Africa in 2050: Embracing Opportunities with the Right Mindset

By 2050, Africa’s population is expected to reach 2.5 Billion people. At the moment, 60% of the population in Africa is under 25. Almost 70% of the land is arable with an abundance of fresh water and lots of sunshine every year.
In my view, though the economies across Africa are all currently very small, the collective potential of Africa is very huge. The time to consider Africa is now for any serious investor who is long-sighted.
However, anyone who is new to Africa and intends to do business there must first cast aside the “ I know-it-all” attitude to avoid costly mistakes. If you are a foreigner and come to Africa with the mentality that you will only rely on Government systems or your consulate services, chances are high that you will get stuck along the way.
Please always be aware that the systems across Africa are young and generally weak. There is huge unemployment across Africa and even those employed in Government services are poorly paid. Another important point to always keep in mind is that there is no social welfare system in Africa. All these young people you see riding motorcycles recklessly in Kampala are hustlers looking for some little money to feed their families. Because of weak Government systems, those young people you see doing all sorts of odd jobs in African cities are not organized.
Imagine if a country like the UK had a high population of unemployed youths and no social welfare system! I bet the situation in UK cities would be similar to what we witness every day in Kampala or Nairobi.
Because of my frequent travels between the UK and East Africa, I have a personal principle that helps me. Depending on whether I am landing in Entebbe or Nairobi or Heathrow, my mindset changes into a different mode. My alertness and expectations change automatically depending on where I am landing. This principle helps me a lot to control my anger or disappointment which I may face unexpectedly, especially in Africa.
Unfortunately, I have observed that some foreigners and even fellow Africans who have lived long in the diaspora, who rarely go back home sometimes become very disappointed when they arrive in Africa. The reason they become frustrated is having a wrong expectation that the situation and conditions are the same everywhere.
In conclusion, please listen to advice from carefully selected trusted locals and discard the ‘ I know-it -all’ attitude. Trust me you will be happy in Africa.