Africa Rising: How 900 Million African Consumers Offer More Than You Think

Conclusion: Ubuntu Market

A few decades ago, few outsiders believed that India would make the economic leaps it has made. This required entrepreneurial initiative and political courage. Africa stands at a similar threshold today. The best hope for Africa is entrepreneurship and market development. Building successful enterprises will build wealth by increasing political and economic stability and offering better quality goods and services to African consumers. But to create these enterprises, we need to first look beyond Africa as a charity case to see it as one of the world’s most important emerging markets.

After graduating from Columbia Business School in 2002, Kenyan-born Wanja Michuki initially thought of setting up a business importing ...