Centerstage Africa

Gervais Djondo Gervais Djondo, chairman, Asky Airlines / co-founder, Ecobank 1. What was your first job? I worked for the Social Security and National Pension Trust of Togo in 1964. 2. Who has had the biggest impact on your career and why? My father had a significant impact on my career. He was a successful businessman and instilled good business practice in me from an early age. 3. What parts of your job keep you awake at night? My main concern used to be about passengers’ safety and potential major flight delays but fortunately there haven’t been any accidents over the years. 4. What are the top reasons why you have been successful in business? I believe clear direction, bold execution and more importantly the people that you surround yourself with are critical elements for success. 5. What are the best things about your country? Togo  is an open and very welcoming country and is known for its peaceful environment. The country has a private sector fri...

Nigeria, after over twenty years will be rebasing her GDP. This long delay after the last rebase has raised the air of discussion in the public domain. Coming on this heel, Youthhub Africa engaged with the office of the Statistician General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale on the subject difficulty of generating statistics in Nigeria, the progress made by the Bureau and the Nigerian economy. He spoke with Rotimi Olawale, find excerpt of the interview here - Q: From our findings we discovered that the last time the Nigerian GDP was re-based was in 1990, so why do we want to rebase it now and what implication does it have for the economy? A: Let me start by briefly explaining what GDP is. GDP is basically the value of output of goods and services produced in an economy in a particular area. GDP should not be mixed up with development. They are not the same thing and I will explain why. Q:Why do we use GDP as a measure to track economic wellbeing? A: It is because economic theo...

What started out as a hobby for British-born Annabelle Thom has turned into a successful fashion business in Kenya. Starting out with one sewing machine and three pieces of leather, Thom created her first design – a leather bush hat – in 1997. She now makes everything from hats to bags, cushion covers and other accessories. Thom tells  How we made it in Africa  that after two years of creating products she decided to turn her hobby into a “serious business”. She borrowed KSh. 70, 000 (US$800) and bought a sewing machine from a friend, three pieces of leather and started her business in her dining room. Today she employs a team of 15 who make African themed bags, belts, hats, jewellery and other accessories. The products are sold at her shop, Annabelle Thom, at the upmarket Junction Mall in Nairobi. Products are also exported to markets in the UK and US. Thom’s products are targeted at “aspirational middle class Kenyan women”, and prices range from KSh. 3,600 (...

It is not every day that you have rural youth wanting to be a part of something big. The common scenario is that there would be urban based youth with a cause that primarily affects urban youth. Nixon Ochater and his friends have in Uganda started a youth initiative for the rural youth. Amani Initiative is a non- profit organization that is dedicated to improving livelihoods of youths in rural communities of Uganda through the fight against teenage pregnancy & early marriage. It was started by 14 young people who thought it wise to form a coalition to help tackle the issues that come with teenage pregnancy and early marriage in the rural community. They in their own very little way have created impact by bringing hope and smiles to the rural African child.   Ruth Aine Tindyebwa,  our online Editor caught up with one of the founders of this initiative and asked a few questions:  Q: What is the inspiration behind starting Amani Initiative? A: I was born...

In 2009 Spanish designers Inés Cuatrecasas and Marc Oliver started fashion label Mille Collines in Rwanda targeting high-income local residents. Today the company operates one store in the capital Kigali and four in Nairobi, Kenya. Outside of Africa, Mille Collines products are sold in the UK, Spain and the US. Marc Oliver and Inés Cuatrecasas Cuatrecasas, the company’s CEO, tells  Dinfin Mulupi  about Rwanda’s growing retail sector and why she believes “the hunger for African products will only grow stronger” in international markets. What inspired you to establish your business Mille Collines? I travelled to  Rwanda  for the first time in the summer of 2005 with my mother, who runs a small NGO. While exploring the country, I met a dressmaker that would change the course of [my] life forever. Her name was Antoinette. She was strong, passionate and restless. We connected really fast. She had worked all her life as a dressmaker and was then involved in te...