Key to United Africa: Get Africans to “See the Value of Other Tribes as a ‘Market’”

James Shikwati editor of African Executive opines on the relevance of local entrepreneurship in national building and unity. Using the burgeoning success of mobile telephony business in Kenya, he muses:

The recent announcement about Safaricom’s historic profit of Ksh 17 billion left me wondering whether those who paid for this service were simply communicating with their tribesmen. Safaricom’s achievements came barely a month after MTN recorded an increase in subscriber base by 4.25 million subscribers in 3 months to hit 44.3 million in Africa by March 2007. Celtel, on the other hand, with an estimated subscriber base of 21 million in Africa stunned pessimists who doubt the ability of Africans to unite by “uniting” a market along the equator from the East to West Coast of Africa. The growth of telephony industry in Africa points at the urgent need by Africans to talk to each other. 

He states: “If anyone genuinely wants a united Africa, or a united Kenya, the best place to start is to get Kenyans, and Africans engaging in business so as to see the value of other tribes as a ‘market’.” A united Africa will indeed remain a mirage if we let the political class drive the unity.”

Read article in full on African Executive: Safaricom’s Lesson for Africa Union