RE-BRANDING AFRICA: Show Some Love to the Entrepreneur

For many years our ethical fashion label, KEZA has focused on what the aid world refers to as the “poorest of the poor”. It’s become another buzz term like “sustainability” or “capacity building”. These terms help attract volunteers, donors and public awareness.

However, in early 2010 we took a step back to analyze our methodology. We knew we were missing something that was right in front of us, partly due to being focused on the systems that have become the norm. But we aren’t big subscribers to the norm, so we decided to shake things up.

What we realized is that there are thousands of entrepreneurs all over Africa that have been working diligently to develop their businesses to the point of sustainability, and they don’t get a lot of love from the aid world. They have thrashed, suffered and pushed through the hardships and their business is plugging along. But there aren’t nearly as many organizations focused on empowering this group to achieve profitability.

These entrepreneurs have proven their dedication and certainly deserve our respect and attention. If their businesses grow beyond mere sustainability and really begin to thrive, they have the opportunity to make a positive impact in their community that extends far beyond just serving their personal needs.

A thriving entrepreneurial business means a larger capacity to produce, which means more employees, more materials and more products being exported. If these products are superior in quality and style it can lead to positive press and a lot of public attention. All of these aspects help to fuel a brand of excellence and beauty, resulting in a heightened image for their country.

In short, we’ve realized that if we empower the entrepreneurial sector to grow their businesses, it provides them with an opportunity to employ the poorest of the poor, export more goods and help fuel an image of excellence for their country. That image compels investors, business people and tourists to visit and invest in their country.

Any time I’m doing development work, I’m always more excited about empowering a local to be a better leader and inspiration than I am in creating another scenario where the poor rely completely on me or the organization I represent. It seems the entrepreneurial world is a good source for these types of leaders.

There are many ways to serve the developing world. I believe empowering the entrepreneurial sector plays a vital role in creating a solid foundation, built on indigenous businesses, as it should be.

What if we shifted our efforts from trying to start at ground zero with the poorest of the poor to honoring the work of so many entrepreneurs and supporting them so they can help raise up their communities organically?

 *There are some amazing organizations like Ashoka that are setting the standard for entrepreneurial development.