I was just thinking today, that although there are an ample amount of Africa bloggers who post about business-only or primarily- in specific African countries, there are not so many that I am aware of who cover African business from a regional, Sub-Saharan, or continental approach.
At one point, I considered actually taking this blog and breaking it up into several regional blogs focusing on the African continent. The only thing that has kept me from doing it in the past was the fact that something like this might require more contributors. But, nowadays I still think about it, but not quite as much.
In conversations with various persons, it became clear to me that we, the Pan-Africa business bloggers, are providing a very vital service to our readers by providing a "one-stop shop" for anyone wishing to learn more about business in Africa. After all, there are quite a few Africa business bloggers who discuss their particular country, right? So, what are your thoughts on the topic"?
By the way, the Pan-Africa business bloggers that come to my mind are:
Emeka Okafor
G Kofi Annan
???
Hash
Ryan Shen-Hoover & Coldtusker
Frederic Tape
Steve Brown
Do you know of any others, please let me know. Also, stay tuned as we go into the next series-Real Estate Investment in Africa...
Of course, I love your comments. But, if you can't comment at this particular time- but would like to let us know that you were here; please sign and View my guestbook
Tags: business blogs, pan-africa, african regions, africa bloggers
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22:10
Know Any Pan-African Business Bloggers?
» The Benin Epilogue Part I: Africa-Ready for Business
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19:52
Laptop Must Go
» Mama JunkYard's When I left the UK for Abuja I took with me (amongst other things) the Dr’s old laptop, which he had recently swapped for a very shiny Sony Vaio. The Dr’s old laptop was at that time (mid August) around 5 years old which in laptop years is approximately 55 years old but it still worked well enough for me to carry it halfway around the globe with the sole intention of it acting as my second/home machine.
Getting the laptop to Nigeria was not easy. I was due to fly immediately after the UK terror alert that had resulted in many travellers being issued transparent plastic bags to carry their hand luggage, so in preparation I went and bought a laptop rucksack which was apparently the right “carry-on” size. I say apparently because the woman working at the British Airways check-in desk the day I was due to fly was of the opinion that my rucksack was way too big. Unfortunately for me, those metal tray things by the check-in desk that let you determine if one’s bag is the right size supported her opinion. I was not keen to check-in the old laptop so I decided to buy one of those pull-trolley things that one often sees cabin crew dragging along. Still the item was too big. The BA woman, sensing my determination to carry the laptop on board informed me that BA did have bags available.
I wish I had taken a photograph of the bag, which is no longer in my possession. It was one of those of raffia/plastic-chequered bags that many African/Caribbean families in the UK use as laundry bags. My brother told me that these bags are called “Ghana-must-go” bags and that certainly appears to be what everyone in here calls them. Sokari has a photograph of similar bags on her blog. I say similar because the one I was given was incredibly tiny; like a medium to small handbag. I am actually tempted to call it cute had it not clashed, both in colour and in style, with what I was wearing.
The bag was blue, red and white. I was wearing black trousers, a white top, brown shoes and should have been carrying a matching brown hand bag (which was now emptied of all its contents and squashed into one of my suitcases – the very same suitcase that arrived in a Abuja more than a week after I did!) The extent of my higgledy-piggledy look was brought to the fore when the man at the Duty Free counter took one look at my bag, pulled out an extra-large duty free bag and dumped my ‘Ghana-must-go’, laptop and all inside. As he handed the bag back he gave me a look that said ‘it’s ok…your secret is safe with me!’
Upon reaching Naijaland I discovered that my work computer was not where I expected it to be i.e. on my desk in my office. Neither was my desk for that matter, which at the time made perfect sense because I hadn’t been assigned an office. The old laptop which no doubt was sulking after suffering the indignity of being carried in a bag that lacked the necessary cushioning and support that it was accustomed to became both my work and home computer. I reassured both the laptop and myself that this was only a temporary measure but by January 2007, despite getting an office and desk, I still didn’t have a computer.
By this time the laptop had gone from old to ‘one foot in the grave’. It could no longer serve as a ‘portable computer’ because one slight move would result in the machine turning itself off. It would then take a further five minutes of twiddling with the power cord and coaxing it to stay attached to the computer. As the battery never seemed to charge, I did consider taping the power cord to the laptop but then I remembered that the power cord was a replacement of the previous one that had caught fire around the part that connects it to the computer. Aside from the laptop’s in ability to stay on for more than 30 minutes at time, there was the start-up issue (it took 20 minutes to start-up) the lack of multi-tasking capability (the machine could run no more than one application at time), failing USB ports, broken DVD drive … basically the machine was barely functioning.
In mid-February, the Dr and I decided that it was time to get a new machine, which he would bring to Abuja when he came to visit in March. I knew what I wanted; a black MacBook and by the end of February the BlackBook was sitting in a box in Lancaster awaiting its trip to Naija.
There is common saying about buses – you wait for hours and then two arrive at once. Well the same can be said about computers (in this case at least) because two days before the Dr was due to arrive my desktop; complete with printer and a back-up power supply unit was delivered to my desk!
So here I am six months into my stay – I finally have a machine in the office and a machine that I can use at home for blogging, Skype, playing games, listening to music…all at the same time. All I need to do now is get accustomed to using a Mac, which I recently discovered does not have a delete key.
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18:37
Political capital from bashing Kenya?
» Kenya Imagine 
Imagine yourself as a presidential candidate in the Kenyan general elections. You are invited as a keynote speaker in a meeting comprising of university students -drawn from all Tanzanian universities- at the University of Dar es Salaam.What will you tell these students? Will you use the forum to campaign for presidency?
Rodgers Akombe wonders why Kenyan politicians do not dwell on issues, instead engage in irrelevant bashing of each other. After all, couldn't we discuss the East Africa Federation, political and economic integration.
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11:47
Gabriella 2.5 weeks
» Kenyan Pundit Gabi1_2.5weks Originally uploaded by ateka.
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10:27
Google discovers the NSE
» bankelele Google finance has began covering the Nairobi Stock Exchange. It’s still in beta so it can only get better. Some information (mostly company managers) and financials are outdated, and it would be nice to see some blog contributions in addition to the news feeds like at Reuters Africa
Job & numbers
Citizen TV: 000’s are the reasons that several media stars have decamped to Citizen TV. For the KTN crew it was about playing one hose against the other to raise the salary stakes before they moved on, but not for as much as they had hoped. For those left at KTN salary caps are now in order on a take it or leave it basis.
KCB: Deputy CEO Martin Oduor Otieno got elevated to lead KCB this month, despite the KCB board erroneously including a clause that CEO candidates should be under 50 years of age which the new MD is over by about a year.
Jobs available
most from the daily papers in the past week
African Development Bank: Research Economist, Senior Research Economist, Financial Management Specialist, Principal Environmentalist, Senior Gender Specialist, Principal Socio-Economist, Senior Statistician. Apply to recruit@afdb.org by 10/4
Barclays: Direct sales agents (ref: DSA07), direct sales team leader (DSTL07) D/L is 30/3
Brand & technologies limited : managing director, finance manager, commercial manager, logistics manager, procurement manager, internal audit manager, hr & admin manager, ICT manager, brand managers (4). Apply through deloitte at esd@deloitte.co.ke by 6/4
Senior financial planning coordinator at Celtel . Apply to hr@ke.celtel.com by 30/3
I & M Bank : Cashiers/Tellers, IS Security Administrator, ICT Management Trainees, Credit Administration Officer (Securities and Documentation), Credit Administration Officer (System Input and Maintenance), Credit Administration Officer (Monitoring and Control),
Young professionals (10) at KIPPRA. Details online and D/L is 20/4
- Also at KIPPRA - research consultants/associates, research assistant, editorial consultants in field of macroeconomics, productive sector, private sector, social sector, infrastructure & economic service. Apply to eoi@kippra.or.ke by 20/4
Kenya Tea Development Authority: brand executive and a web administrator. Apply to recruitement@ktdateas.com by 10/4
Regional information & communication officer at Oxfam and D/L is 4/4
Senior Manager - Financial Systems & Analysis at Safaricom. D/L is 2/4
Management trainees at the Standard D/L is 11/4
world vision : Africa advocacy director, Africa Christian commitments director, and Africa communications director. Details online and D/L is 13/4
Also National Director, Uganda, Programme Director, North Sudan, Programme Director, Somalia. D/L is 20/4
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New Corruption Reports
» Kenyan Pundit Still no good connectivity at home so the hiatus continues. Gabriella is also decidedly nocturnal for now so keeping watchie hours. Will try and post pics soon and one of these days do proper posts on motherhood. In the meantime, please check out these two excellent reports on local corruption [...]
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8:41
Domination
» Mentalacrobatics A quick update to the official dictionary
domi-na-tion
n.
1.
a. Control or power over another or others.
b. The exercise of such control or power.
c. The Kenyan Cross Country teamCross Country came home and we showed the world how long distance running is done. Domination has a new definition.
From the podium sweep in the junior women’s race that opened the competition to the top-four sweep in the junior men’s, the hosts clearly illustrated that, for now, no nation on earth can match the cross country depth produced in this east African nation.
Ati for now. For now, for yesterday, for tomorrow, for the day before yesterday, for the day after tomorrow. Forever. I wonder why some of the countries turned up to be honest. But I guess a holiday in Mombasa for one hours running isn’t such a bad deal.
Where we really show our domination is in the team standings and in the team medals. To do well in the team events you can not have one superstar and 5 Muppets. You all have to be on point.
Senior men:
1st Kenya: 28 points (the lower the points the better)
2nd Morocco: 146 points!!!!That is a spanking of 118 points between first and second! One hundred and eighteen points. Hehehe. That is the equivalent of a 10-0 spanking in football.
Senior women:
1st Ethiopia: 19 points
2nd Kenya: 26 pointsWe pushed the Ethiopians hard. And oh yeah the Dutch lady who won this race is called Lornah Kiplagat. Yeah go figure.
Junior men:
1st Kenya: 10 points (i.e. basically a perfect score)
2nd Eritrea: 44 pointsThe junior men just take the cake. They won their ninth title in a row and have won 19 of the last 20 championships. This year Kenyan runners came in 1,2,3,4.
Junior women:
1st Kenya: 13 points (i.e. near perfection)
2nd Eritrea: 33 pointsWhat a day!
The good: the immense pride the Kenyan athletes showed. The heroes in the Junior men’s team could hardly walk on to the podium to receive their medals. That’s how much effort they put into the race.
The crowd, Kenyans came out to support their athletes but also to support all the runners clapping all the athletes around the course.The bad: I found the coverage in the Kenyan press of Bekele’s retirement one lap from the end distasteful. There is no need to gloat childishly. If the Kenyan athletes and crowd can show Bekele respect then reporters can to. Remember this is a man who many said was too scared to take the Kenyans on in their own backyard when he nearly retired from Cross Country last year. He came, he ran, he didn’t finish. We won yes but that guy is still a champion.
The ugly: How in the hell did that soldier manage to hoist up the Kenyan flag upside down during the Junior women’s medal ceremony? I mean upside down? How? On the bright side he managed to complete confuse Baks who was looking at the flag like huh?? That soldier will be posted to Mandera for the next 10 years.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Meanwhile the next day the Harambee stars were busy beating Swaziland 2-0 at Kasarani. Cue for politicans to talk about, “bringing football home to Kenya like we brought cross country home” as they start to talk of a Nairobi Olympic bid for 2016.
© Mentalacrobatics for Mentalacrobatics, 2007. | Permalink | 2 comments
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8:37
African-Made “News Map” Recognized as One of the Best Google Maps Mashups
» White African Another of Neville Newey’s websites is getting major recognition, this time in Wired Magazine. They consider News Map one of “The Best Google Maps Mashups” worldwide.
Congrats Neville!
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7:05
Ego, Bile and Other Things........
» My part of the world....... Is it me or are Americans the most confident people with low self esteem that you come across? Yes that sounds like a paradox so let me explain. Most Americans you meet come across as very confident and somewhat cocky people but when you get to know them better you discover that is a thin veneer covering alot of discontentment and insecurity. Think I am wrong? Then why are cosmetic related industries multi billion dollar earners? Also look at the sales of products meant to boost someone's esteem and standing ie luxury cars, accesories, liqours etc; sadly are usually bought more by people who aspire to pass for rich than those who are rich, so much so there are Jaguars that are sold here without lots of the extras and features that make them as costly as they are in the UK so that someone can say the drive a Jaguar. Anyway that's life in the "developed" world for you!
Since some people out there decided amongst themselves that the Acolyte is a sexist, misogynist and all that other good stuff; let me give them some more ammo. I was reading one of the many blogs I lurk on when I came across this jewel about a woman and her attitude. Please note I did not write was comes below! It is from someone else's blog!
What a little bit of beauty brings... I've made a few posts about how unattractive or ugly women are still very demanding and feel superior to men. There's always somebody telling me that women above a 7 on a 10 point scale are even worse - even more demanding, insulting, and arrogant.
Well, let's take a look at one photobucket user's account. These are all pictures from the same account.
( He posted her pic here )
Yup, even just not being a total fugly lardass entitles women to be total -censored-. The funny thing is that the first three images could probably be found on millions of myspace webpages, blogs etc. Women think that just by possessing the "right" organs, they can be as bitchy as they want and men will be all over them no matter what.
What cracked me up were the comments!
Rob Fedders said...
Oddly enough, if a guy walked around with the attitude that this bitch has, he would soon find himself eating knuckle sandwiches.
It is really an odd "herd mentality" amongst ALL women that enables them to behave this way without OTHER WOMEN keeping them in line.
Guys keep other guys in line. Why can't women keep women in line?
Panzer said...
"Oddly enough, if a guy walked around with the attitude that this bitch has, he would soon find himself eating knuckle sandwiches. "
You got that right, esecially when one goes around with a "What the fuck are you looking at" look on their face, just like the one she has in that picture.
Pete Patriarch said...
"You got that right, esecially when one goes around with a "What the fuck are you looking at" look on their face, just like the one she has in that picture."
Funny thing is, she was probably trying to look attractive in that picture! Can't make a bulldog smile, no matter how hard you try.
I don't know what the rest of you think but I thought that whole post and the comments were as funny as hell!
Moving on, my niece has been undergoing some sort of breakdown; if I didn't know it I would say she is either pregnant or is having menopause. She has been having mood swings and has been crying for hours for inexplicable reasons. She's only 4, it must be the hormones they put in the food or something, they grow up so fast.
Oh well, time to go; I have to take a flight to a third world country and perpetuate the Patriarchy or do something just as heinous as some people would expect me to do; like clubbing seals or urinating in a fresh water spring somewhere. Cheers!
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In Closing Kenya Open for Business
» The Benin Epilogue Part I: Africa-Ready for Business
Well, my plan was to summarize the Kenya Open for Business event for the final post on the African Diaspora Investment Series. However, I may have run into a glitch. This post was supposed to be a podcast, but the mp3 file is taking it's swet old time.
As such, I will say that the event, I think was a success. The theme was that if Kenyans abroad could continue the remittances, plus maybe add a small bit more in the form of organixed investments that the country's economy could go from growing iinto a full scale boom.
Below are a few links that I hope you will enjoy.
AKPA
Kenya Development Network Consortium
Mshale
African Path
WhiteAfrican
Also, if there are any podcasting experts who'd like to point me in the right direction on files large than 10MB, my podcast file is [ here ] Thanks
Of course, I love your comments. But, if you can't comment at this particular time- but would like to let us know that you were here; please sign and View my guestbook
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BarCamp Kenya
» Mentalacrobatics
(Logo designed by the talented White African.)
The most exciting event happening this coming weekend in Nairobi is BarCamp Kenya. Put together by David Kariuki, Eric Magutu, Riyaz Bachani, Josiah Mugambi and Nick Muttai BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from attendees.
Date: Saturday - 31 March 2007
Time: 13:00 – 18:00
Where: University of Nairobi, Civil Engineering Lecture Theatre, Directions, call 0724-334558 if you get lost
Price: Mandela a.k.a freeThis is going to be such an interesting event, go to the website and check out the presentations already lined up. But this isn’t your typical conference. Come along yes, but come along ready to participate, engage, network, and share ideas.
I have met a few people who think you have to be invited, or that it is going to be a formal event. Some think that this is going to be one of those massive international conferences. No no no! Turn up and let’s talk. That is what it is about. No excuses!
A special plea to our sisters: come out for this and get involved! The list looks very male heavy at the moment.
(and people tell me there is nothing going on in Nairobi! There is a lot going on in Nairobi).
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barcampkenya© Mentalacrobatics for Mentalacrobatics, 2007. | Permalink | 4 comments
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