikwati warns us that “countries bring not just aid, but their companies.” If we’re not careful, we end up putting ourselves in a situation where we’re waiting for aid instead of innovating - “we need to be competing with international business”

SME's - collectivism yes or no

SMEs - opportunities in Africa

Wall Street, “Africa is Investing’s Final Frontier”

Quick Mobile Hits Around Africa

SMEs and entrepreneurs in Africa

V. D. The Future of China-Africa Economic Relations: FACTORS INFLUENCING THE GROWING TIES

SMEs - surviving the recession in Africa

SME's - why is franchising not more popular in Africa

Changing “Brand Africa”, an International Trade Forum magazine feature

4.4 References: Economic Report on Africa 2007

II.a Merchandise Trade: TRADE AND CAPITAL FLOWS BETWEEN CHINA AND AFRICA

Forget aid and money Africa needs IDEAS

Rebranding Africa

Comparison with other developing countries: Africa’s human development

SME's - can entrepreneurialism survive in Africa

Go to Africa, Young Investor

4.0 Diversification trends in Africa: Economic Report on Africa 2007

SME's - a wish list for Africa

SME's - the future is bright

III. C. Commercial Policies: THE ROLE OF CHINA’S PUBLIC SECTOR

Home > African-Accounts > Ken Teyie > For gods sake please stop the aid to Africa > Google +

Free PDF Download
Africa’s Looming Food Crisis can be Mitigated - By Ken Teyie

About the Author: Ken Teyie

RSS for Ken's articles - Visit Ken's website
Ken Teyie works for Mondeas Limited as an Editorial manager. He previously worked for All Times Media, a publishing company based in Nairobi Kenya. He is a regular contributor in the online business magazines, www.africanexecutive.com and played a leading role in the initial branding of www.smartbizafrica.com and is in the process of building an international branding company that will provide the much needed boost in upcoming small and medium sized firms in Africa in terms of identifying new market opportunities and increasing their corporate reach. Through his blog, http://businessinfocus.blogspot.com, Mr. Teyie has been able to air views about business in Africa. His contributions can also be read at http://africareadyfor business.blogspot.com and www.kenyaimagine.com.
Click here to visit Ken's website.

More from Ken Teyie
Do Africans Ever Learn Lessons from 10000 nameless black men
Will money solve Africas Problems A Story of Former Kenyan Millionaires
Is Africa Choking on its own development
For gods sake please stop the aid to Africa
Leveraging on Chinas Thirst to Develop Africa

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Share this post and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

“For god’s sake, please stop the aid” …..to Africa?

Related Articles

Related Forum Posts

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.


Name:
Email: