Kenya is worth the trip

(Newsletter August 2017)

Did you notice that Kenya’s elections disappeared from media coverage in Austria/Germany before the exact outcome was resolved?

The challenger in the presidential elections had long threatened with public unrest. When the threat was off the table, so was the coverage in European media.

The new African Middle Class

In the end, it was Kenyan people who forced Odinga’s egoism to its knees. “The applause applies expressly … to the Kenyan people, who have proved in their majority to live with every result, as long as it is truthful,” writes Thomas Scheen, the correspondent of the FAZ in Nairobi.

Similar in other African countries,  a new middle class – people like you and I – get into management positions and increasingly determine the course of their countries.

An opportunity for Europeans

This is an opportunity for Europeans and European organizations. The African middle class has the same interests like us, for freedom, security, prosperity and in search of meaning. People also look out for new forms of cooperation and organizations. And precisely here, Europe has something to offer in comparison with China, India, Brazil or even the USA: The way organizations are run.

A management based on the humanistic values is a “unique-selling-proposition” for Europe. Europe could once again become attractive and return to the stage of the global world of ideas.

This has been a starting point of my recent activities. In the last months, together with different partners, we have set up the following events:

At the workshop “Agile Networking in Africa” on September 12, 2017, in Vienna, we deal with the subtleties of African-European relations at company level. With experienced practitioners, I discuss the characteristics of business models, basic approaches, valid principles, important differences and important parallels.

At the Learning Journey to Silicon Savannah, from October 15 to 18, 2017, we explore the new Africa: the company scene in Nairobi, Kenya, look a urban dynamics and meet people and alumni from SBS Strathmore, the most prestigious business school in East Africa.

At the Global Innovation Expert seminar on October 19/20, 2017, also in Nairobi, Kenya, we look at the start-up scene, the digital economy, African leapfrogging and self-contained African innovations.

If interested in learning to better understand working in Emerging markets, join us. Or contact me for further details at hans.stoisser@ecotec.at.