T H E
A F R I C A N
P E R S P E C T I V E
M A G A Z I N E
VOL 1 | ISSUE 4 | 2015
Season in Africa
NaiLab| Changing Kenya, One StartUp at a Time
Xenophobia Testimonies from Africans in SA
East African
Safari Ethiopian Airline
The Scramble FOR AFRICA
WWW.TAPMAGONLINE.COM
Fastest growing & most profittable Airline in Africa
CULTURE | BUSINESS | MUSIC | SPORTS | HEALTH | POLITICS | LIFESTYLE | TRAVEL
Ethiopianairlines OVERVIEW Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing and most profitable airline in Africa. In 2014, IATA ranked Ethiopian as the largest airline in Africa in revenue and profit. In its operations in the past close to seven decades, Ethiopian has been a pioneer of African aviation as an aircraft technology leader providing the first jet service in the continent in 1962, and availing the first African B767 in 1984, the first African B777-200LR in 2010 and the first African and second only to Japan B787 Dreamliner in 2012.
ETH
Measu
Passen
COMPANY INFORMATION Founded
December 21, 1945
Availab
Revenu
Availab
Opera
Major Hub Second Hub Ownership Total Revenue (2012/2013) CEO
Addis Ababa
Net pr
Opera
Lome, Togo Government of Ethiopia (100%) ETB 38.5 billion Tewolde Gebremariam
www.ethiopianairlines.com | 251.11.665.2222
HIOPIAN PERFORMANCE
urement Growth
nger carried: 6 million +13%
ble Seat Kilometer (ASK) +15%
ue Passenger Kilometer (RPK) +14%
ble Ton Kilometer (ATK) +13%
ating Profit: 2.8 billion Birr +165%
VISION 2025 Ethiopian will be the most competitive and leading aviation group in Africa by providing safe, market driven and customer focused passenger and Cargo Transport, Aviation Training, Flight Catering, Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO), Ground Services, Domestic and Regional Services by 2025.
rofit: 2.05 billion ETB +178%
ating Revenue: ETB 38.4 billion +14%
CORE VALUES As an airline, safety is our first priority. ET is a high performance and learning organization. We are an equal opportunity employer. We treat internal and external customers the way we would like to be treated.
CURRENT FLEET
Belfast Dublin
(72 AIRCRAFT)
London
F Zurich Bruselles Paris Lyon
12 - Boeing 787 Dreamliner 2 - Boeing 777-300ER
Toulouse
Ma
Barace
Madrid
6 - Boeing 777-200LR
Lisbon
4 - Boeing 777-200LRF (cargo) 2 - MD-11F (cargo) 2 - Boeing 757-260F (cargo) Toronto
7 - Boeing 767-300 4 - Boeing 727-200 5 - Boeing 737-700NG
Los Angeles
11 - B737-800W
Dakar
17 - DHC8-Q400 NextGen
Bissau
Bamako
Conakry Freetown Monrovia
*** 42 Fleet on order***
Niamey
Ouagadougou
Kano Abuja
Cotonou Abidjan
Accra
La Lome Malab
Libreville
Sao Paulo
Pointee
www.ethiopianairlines.com | 251.11.665.2222
Largest African Air Connectivity Network Stockholm Gothemburg Copenhagen
Frankfurt Vienna Geneva
arseille
Zurich
Paris Budapest
GenevaMunich Beijing
Bucharest
Milan
Sofia
Rome
elona
Frankfut
Istanbul Seoul Larnaca Beirut Damascus Tel Aviv Kuwait City Cairo Damman Dubai Riyadh Jeddah
Doha
Shanghai
New Delhi Guangzhou (Canton)
Hong Kong
Muscat Mumbai
Khartoum N’Djamena
agos
bo
Juba
Brazzaivlle
Luanda
Dire Dawa
ADDIS ABARA
Kinshasa
Entebee Nairobi Goma Kigali Bujumbura Kilimanjaro
Mombasa Zanzibar Seychelles Dar es Salaam
Labumbashi Nadola Lusaka Harare
Lilongwe Blantyre
Gaborone Maputo
Johannesburg
Cape Town
Kuala Lumpur
Bangui
e
e Noire
Mekelle Djibouti Hargeisa
Bahir Dar
Enugu Douala
Bankok
Durban
87 International; 49 African & 20 Domestic Destinations
Manila
EDITOR'S NOTE Dear TAP family,
Editor-in-Chief MOSES MUTABARUKA
VOL 1 | ISSUE 4 | 2015
Welcome to the fourth issue of The African Perspective Magazine. Once again, it is a great honor and privilege to be publishing another issue. Just like issue three, the fourth issue remains true to our core values of providing you rich and informative content in a manner that is easy to consume. Within its pages, you’ll find pieces on business and entrepreneurship, lifestyle, health, travel, arts, film, literature, sports and politics. You’ll also find a special visual infographic depicting all the elections that will (have) take place on the continent within the next two years. Finally, we are sure that you’ll find our coverage of Ethiopian Airline, the premier Pan-African airline, the fastest growing and most profitable African airline both informative and invigorating. We are in particularly thrilled to have conversations on a wide range of topics of concern to Africa with both Mr. Esayas Woldemariam who is the Managing Director, Ethiopian Airlines international services and Tsitsi Ndangarembga; prominent Zimbabwean author, filmmaker and cultural activist. On behalf of the whole TAP team, I’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to this issue in one way or the other. Special thanks to Devon Maylie, Naseemah Mohamed, Mr. Esayas Woldemariam, Tsitsi Ndangarembga, Lady Mahogany, Mostafa Zommo, Josephine Mwangi, Komi Olaf, Koki Muthoka and Ignacios Hennigs for affording his awesome images to this issue. Last but not least, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to TAP enthusiasts for your constant support. Our previous issue exceeded expectations and it is all due to your support. We are continuously revamping our content contribution list and making new contacts to make sure we continue to bring you superior content. More than ever before, we are committed to telling the African story to the world; unbiased, uncensored and from a balanced perspective. Enjoy your fourth issue! Moses Mutabaruka CEO, TAP Magazine mutabaruka@tapmagonline.com
Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter”. — African Proverb 6 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
Fly Directly three times a week with B787 and B777 to Addis and connect to over 47 destinations throughout Africa
A STAR ALLIANCE MEMBER www.ethiopianairlines.com
2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 7
VOL 1 | ISSUE 4 | 2015
CONTENTS Election Season
Entrepreneurship 26 Changing Kenya, one StartUp at a Time
12 Info-graph of all major election in Africa in 2015/2017
Politics
16 Plus Que Ca Change:
The Berlin conference and A new Scramble for Africa
Art
22 Komi Olaf, from Kaduna Nigeria to Canada's National Arts Centre
8 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
Ethiopian Airlines
32 Exclusive interview with
Mr. Esayas Woldemariam, MD, Ethiopian Airlines International Services
Books/Art/Film 44 T sitsi
Dangarembga: I am all about breaking boundaries
Travel
50 East African Safari
Model
58 Meet Abayi Longin
Lifestyle
55 Are you in charge?
Rwandan/Kenyan model
Xenophobia
62 Testimonials from Africans in SA
Giants of Africa 68 Basketball as a tool
Fashion
72 Do It Yourself 2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 9
KCB | DIASPORA BANKING
BANKING
WITHOUT BOUNDARIES Send
money
where you need it no matter where you are, with our mobile or internet banking
www.kcbbankgroup.com
10 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
S
Open a world of
Possibilitie
s
2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 11
ELECTION SEASON IN
Maurita
It is election season in Africa. Between 2015/2017, there will (has) be more than 40 key presidential, parliamentarian and constitutional elections within various countries on the continent. So far, we’ve witnessed a victory for democracy and a shift from previous eras where for the first time a seating president lost an election and peacefully handed over power in Nigeria. Meanwhile, in Burundi, the president’s quest for a third mandate has destabilized the country and led to thousands of civilians freeing the country. In Rwanda, the parliament has just voted in favour of amending the constitution in case president Kagame chooses to run in 2017.
Senegal
GuineaBissau
Guinea
Sierra Leone
1/20/2015
Zambia
2/14/2015
Nigeria General
2/28/2015
Lesotho General
3/21-3/23/2015 (Phase 1)
Presidential By-Election
Egypt Parliamentary
March Libya Constitutional Referendum March
Togo Presidential
4/02/2015
Sudan General
4/25-4/27/2015 (Phase 2) 4/30/2015
Egypt Parliamentary
Tanzania Constitutional
Referendum April
Mali Municipal
5/24/2015
Ethiopia General
5/24/2015
Burundi Legislative
May
Mauritius Parliamentary
6/26/2015
Burundi
6/30/2015
November Burkina Faso Presidential 2015 Central African Republic Referendum
Constitutional
2015
Central African Republic Presidential
2015
Chad Parliamentary
2015
Guinea Municipal
2015
Guinea General
2015
Libya Presidential
2015
Niger Parliamentary
March
Benin Presidential
April
Chad Presidential
December Cote d'Ivoire Parliamentary 2016
Central African Republic Parliamentary
2016
DRC
Presidential and Parliamentary
2016
Ghana
Presidential and Parliamentary
2016
Morocco Parliamentary
South Sudan General
2016
Niger
2016
Rwanda Parliamentary
October
Cote d'Ivoire Presidential
2016
Somalia General
October
Tanzania General
2016
Uganda General
Presidential
12 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
Gambi
Presidential and Parliamentary
Liberi
Tunisia
Algeria
Libya
Egypt
ania
Mali
Sudan
Niger
ia
Eritrea
Chad
ia Burkina Faso
Djibouti Benin
Nigeria
Côte Ghana d’Ivoire Togo
Cameroon
Somalia
Equatorial Guinea Sao Tome and Principe
Gabon
Uganda
Congo Democratic Republlic of the Congo
KEY ELECTIONS – 2015/2017 Presidential/General - Zambia, Nigeria, Lesotho, Togo, Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Burundi, South Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Guinea, Libya, Parliamentary - Egypt, Libya, Mauritius, Chad, Niger, Constitutions – Tanzania, Central African Republic
2016
Presidential/General – Benin, Chad, DRC, Ghana, Niger, Somalia, Uganda Parliamentary - Cote d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Morocco, Rwanda,
Kenya
Rwanda Burundi Tanzania
2015
2017
Ethiopia
South Sudan
Central African Republic
Comoros Angola Zambia
Zimbabwe Namibia
Malawi
Mozambique Madagascar
Botswana Swaziland Lesotho South Africa
Presidential/General - Angola, Djibouti, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda 2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 13
www.sheriangowi.com
AFRICA'S NO. 1
Men’s wear
POLITICS
PLUS QUE ÇA CHANGE:
A NEW SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA
We hear of a new Scramble for Africa. But what was the original one like and what does it have in common with the latest one?
Frenc
British Portuguese British
F By: Koki Muthoka
W
ith nearcatatonic economic growth in the world’s more advanced economies and a seemingly unquenchable appetite for natural resources in emerging ones, Africa finds itself at the centre of renewed attentions from the world’s great powers. The range of countries seeking to stake out African “spheres of influence” is much larger than in the 19th century, when the first major rush for Africa’s resources occurred. Much has changed on the continent since then. However, much of the latest 16 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
competition for Africa’s markets Berlin conference, 80% of Africa and resources echo the past. remained under traditional and local control. In 1884, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck gathered Thus, Bismarck gathered together the representatives of Europe’s in Berlin the representatives feuding powers to Berlin, the of Denmark, Sweden-Norway, capital of a newly unified Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, to agree on the ground Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman rules for a less-attritional sharing- Empire, the United States, Italy, out of Africa, its peoples and Portugal, Spain, France and Great especially its resources. The Britain to agree the seven-point Germans had finally entered the ground rules that they called the imperial game (New Imperialism General Act. Under the General would become the term for this Act, slavery, which continued to particular adventure) under Kaiser be practiced by some African Willem I. The Kaiser wanted to and Middle Eastern powers, make good time and catch up would no longer be tolerated. to the British, the French and This apparent humanitarianism the Portuguese. It’s important put a nice gloss on the true to mention that before the intentions of the colonialists.
POLITICS
French
French
British
British
ch
Spanish
Free
French West Africa British British
British
German
In 1884, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck gathered the representatives of Europe’s feuding powers to Berlin, to agree on the ground rules for a less-attritional sharing- out of Africa, its peoples and especially its resources.
Free German British
Italian
Belgium German
Portuguese Portuguese
British British
German
British
British
2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 17
POLITICS
Second, the Congo Free State, the precursor of today’s DRCongo, was confirmed essentially as the personal property of Belgium’s King Léopold II. Third, a free trade area encompassing the basin of the Congo River, today’s Lake Malawi and a demarcated area in their environs was agreed. Fourth, the Congo and Niger rivers were made open to free ship traffic. Fifth, it was agreed that any of the signatories would need to effectively occupy a territory before they could stake a claim to it. Sixth, forthwith, any of the signatory powers moving to take possession of new territory would need to notify the others. Finally, the signatories agreed on a definition of regions of territorial exclusivity, creating for the first time an international act recognising “spheres of influence”. The Portuguese had been the first to stake out territory in Africa, carving for their own taking what would later become GuineaBissau, Angola, Mozambique and Africa’s Lusophone Atlantic island nations. As with their British counter-parts, whose substantial initial territories were the Cape Colony in the south and Egypt in the north (Sudan was an Egyptian dependency), their initial preoccupation was to establish ports of call for their ships as they went to and from the Indian subcontinent. The Portuguese, along with the Spanish the leading powers of Europe’s Age of Discovery, also had ports on what would later become countries such as Ghana, South Africa and Kenya but would be 18 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
These events, by and large, set the international boundaries of contemporary Africa. The “international community” had put the seal of legality on its exploitation of Africa’s peoples and their resources under the guise of “civilising” and Christianising them.
forced to give them up in the course of time. Initially the European powers had kept to the coasts. But the advent of the Industrial Revolution meant that Europe had the need for large quantities of raw materials as well as markets, and Africa’s gold, diamonds, timber, rubber, arable land, manpower, etc., began to fully concentrate European minds by the 1800’s. European powers had trade imbalances that needed urgent redressing. They also needed reliable sources of raw materials for their new factories. This
was an important reason for the exploratory journeys of the likes of Henry Morton Stanley, John Speke, Cecil Rhodes, Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza and, perhaps to a lesser extent, David Livingstone. By the time of the Berlin conference at the behest of Portugal, colonial possessions had become a status symbol and “balance of power” pawns for European powers, which added to the combustive nature of competition for every inch of Africa. European public soon came to buy into the arguments advanced by the colonial lobby and the more reticent leaders,
POLITICS
such as Great Britain’s Prime Minister William Gladstone and France’s Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, would soon cave in to the pressure. What followed was a carving up of the continent along the lines of today’s linguistic balkanisation. In terms of native populations, the British, the dominant naval power of the day, got by far the lion’s share of the spoils. The French got marginally the larger territory, albeit in the mostly arid lands of the Sahel. The Germans, Europe’s second military power, got the third largest share of the territory in the shape of today’s Angola, Cameroon, continental Tanzania, Cameroon, Togo, eastern Ghana, Rwanda and Burundi. These territories would later be forfeited as the young Kaiser Willem II, Willem I’s heir, finally threw off the restraining influence of Bismarck and plunged Europe and the world into World War I. In the aftermath, the Kaiser would lose his empire and Germany its African possessions, mostly to Great Britain. Portugal kept its existing possessions while Fascist Italy laid claim to what would later become present-day Libya, Eritrea, and a large swathe of Somalia. For a brief period, Italy also took control of Ethiopia, but the Ethiopians defeated the invader. Along with Liberia, Ethiopia became the only African country never to be colonized. Spain acquired the territories that are now Equatorial Guinea, the still-disputed Western Sahara, and the tiny enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla on the Moroccan coast that remain in its hands.
in what would become today's Namibia, the Germans committed what many call the first genocide of the 20th century, killing 80% of the native Herero people
These events, by and large, set the international boundaries of contemporary Africa. The “international community” had put the seal of legality on its exploitation of Africa’s peoples and their resources under the guise of “civilising” and Christianising them. Many were the genocides committed by the invaders. Some of the more notorious ones are the millions of Congolese who died from disease, starvation and what one diplomat described as “indiscriminate war”. Many Congolese also had their hands chopped off when they did not meet rubber collection quotas. In what would become today’s Namibia, the Germans committed what many have called the first genocide of the 20th century, killing 80 per cent of the native Herero people mainly through starvation, exposure to thirst, or forced labour. The same fate befell 50 per cent of the native Namaqua population. The Germans went as far as to poison wells. Long before Hitler and the Nazi German had established concentration camps and gassed millions of Jewish families across Europe, a united German had already built the “Shark Island Concentration Camp” in Namibia
where natives were left to perish in starvation. The new Scramble for Africa essentially has the same hallmarks as the first. Africa, which has yet to recover from the colonial irruption, may not be facing the wholesale military invasion of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, unfavourable international trade regimes, which require the continent to open up its markets to foreign goods without genuine reciprocity, may as well be a mass invasion. Within the context of the Economic Partnership Agreements and the African Growth and Opportunity Act, African governments continue to complain of arm-twisting. New global powers as well as old have once again moved to ensure that they have firm control of the continent’s natural resources for the foreseeable future. In this regard, China has often been cited, for instance with regards to gazumping Angolan oil futures. But China is not the only global power, whether old or new, quietly hoarding African commodity futures at the throw-away prices of today. Some have gone as far as to lease some of Africa’s finest arable land—in places, just to 2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 19
Chad
Guinea Niger Sierra Leone
$19,357,103 $167,883,747 $107,477,743 $154,729,940
cite a few, such as Madagascar, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, DRCongo (at least half of its arable is in foreign lands or headed there), Ghana, and Liberia. The beggar-thyneighbour lending practices of the post-independence years continue apace, meaning that many African economies remain in the control of old and new creditor nations. The transnational corporations that have become the heirs of the concession companies of the New Imperialism continue to cause serious concerns about their exploitation of local resources and labour through their (non-)payment of taxes and their disproportionate repatriation of profits (Africa loses US $192 billion in profit repatriation). In this entire fracas, the great protagonists of the new rush for African resources are China and the United States. The Americans have finally joined the Chinese, the Indians, the Japanese and the Europeans in summoning Africa’s leaders en masse to their metropolis for reasons both opaque and disturbing (the paternalistic optics of this practice seem lost on those concerned). The Chinese and their BRICS allies have also established their own version of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank—the New Development 20 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
$5,300,000,000
International Monetary Fund
$5,300,000,000
China
Africa now understands the need to operate within the context of a globalizing world, meaning the need to engage players both great and small. But there is now an understanding that only Africa itself is genuinely interested in solving Africa’s problems.
Bank—to be headquartered in Shanghai. A few years back, when the Chinese assigned some 7bn dollars in investment capital to Africa, the Americans quickly moved in with some 14bn dollars of their own. In all this, however, the omnipotence and the motives of the corporate lobby in both camps—which inevitably recall the influence of the colonial lobby—are not lost on local observers. The relative absence of hypocritical posturing on the part of the likes of Brazil, China and India has won the newcomers a measure of goodwill across the continent. So also has their apparent desire to show genuine respect in the way that they deal with an increasingly confident and disabused Africa.
But Africa has learned that the intentions of the newcomers are no different from those of the would-be saviours of yore. African leaders—and more importantly its growing middle classes— approach their dealings with the whole lot of foreign partners with a clear-eyed sense of their own relative position of weakness, but also of the self-interested motives of their foreign interlocutors. Africa’s largest demographic—it’s (slowly) increasingly educated young people—understand the need to operate within the context of a globalising world, meaning the need to engage players both great and small. But there is now an understanding that only Africa itself is genuinely interested in solving Africa’s problems.
ART
Komi Olaf ,
from Kaduna Nigeria to Canada's National Arts Centre 22 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
ART
Komi is art and art is Komi. Those close to him, refer to the man as “a poets poet”.
K
omi Olaf is a poets, poet. He reflects simplicity, elegance, a God given talent and everything art. He’s not just a visual artist but also a spoken word champion, a photographer and an architect. Komi is art and art is Komi. Those close to him, refer to the man as “a poets poet”. This superb young man from Northern Nigeria (now a resident of Toronto Canada) has already had his work (drawings and paintings) exhibited at Canada’s National Arts Centre in Ottawa and at the Royal Ontario
2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 23
ART
Museum in Toronto among other respectable venues. An artist who once turned down an offer from a gallery owner of drawing and painting flowers as he had “better stories to tell”, Komi’s work is a reflection of his persona; a proud noble son of Africa.
I believe that once you start doing something, automatically the universe and everything comes together to start making it work.
24 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
ART
The African Perspective magazine has been fortunate to spend an evening with Komi at his studio in Toronto. Among many things, we talked about his debut and journey into art, his inspiration, challenges, upcoming projects, promoting art within African communities and collaborating with Fela Kuti’s sons. For the full interview, visit tapmagonline.com/ kOmIoLaF Also, please go check out (and support) more of Komi’s work on Komi Olaf.com
2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 25
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
A con Sam Gich
Q A 26 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
he entrepreneurship bug has finally caught African youths. Everywhere you look, on the continent and beyond, young Africans are increasingly entering the realm of entrepreneurship to tackle some of the continents biggest challenges and in hopes of creating a better life for themselves and others. With Kenya hosting this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit, we went out and sought to understand the state of the current entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kenya from non-other than Sam Gichuru, CEO of NaiLab; a Nairobi based, highly acclaimed business incubator that helps young entrepreneur’s.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
nversation with huru, CEO Nailab Tell us more about your childhood- where did you grow up, who were your first heroes and what were your favorite moments growing up
Grew up in poverty in a small town in the outskirts of Nairobi. The town is known as Rongai. Most days in my childhood we went without food and had to trek a total of 10km everyday to and from school. That was my introduction to the beauty that is life.
How did you get into business? What else are you passionate about? My greatest passion is seeing startups I have mentored excel and scale.
I must admit I got into business by default. I had had a series of computer training and while I was working I felt the need to start something in Kenya we call “A side hustle” and I began offering software and other computer related services.
In the simplest terms, what exactly is NaiLab? What problem is NaiLab solving? Please expound on NaiLab’s vision and mission
Nailab is a business incubator that helps young entrepreneurs who have business ideas or early stage businesses and are using
"Just recently we had one of our first batch of startups acquired for over $1.5m. That in 3 years is a great achievement in this market." technology as their base of scale to grow. As a country we have a high rate of unemployment among the youth, and we are also surrounded by daily existence problems. From health to food security and education. Nailab helps. yy yy
Create job creators Solve social and economic problems using technology
As an organization our mission is to create an enabling environment that inspires and stimulates innovation and entrepreneurship. That is achieved through partnerships with different corporate entities that provide mentorships and other amenities that help entrepreneurs develop.
Where has Nailab come from and where do you envision it in the future?
It’s been a journey of lessons for us as an incubator. From learning how to spot great solutions to developing a curriculum that works. By and large, nailab is still learning and fashioning the program to offer entrepreneurs a tailor made program. However as time goes, we have seen the need for a lot more early stage investors as a lot of the businesses at this level shrivel and die due to lack of funds. We are therefore in the process of setting up a Nailab seed fund that will focus on funding early stage businesses in the larger east african front to the tune of $50,000.
What would you say are NaiLab’s major accomplishments to date
Our greatest achievement definitely is seeing startups develop and grow their customer base. However just recently we had one of our first batch of startups acquired for over $1.5m. That in 3 years is a great achievement in this market. We also have had one of our startups join 100startups, an accelerator in Silicon Valley growing their valuation to over $100,000. From a policy level we are privileged to have spear headed, together with other ecosystem players, the 2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 27
Changing Kenya on Current Startups About Nailab Nailab is a startup accelerator that offers a 3 - 6 month entrepreneurship program with focus on growing innovative technology driven ideas...
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2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 29
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
establishment of Enterprise Kenya and entity that will see growth in trade of local ICT solutions across borders.
How is NaiLab different from other local incubators/ accelerators?
“The growth and success of startups gives me great pride and fulfillment. As for challenges, they cannot all be summarized in one statement but the greatest one of all is time”.
As an incubator we play in the riskiest level of growing businesses, the early/idea business stage. We are also very keen on more than just the “business” behind the solution; to us the right team is crucial for the success of a solution.
What are the key criteria’s you look for when choosing which startups to work with? What happens after the 6 months of incubation? Do you continue to consult these Startup’s or they are now on their own? We have quite a rigorous criteria but some of the items we look into are yy yy yy yy
The team constitution Viability of the solution The idea’s unique outlook Ability of the solution to meet a very specific need in society
After the 6 months we continue working together and they automatically alumni join the mentor network for the new businesses.
Approximately, what’s the annual budget that NaiLab has to operate with? Is NaiLab an NGO? Nailab is a company by guarantee and we rely on grants and Innovation enterprise engagements. 30 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
Are you or will you be looking into incubating/investing more in Startup’s with potential to employ more people/youths as much as tech startups! As indicated, we are looking at supporting Startups in the larger East African front with the upcoming Nailab Seed Fund. We will be releasing more details on this soon.
Who are some of your most proud NaiLab Alumni’s? Does NaiLab have an alumni association? Approximately how many people do these companies employ?
We are proud of all our alumni’s for the achievements made. Its definitely not easy establishing a business and keeping it running with low capital injections. That said, our alumni have cumulatively created over 200 job opportunities.
Who are some of your biggest partners? Is your preferred partnership financial based or you’re also seeking service to service partners?
We have a wide spread partner base with corporates offering financial advice to legal help. As an incubator we are not subject specific experts so the partnerships provide a lot of leadership and guidance to our incubatees. With the establishment of the seed fund, we are now keen on more financial partners and we welcome investors and corporate entities looking to have ICT innovations as an outlet for their corporate social investments
Will NaiLab be working hand in hand with the government in the future?
We currently are, through a contract won in 2013 where we are
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
“With the GES summit being hosted in Kenya, it clearly shows that Kenya has become a centre for innovation and entrepreneurship. There is definitely a booming startup environment that is heavily tapping to the untapped market and growing middle class”. to create a roadmap for incubation in other counties in Kenya. That said, the contract ends in 2016 and we hope to keep the engagement going.
In your opinion, should the Uwezo fund be implemented through incubation (or incubators) rather than the current vetting that the government does?
There are different channels that the funds can be implemented through. However as an incubator, we are more than glad to engage in any way possible to help support the growing number of entrepreneurs.
The sixth global entrepreneurship summit is being held in Kenya this year! How do you assess the current local entrepreneurship ecosystem? What are some of the opportunities available too and what are challenges that local budding entrepreneurs have to face?
With the GES summit being hosted in Kenya, it clearly shows that Kenya has become a centre for innovation and entrepreneurship. There is definitely a booming startup environment that is heavily tapping to the untapped market and growing middle class. The summit offers a great opportunity to expose local innovators to the world and showcase the achievements the ecosystem has made over the last 5 years. It will also help inform both local and international investors on the areas to look out for. At the moment, there is an influx of investment in education. However, there is a great opportunity to grow solutions around security, agriculture and health.
I gather that international investors are more interested in local entrepreneurs than local investors! Is this true? If yes, why is this so? How can we get local investors more involved? Most foreign investors have
had experience in IT. Locally the investors have more of a traditional outlook focusing on Real Estate and the capital markets. There is however a growing interest with the growing and delivery of tech startups. A lot more can be done and as Nailab we continue to engage interested local investors.
What would you say Kenya is doing well that other African countries can learn from?
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Collaborative development between the startup community and the corporate sector is a great factor Government interest and support of the startup community is also a great contributor in growing the ecosystem The establishment of the necessary infrastructure from incubators to the internet services There is also a growth in research in the process of solution development and also realizing the importance of data to inform consumers patterns and behaviors.
What’s the most rewarding and challenging aspect of what you do? The growth and success of startups gives me great pride and fulfillment. As for challenges, they cannot all be summarized in one statement but the greatest one of all is time.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Never tire in engaging.
2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 31
COVER INTERVIEW
Inside the Pan-African AIRLINE
An exclusive interview with Mr Esayas Woldemariam MD, Ethiopian International Services
By: Moses Mutabaruka
Ethiopian Airlines, formerly Ethiopian Air Lines Inc. (EAL), was created by the decree of Emperor Haile Selassie I at the end of 1945 with a Pan-African vision of connecting the newly-independent countries of the continent. The airline’s first scheduled flight was to Cairo in April 8, 1946.
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thiopian Airlines has been connecting Africa together and beyond for the past close to 7 decades. Ethiopian commands the lion share of the pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to 87 international destinations across
32 | Tap Magazine | Issue 3 | 2015
five continents. Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as the Boeing 787, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777200LR Freighter and Bombardier Q-400 with double cabin. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft. A multi award winning (SKYTRAX
COVER INTERVIEW
21ST CENTURY LOGISTICS HUBS FOR A CONNECTED AFRICA 2015 |Issue 3 | Tap Magazine | 33
COVER INTERVIEW
Our Aviation Academy can accommodate 1,000 new trainees every year in the basic training schools (pilots, cabin crew, technicians, finance and marketing personnel. Per Vision 2025, our plan is to increase this intake capacity fourfold to 4,000 trainees every year by 2025; out of this 50% will be to cater for training needs of other African countries and Passenger Choice Awards in 2013) Airline, Ethiopian has been registering an average growth of 25% per annum in the past seven years and is armed with an ambitious vision to reach heights never reached before where African Airlines are concerned. Here’s a Tap exclusive interview with Mr. Esayas Woldemariam, Ethiopian MD International
From an insider perspective, what does it mean to work for the pioneer Pan African carrier?
It is really an honor for me to work for Ethiopian Airlines. I’ve been working here for the past 24 Years and it is a big honor for me. To give you a glimpse of the Ethiopian legacy; Ethiopian Airlines was founded on December 21, 1945. In its operations in the past close to 34 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
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seven decades, Ethiopian has been a pioneer of African aviation as an aircraft technology leader providing the first jet service in the continent in 1962, and availing the first African B767 in 1984, the first African B777-200LR in 2010 and the first African and second only to Japan B787 Dreamliner in 2012. Today, Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing and most profitable airline in Africa.
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Briefly take us through your day-to-day work at Ethiopian! Being Managing Director Ethiopian International Services, I am in charge of overseeing the entire performance of Ethiopian international destinations. Currently, we fly to 87 international destinations across five continents. Dublin and Los Angeles having joined in June. Hence my office is in charge of monitoring the entire activities of these destinations.
What is Ethiopian Airline short-term plan/vision where Eastern African aviation industry is concerned? Ethiopian Airlines will continue to pursue its fast, profitable and sustainable growth strategy by fostering trade, investment growth and people to people ties in East Africa region. In the coming years, Africa is expected to register tourism growth rate of 5.5%, compared to a world average of 4.1% according to World Tourism Organization. A breakdown at regional level shows that the highest level of growth in Africa will be in East
Africa, including Ethiopia and its neighboring countries, at an average growth rate exceeding 5% up to 2020. Despite the challenges the aviation industry is facing, we are working towards enhancing the region’s tourism by serving our valued customers with African flavored Ethiopian hospitality, creating convenience and seamless connectivity using our state-of-the art aircraft.
Ethiopian has been state owned since inception, most state owned airlines do not have the longevity of Ethiopian, what has been the secret? Who elects Ethiopian board of directors/ management?
The ownership and management of the airline are completely separate and this has been a successful set-up. The government is the 100% owner, but the management is aviation professionals and run the airline as an independent business. There is no undeserved interference and the management is responsible and accountable for day-today operations. This has been a successful set up. Since the earlier formation years, the airline opened and maintained an Aviation Trainings school and the airline was capable of attracting and retaining highly motivated and dedicated personnel. It is the Ethiopian Government that elects and appoints our board of Directors. The government has been very supportive in running our beloved Airline by setting indispensable directions.
COVER INTERVIEW
Speak briefly on current state of the African aviation industry, presently, what are some of the opportunities present that did not exist before? Opportunities: yy As an indigenous African Airline, we still remain optimistic towards the full liberalization of African skies for African Airline, implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration (YD). yy Africa with an estimated population of about 1 billion people is one of the fastest growing economies in the world at the moment this provides a good opportunity for the industry. On the other hand: yy There is a high operating cost environment in Africa, with much high aviation taxes, fees and fuel price. yy The regulatory framework in Africa is eluded against African airlines. Non-African airlines often get more favorable air traffic rights than African carriers. yy Facing unfair competition from Gulf based airlines continued to be a concern. yy Many trained and highly skilled employees are being lured away by Gulf based carriers.
Safety is the most pressing challenge facing the aviation industry in Africa, how is Ethiopian addressing this issue? For us, safety is our number one 36 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
Full liberalization of African skies for African Airlines through implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration (YD). African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has stated that 23 African countries have signed open skies agreements with the U.S. while not a single African country has fully liberalized its skies in compliance with the YD. priority and it has never been compromised. The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have all certified Ethiopian for full airframe and engine maintenance capability. Ethiopian is also certified as a bombardier authorized service facility for the Bombardier Q-400 aircraft. Moreover, we have consistently passed the rigorous annual audits of FAA, EASA, CAAs of customer Airlines and Star Alliance.
Can you brief us on the Ethiopian Airlines Vision 2025
Ethiopian Airlines is in the fifth year of its Vision 2025 with great operational and financial successes. Since the beginning of our Vision 2025 goals in 2010, important investments in human resources, infrastructure, fleet and systems development has and continue to be made. yy
On human resource development, we have spent 80 million US $ to increase the yearly intake capacity of our academy from 250 to 1,300 students combined, for pilots, aircraft technicians, marketing
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and finance personnel. On infrastructure, we are spending 100 million US$ to build two aircraft maintenance hangars; 107 million euros to build the first phase of a cargo terminal with 1.2 million tons capacity; 250 million US $ for airport terminal expansion which will increase the current capacity to 20 million passengers per year and will include amenities and services, which will make it competitive with global hubs and tens of millions of US $ to install state-of the art radar systems. On fleet, we are phasing in on average 12 aircraft, including wide bodies such as 787s and 777s per year. On systems, we are spending over 30 million US $ to fully automate the operational, commercial and back-office environment.
Over the last 4 years, we have increased our international destination to 87 and doubled the number of passengers to 6 million. Addis Ababa has also become the preferred gateway
COVER INTERVIEW
LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!
SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES: LOCATED IN FASTEST GROWING TRADE LANE China
Through our strategically located hub in Addis Ababa, our passengers can connect to 49 cities in Africa with minimum layover in Addis. Hence it is plausible to call Ethiopia, Africa’s Gate Way. to the continent for travellers between Africa and the rest of the world.
Aviation industry could be used as a driving force for regional integration on the continent! Are we putting too much focus just on rail/ roads? What role should regional governments/private sector play in harnessing this opportunity?
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African governments should consider the role of the Aviation industry as a vital component of Economic
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growth and integration through driving strong regional integration. The African private/public sector can play a vital role in building modern infrastructure. I believe there is so much to be done in terms of developing and modernizing infrastructure in the transport sector. Rail and road development is also very critical for Africa’s growth and it requires much attention from African states and governments.
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Competition along different segments of the value chain, rail, road and air, where public and private actors seek to provide better value can be a driving force that fuels Africa’s growth.
African airlines currently control just a small share of the African airspace, what needs to be done to fix this? As I mentioned before, full liberalization of African skies for African Airlines through implementation of the
2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 37
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Ethiopian won the Air Cargo Brand of the Decade for Africa Award from Shipping, Transport, Aviation and Tourism (STAT) at a ceremony held in Rivonia, South Africa on February 26, 2015.
Yamoussoukro Declaration (YD) is the solution. Today, Africa is on the rise, inhabiting the newly emerging fastest-growing economies, youngest population and untapped tourism potential. The need to have free movement of people and goods to sustain this growth is unquestionable. It’s time for Africans to look inwards and cooperate together for a better Africa.
What are world governments doing to protect their Airspace and what can the African Aviation takeaway? The European Union has been 38 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
able to achieve its Union through a unified regional aviation policy that fully liberalized traffic rights within the European Union community. The EU Single Sky allows airlines in the Union to operate flights from any European airport, regardless of their nationality without restrictions on the number of flights, aircraft or routes and set prices in line with the market. The EU transformed from 27 national air transport markets to one single European aviation market putting in place common EU rules in all areas of aviation. Since 1992 the United States has also adopted “open skies” bilateral with other countries; allowing the carriers of the two nations to operate any route between the two countries without restriction on capacity, frequency or price and to have the right to operate fifth and sixth freedom services. As per IATA statistics as of May 2014, the U.S. has signed 113 open skies agreements. The world’s fastest growing aviation market, Asia – Pacific is also moving to a ‘Seamless Asian Sky’ framework which has become a priority of the region for a number of reasons; such as environmental, financial, and technical factors. The Middle East is also moving forward with regional liberalization. However, due to the delay in the implementation of YD, economies and peoples of respective African countries have lost the opportunity to grow, connect with each other and
benefit from the aviation industry. African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has also stated that 23 African countries have signed open skies agreements with the U.S., while not a single African country has fully liberalized its skies in compliance with the YD. Ethiopia has signed bilateral air services agreement with over 110 countries and the agreement signed with the U.S. is with open skies framework. AFRAA is closely following up global developments in Aviation deregulation and re-regulations and is coming up with different initiatives to suit the time.
How does Ethiopian plan to compete with new airlines penetrating the Eastern Africa region, the likes of Emirates, Etihad, Qatar?
First of all, we know the African market more than anybody else. We’ve been serving Africa both in good and bad times, and still flying more destinations than others. Secondly, Ethiopian always strives to offer its customers the best possible on board experience, with an African flavored Ethiopian hospitality that is peculiar to it. Third, Ethiopian focuses on establishing a "global standard of product for the best value” in its premium class (Cloud Nine) and economy products that will attract the “price rational” African traveler. Ethiopian is also heavily investing in state of the art aircraft such as B787, B777 and A350, which come with superior products. We also continue to expand our global reach through the Star Alliance network and also by opening new destinations
COVER INTERVIEW
MULTIPLE HUBS:
NECESSITY FOR HUGE CONTINENT
• 2nd Hub: Lome with ASKY • 3rd
hub: Lilongwe with Malawi Airlines
• Multiple
gateways: Filling the void; availing critical air connectivity
to major travel centers all over the world. Price leadership, strong regional connections, an innate understanding of the African market are our other key weapons. Furthermore, Ethiopian has positioned vast Intra-Africa network matched by no other Airline, availing its customers the best connection with minimum layover in Addis.
Please speak on the role of the decorated Ethiopian Aviation Academy to your company’s competitiveness. 40 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
Since its inception in 1956, the Ethiopian Academy has proved itself to be a center of excellence, developing skilled workforce for operational divisions not only for Ethiopian Airlines, but also for the wider African aviation industry. Driven by the Airline’s commitment for self-sufficiency, and meeting the growing demands for its training from customers around the world, the Academy has continuously expanded in both capacity and staffing over the years.
With a view to expand and modernize our facilities, USD 42 million is being invested to build modern classrooms, cabin mock-ups, amphitheater and cafeteria. Construction of the first phase is completed and the second phase is almost done. Currently, the Aviation Academy can accommodate 1,000 new trainees every year in the basic training schools (pilots, cabin crew, technicians, finance and marketing personnel. Per Vision 2025, our plan is to increase this intake capacity fourfold to 4,000
COVER INTERVIEW
trainees every year by 2025; out of this 50% will be to cater for training needs of other African countries.
Would Ethiopian be interested in seeking equity partnership with other regional African airlines? Yes, Ethiopian has established its second hub in Lomé (Togo) in partnership with ASKY Airlines and its third at Lilongwe, Malawi with Malawian Airlines. Thus, Ethiopian aims to have multiple hubs in Africa connected with our main hub, Addis Ababa, as well as hub-to-hub connections. We believe in the virtue of African Airlines looking inwards and maximizing the level of cooperation, we are continuously pushing for close commercial partnerships among Africa airlines.
How do you plan to address some of the challenges in the logistics hub development that you mentioned such as intra-trade, unfair treatment for African indigenous carriers etc.? Working closely with fellow African countries in development of logistics hubs expounding the importance of expanding logistics capacity, including the cargo transit and transshipment capacity. Currently, encouraging moves are going on between African countries in integrating regional resources thereby enhancing infrastructure development for growing trade and investment relations.
Ethiopian already has the largest Cargo network in Africa, what’s next for Ethiopian Cargo?
Ethiopian Cargo currently uplifts 200,000 tons of cargo annually and flies to 24 freighter destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe using 8 dedicated freighters, including B777-200 LRF, the MD-11F aircraft and B757F. We aim to be the most competitive and leading African cargo airlines by (providing safe, market driven and customer focused cargo, courier and mail transport services) 2025. Ethiopian Cargo continues to make massive investment in construction of the two cargo terminals the first of its kind in Africa; these shows its unwavering commitment to support the Ethiopian fast growing agricultural products export industry and high value imports to the continent. These two are critically important for economic development of many African countries.
Finally, kindly expound on the idea of Ethiopia as Africa’s gateway.
Ethiopian has been connecting Africa together and beyond for the past close to 7 decades. yy As an indigenous Pan-African airline we’ve been serving Africa both in good and bad times. Our contribution towards the realization of the African Union is also worth mentioning. yy We fly to 49 cities in Africa, Cape Town and Gaborone will be joining our ever-expanding network quite soon.
Ethiopian Cargo currently uplifts 200,000 tons of cargo annually and flies to 24 freighter destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe using 8 dedicated freighters.
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Addis Ababa, has a strategic location to seize growing market opportunities on fastest growing trade lane both North-South and EastWest. If you draw a line through China, Africa, India and Brazil we are located right in the middle and we take advantage of this growth because these emerging economies are growing very fast. Africa as a whole can also benefit from this. Ethiopia today enjoys greater air connectivity with Africa and the rest of the world than at any time in its history. In particular, the country has air connectivity to all the major investment, trade and tourism originating countries that are critical for its economic development. Through our strategically located hub in Addis Ababa, our passengers can connect to 49 cities in Africa with minimum layover in Addis. Hence it is plausible to call Ethiopia, Africa’s Gate Way. 2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 41
TO TON
TOMO
www.therasco
42 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
ODAY NIGHT
ORROW
ollection.com
2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 43
BOOKS/ART/FILM
The primary and secondary school curriculums in most African countries are a source of some despair.
Tsitsi Dangarembga
44 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
BOOKS/ART/FILM
'I am all about
BREAKING boundaries' Q&A With Naseemah Mahamed
T
sitsi Dangarembga is one of Africa's most recognized authors, filmmakers and cultural activists. While she first garnered international recognition for her novel, Nervous Conditions, which won the Commonwealth Literature Prize in 1989, she has since gained recognition as a film writer, director and producer and has worked on over a dozen documentary and short films, including 'Neria,' (1993) which she wrote and in one of the top grossing films in Zimbawean history. In 2009 she founded the Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa and she sat on the Etisalat Prize for Literature panel of judges (2014).
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Moreover, she sat on the board of the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (2011 to 2013), the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (2010 to2012), as well as on the boards of the National Aids Council (2005 to 2009) and the Zimbabwe College of Music (2003 to 2009). Tsitsi also chaired Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe" from 1998 to 2005 during which she founded the "International Images Film Festival
for Women and taught African film at MIT. Find below a TAP conversation with Tsitsi Dangarembga; a cannon of African and feminist literature
Kindly introduce yourself to the TAP audience, who is Tsitsi in this moment in time?
I am a mother of three wonderful adolescents/young adults. That’s my strongest identity at the moment. It informs everything I do, to the extent where the current novel I am working on is young adult dystopian speculative work. The background to that is I felt, some years ago, that I was losing touch with my children, especially my sons. A friend advised me to read what my boys, particularly my elder son was reading. That started me off on Percy Jackson and set me off. I find it important to identify with myself as I currently am, rather than identifying with my past. So the other aspect of my identity is that I am someone struggling to make a difference in contemporary Zimbabwe and in the world through my art. I have just stopped working on a number of social projects, including the International Images Film Festival for Women in order 2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 45
BOOKS/ART/FILM
to concentrate on other concerns. The film festival is established now and no longer needs my ongoing input.
What current projects are you working on?
What I have realized in the fifteen years that I have been back in Zimbabwe after finishing film school in Germany, is that if you want to do anything good in the art scene in Zimbabwe, you have to do it yourself. This is easier said than done. It’s an exercise in perseverance. My current projects are an industry oriented arts education institution because most of the arts education in Zimbabwe is theoretical rather than practical. The other perennial problem is funding. So I am looking at creating funding structures for film. My current two projects are for an African women’s film fund and a Zimbabwe national film fund. While at Writivism in Kampala this June, I discovered an even more ambitious program for funding African art with some colleagues. I am mulling over how to go about that as well and expect to begin in the next six months. Where my personal work is concerned, I am trying to raise either interest or money to publish the third and final novel in the TAMBUDZAI trilogy, which is called A MOURNABLE BODY.
Speak briefly about your childhood, what was your favorite moment growing up? My happiest moments were playing. We had so much to do - going to the river to the dam 46 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
"I do not believe in positive images. I believe in full, rounded images that can look at an issue from various angles, images that give an idea of the whole picture." to fetch clay, playing house, or playing sports, or trying to build a house with mud bricks. There were always people to play with in the neighborhood, or relatives came to stay. I feel so sorry for children today who spend their time gazing at screens.
When you write/speak, besides informing and challenging, what else do you seek to accomplish? I am all about breaking boundaries.
On Education Primary and secondary schools curriculums in most of African countries are a outdated, would you endorse an overhaul? If yes, what would you like to see added? The primary and secondary school curriculums in most African countries are a source
of some despair. I had to work very hard as a parent to supplement the things my children were learning with more creative stimulating mental activity. I think that the matter is deeper than the curriculum. It goes back to the philosophy of education. While we wished for old oppressive systems to be overhauled at independence in our countries, this did not often happen. The kind of education that had been developed predominantly to produce servants of an oppressive system was not changed. As our leaders were products of that system, it is understandable that they found it and still often find it difficult to look beyond the mental universe that was constructed in them by that kind of education. In southern Africa the education availed to people of color was explicitly such as to produce “”drawers of water and hewers of wood”. Creativity and independent analytical thinking were suppressed in favor of rote learning and mindless repetition. We are suffering the consequences of that to this very day.
On Feminism You have described yourself as a feminist, and Nervous Conditions has become part of the African feminist canon, what does feminism mean to you?
Feminism means to me finding the ways of living an empowered life that is not fettered by gender for myself and for other women, in such a way as to contribute to dismantling the systems that seek
BOOKS/ART/FILM
to disempower on the basis of gender.
Is African feminism distinct? If so, how?
African feminism is distinct from other feminisms because of its intersection with race in the bodies and experience of African women. As an African feminist I have to engage with how race works to disempower me as a person of colour, as well as with how gender works to disempower me as a woman. I have to engage with the specificities of existence that emerge from this intersection. This is something other feminists do not have to negotiate in experience, thus they cannot theorize it from the perspective of lived conditions. This is not the only basis for theory, but I do think it is as valid as controlled experimentation or extensive inquiry. I have to find solutions to the negatives that the condition of being a black African female entail, as well as find ways of embracing in a wholesome manner any positives that may result. The truth is, however, that it is difficult to embrace positives in a wholesome manner because more often than not a positive is extended by one who has the power to do s, who will have certain expectations from you as a black African female. Unilateral expectations are in the nature of power.
On Politics In your TEDx talk in Harare ‘The question posed by my cat” you argued that at the core of the crises in Africa is
"As an African feminist I have to engage with how race works to disempower me as a person of color, as well as with how gender works to disempower me as a woman. " an “existential neurosis”; we, as Africans, do not know what we want so that what we do get never satisfies us. Can you say a little more about this idea? To know what you want, you have to know who you are and what is available. I have applied the Freudian concept of lack to dimensions other than gender where a polarity exists. Thus in the race dimension, Africans are socialized into lack. Because we are socialized to perceive our very selves as personifying lack, nothing that we obtain from “put there” can be satisfying. The only solution is to begin with the source of lack itself, which is in the imaginary. Systems of power understand this very well. This is why all systems of power maintain a stranglehold on cultural production.
You argued that to find out what we need, we have to “find the essential” within us, as Africans. How would you define this “essence?” I don’t define the essence. For me it is an experiential phenomenon. It is that part of me that says “yes” when I encounter a great truth. It is a part we all have, but that we often tune out due
to socialization. This is the great challenge of my art: to sublime that phenomenon into something more tangible.
What unites, defines, or differentiates Africans from the rest of world?
For me the differentiating factor is common history. This is a common history that is closely associated with geographical location and cultural practices, which is different from the history of other geographical locations and their associated cultural practices. Beyond that what differentiates us is that which is common to us all. But history has taught us that it is within human nature to emphasize the differences. A strategy against this is to emphasize similarity.
What role do you think writers; storytellers and filmmakers have play in highlighting this essence?
It is, in my thinking, the singular and particular task of artists to highlight this essence. In my work that is what I strive to do. I have found that other artists I engage with are engaged in a similar endeavor, even if they express it differently.
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BOOKS/ART/FILM
In a recent talk you gave at the Writivism Festival in Kampala, Uganda, you spoke at length about the need to diversify African narratives. Could you say a little more about this?
I believe that we are at the mercy of genre. At one time the genre was the political novel, at another coming of age. Recently we have heard call for more African romances or more African detective stories. The point I was making is that genre is shorthand for a certain kind of story, which is told according to certain rules. These rules were laid down as a result of numbers of writers writing that kind of narrative. This is good, but I feel that it can stifle diversity. While we should celebrate genre - which also requires less of us as the reader - we should also celebrate and require more demanding narratives that take us into uncharted waters even if such narratives might initially deliver a bit of a shock to the system rather than in the first instance causing a nice warm feeling. I do believe that we are fitter mentally with some literary weigh lifting.
What advice would you give to a budding writer that wants to tell stories that might not be popular?
My advice is to grit your teeth and keep writing. You will only hate yourself if you give up. We have to be committed and willing to suffer some discomfort while we figure things out. The practical thing to do is to surf the Internet regularly for opportunities. There are increasingly more of them. 48 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
"What differentiates us is that which is common to us all. But history has taught us that it is within human nature to emphasize the differences. A strategy against this is to emphasize similarity." This year already I have attended four arts events on the continent, with two more already lined up. Not so long ago I would hardly attend a single event on the continent in half a year. Things are changing and we have to be worthy of the change so that we can capitalize on it, rather than have changing circumstances find us unready.
Who would you say are your top 3 favorite African authors of all time?
Difficult, but here they are: Chinua Achebe, Sefi Atta, Helon Habila. I name those three although my baptism by fire was Ngugi wa Thiongo’s A GRAIN OF WHEAT, and even though the first time I recognized myself in a novel was in Camera Laye’s THE AFRICAN CHILD. I remember how, after I read A GRAIN OF WHEAT in my early teens I could not understand why the writer went by the name of James.
Where do you see the literary scene in Africa going? I really don’t know. Everything is so open. I think that not knowing is good, because it means that
the literary scene still has the capacity to surprise us. My fear is that it will become more sterile with predictable stories about predictable encounters of predictable protagonists who have made peace with being “other” to the self and narrating that self-otherness instead of wresting with it as we are told Jacob wrestled all night with the angel. But the signs are that we are beginning to lose our fear of wrestling and are willing to do it in a variety of styles. This is exciting. The question remains, though, that even if writers are throwing off their shackles, are publishers?
Which book/books would you enlist as a must read for every young African? There are so many. ROSES FOR BETTY certainly tops my list. The stories are accessible, engaging, fearless and profound while being formally accomplished. I haven’t been so excited by a book for a long time. PENUMBRA by Songeziwe Mahlangu, winner of this year’s Etisalat prize for literature is another. The classics are always worth dipping into.
FLAVIANA MATATA foundation Empowering Girls Though Education
You can make a difference today! DONATE
70% of the world’s 130 million out-of-school children are girls
In sub-Saharan Africa only 17% of girls enroll in secondary school
24M girls can’t afford education
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2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 49
TRAVEL
East African
Safari Kenya is the setting for one of the natural wonders of the world: the great wildebeest migration. 50 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
TRAVEL
I
f you're a local or international tourist in East Africa, then a “safari� should be on top of your 'to do list'. East Africa has a considerable land area of wildlife habitat and the search for the 'Big Five' in the Maasai Mara, in particular lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinoceroses and elephants, is one of the regions biggest attractions.
2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 51
TRAVEL
Kenya is the setting for one of the natural wonders of the world: the great wildebeest migration. Ungulates migrate from the Serengeti (from neighboring Tanzania) to the Maasai Mara in Kenya, in search of food and water supply. Those undocumented migrants are followed along their annual, circular route by hungry predators, most notably lions and hyenas.
EAST AFRICA IS HOME TO THE "BIG FIVE". 52 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
The region has a considerable number of national parks and game reserves, but visitors and tourist companies normally concentrate their activities to a certain few, leaving a number of remote protected paradises almost untouched by the tourist industry and only accessible to adventurous travellers. Be bold, explore and discover.
TRAVEL
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Galaxy S6 54 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
Edge
LIFESTYLE
ARE YOU
IN CHARGE? The happier you are on the inside, the happier you will be on the outside. My best and most rewarding choices have always been related to making life fantastic for my family, my friends, my colleagues, myself and anyone around me
By: Mostafa Zommo
N
ot too many people wake up one morning and say, “What is my personal mission?” That’s to say, “What is my reason for existence and am I really conscious of what I do on a daily basis, or do I move through my day mechanically, even mindlessly? To what degree am I on autopilot?” When you get up and leave your home and all of a sudden you find yourself at your office, you don’t even recall how you got there. You were on autopilot. Sounds a little scary, doesn’t it! It’s even scarier when people run their thoughts on autopilot (autothinking); they say negative things without even being conscious of what they said. Sometimes 2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 55
HEALTH
journey. The happier you are on the inside, the happier you will be on the outside. My best and most rewarding choices have always been related to making life fantastic for my family, my friends, my colleagues, myself and anyone around me—that includes the rest of the world. Choose to be positive no matter what and see the result; the true secret is to make these choices with NO conditions.
they realize it and genuinely regret it. “Did I say that?” they murmur to themselves. Sort of begs the question, “Who is in charge?” Who is piloting while we are not conscious? A question for the ages, but we are not without help! Here is what I do: I try to slow down and stop my mind’s auto activities. I may catch myself judging others, even things, thinking to myself that a person is too thin, too tall, too short, ugly, way overweight, or this and that. “Shoot!” I say to myself, “You are at it again!” I am on autopilot and need to stop immediately and calm my mind; often a good look in the mirror would do it. I literally tell my brain, “Stop it!” I think some learned people on the subject call this ‘internal dialogue’; it is kind of like having a good chat with yourself! It is not madness; I do it often, especially when I am driving, but then again, maybe it is madness! Often, I try to go to a happy place: imagine a flower, recall the face of someone I love, or imagine a smiling baby’s face. Or, I start singing a song I like quietly in my head. I find that this helps to calm my brain’s auto activities, to reduce the noise, and it gives me more control over my thoughts and actions to make life more meaningful and much more enjoyable! The irony is that this checking becomes more automatic with time, but my brain feels stronger when it is quiet! So ask yourself, “Am I in control? Am I really ready to silence my brain actively and take charge of my life 56 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
Image courtesy: Ignacio Hennings
I assure you that nothing can stop an excited, engaged and inspired individual from achieving the impossible
journey?” It’s not too late; as the Chinese wisely say, “Life begins at 60”. Don’t make the choice of doing nothing; choose to be in charge of your life. That’s what makes us the true royals of the animal kingdom—our ability to make sound choices, whether at work or in our personal lives. I believe that controlling your internal dialogue is the secret to controlling your external dialogue with the world. It solidifies your foundation and sets you on a course for a well-balanced life
Now, when you are a leader and are responsible for others, this self-awareness takes on a new critical importance. Your associates look up to you and are either inspired or discouraged by your words and actions. Frankly, being responsible for others’ performance is an honour but, more critically, it’s an awesome responsibility. We should take the time to understand those relationships and spend the time, no matter how busy we are, to look after our colleagues, give them guidance, review with them their performance and help them realize their full potential. Your words and actions toward them can make the difference between success and failure, excellence and mediocrity, even happiness and sadness. I assure you that nothing can stop an excited, engaged and inspired individual from achieving the impossible and, as Steve Jobs said, “Bend the curve of time towards excellence.” I know that you all know that. This is just a reminder as I, too, need to be reminded myself! Over to you my friends!
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MODEL
Meet Abayi L Rwandan/Kenyan model
M
ore often than not, every successful story has a humble beginning and background. Abayi Longin Ogutu was born on the 1st of October 1987 in Rwanda to a middle class family. Rev.Dr.Francois and Mariana a retired accountant by profession. The second born of four, this bundle of joy was the first male of the Francois household. Due to the war that cumulated to the 1994 genocide, Dr. Francois whole family fled to Kenya for safety and Abayi have been there since.
Being very sportive in primary school he got drafted into basketball, table tennis, long tennis, football and athletics. 58 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
Growing up in Kenya, Abiyi’s dreams were similar to those of many other children’s. He dreamt of one day being a pro athlete but his dreams were shun after getting badly injured during a soccer game. In the hopes of regaining his fitness, he got addicted to the gym, developed a fine physique and it wasn’t too long until the fashion industry took notice – find Abayi’s full story on www.tapmagonline.com/abayilongin
MODEL
Longin
When not on runways. Abayi lives a quiet life away from the hustles and tussles of Nairobi in the town of Thika
2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 59
TAIBOBACAR MademoiselleBacar Collection FW/14-15
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2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 61
PEOPLE
Testimonials from Africans in SA South Africans are still holding on to the illusion that Governments provide everything for their Citizens. When “reality� strikes, they assume that it must be the darkie next door, never mind that the issue at hand has been a struggle since the wee hours of the dawning of democracy 62 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
PEOPLE
“Xenophobia is a sad blemish on an otherwise promising landscape of Africa. There is no reason for Africans to feel like foreigners on this continent in any country much less feel victimized.” name withheld, Banker - Zambia”
I
n April this year, once more, the world witnessed another alienation of African Nationals by the Majority Black South Africans in South Africa. Shops were looted, people burnt, and lives disrupted as South Africans went on a rampage very similar to what we continue to see elsewhere on the continent: unfortunately, one that is constantly based between one African and another. These obscene acts took place both in rural and metropolitan areas of the Gauteng, Kwa-zulu Natal and
the Western Cape Provinces. Many a cable network covered the stories and travel arrangements by tourists and investors alike, were either halted abruptly or postponed indefinitely. TAP mag took time and enquired of a few living in the crossfire to give us their thoughts and views; drawn mainly from personal experiences…. “South Africans are still holding on to the illusion that Governments provide everything for their Citizens. Perhaps one should explain a little what the
phrase “The people shall govern” really means? When “reality” strikes, they assume that it must be the darkie next door, never mind that the issue at hand has been a struggle since the wee hours of the dawning of the democracy. Jason Hickel, in his article entitled “Xenophobia in South Africa: Order, Chaos, and the Moral Economy of Witchcraft” pointed out that, in the context of post-apartheid South Africa, those who believe they have the right to benefit from the promised— but as yet unrealized—fruits of liberation draw lines between themselves and the non-citizens who they believe should not have 2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 63
PEOPLE
“I actually argue that xenophobia is a small part of these violent attacks on foreign nationals of African descent. South Africa as a country is certainly not xenophobic, contrary to the mainstream media position, here at home and abroad” such a right, especially in the rural areas”. Anonymous, Pretoria. “Xenophobia is a common phenomenon arising from difficult economic conditions in a country. However, in South Africa this led to escalated violence against only a portion of the foreign population – Africans. Given the country’s history with the rest of the continent, the government’s lackluster response left one with the distinct impression that Africans are not wanted in South Africa” – name withheld, Consultant, Pretoria – SA. To me, Xenophobia brings to light a sense of differentiation…a differentiation that varies on how far your South Africanness runs. For example, with me, because I can throw in a few words in the local man’s language; be it Africans, Isizulu, Setswana and Tshivenda things run quite smoothly for me. I am YET to experience a differential judgment that could seriously be life altering, that I could not have faced anywhere else in the world; and as a foreign national I have travelled. However, you see things that make you raise your eyebrows and just wonder. The Illiterate, Inhumane and criminal individuals who performed acts of 64 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
xenophobia made me realize just how bad as Africans we are at accepting our own people, either because they are from a different country, of different clan or religion. When will we as Africans learn to be more accepting and understanding of each other? Also, when will we learn to take responsibility of our own lives and destiny instead of blaming others for what is wrong in our lives? Khethiwe, Centurion. South African History Online, defines Xenophobia as follows: as ‘the deep dislike of non-nationals by nationals of a recipient state’. The History Institution continues to say that : “This definition is also used by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). Xenophobia is also a manifestation of racism. Racism and xenophobia support each other and they share prejudiced discourses. They both operate on the same basis of profiling people and making negative assumptions. The profiling in the case of racism is on the basis of race, in the case of xenophobia on the basis of nationality.” With such kindred behaving as members of the same family, it is no wonder some refer to the critical matter at hand as a historical heritage. More
opinionated individuals continue to tell us that it indeed bares layers, of underlying issues that might be begging for attention as time ticks by… “I actually argue that xenophobia is a small part of these violent
When will we as Africans learn to be more accepting and understanding of each other? Also, when will we learn to take responsibility of our own lives and destiny instead of blaming others for what is wrong in our lives? - Khethiwe, Centurion
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Address: Lange Lange Apt 11 Off Milimani Road (Behind Heron Hotel) PO Box 51591- 00100 Nairobi 2015 |Issue 4 | Tap Magazine | 65
PEOPLE
attacks on foreign nationals of African descent. South Africa as a country is certainly not xenophobic, contrary to the mainstream media position, here at home and abroad”. Yes, undeniably, we have a small, and I mean really tiny backward element in some communities that may exude xenophobic behavior but, that does not define South Africa as a country. We need to understand that the real problem is masked under what appears to be the problem. So, it appears like it is xenophobia but in essence, it is not, it is more than xenophobia. I mean why are white foreigners not under attack? Why are
“I honestly think this xenophobia is just an excuse by people to vent their grievances and unhappiness with the government. They can’t attack the government so they look for the easy target to blame and that’s the foreigners. By killing foreigners they got the government’s attention. These guys are naïve and lazy” – J.S, Lawyer and Banker, Johannesburg.
a pity the dominant narrative of xenophobia overshadows a critical and honest observation and analysis of the real problem (s). We must not elevate the manifestation of socio-economic frustrations into the real problem. In other words, a approach TOGETHERlogical AGAINST would be to ask the question: where is the cause and what is the TOGETHER AGAINST TOGETHER AGAINST
Mapungubwe Institute, MISTRA - SA.
Instead of torching South Africa as a country and South Africans as a people, the global African community must look at the situation in SA broadly and in context. South Africa is a very young nation that is still finding itself; if you look at the luck of jobs, land ownership, crime rates and the amount of black South Africans in prison you'll understand the complexity of the issue. South Africa is facing a number of serious problems toppled by luck of proper leadership as evidenced during the attack where the government TOGETHER AGAINST took a while to come forward effect? and condemn the perpetrators TOGETHER AGAINST The causes and where in some instances the are varied police refused to protect or stood and by and watched while civilians so are the were being attacked. There is a huge problem in South Africa and TOGETHER AGAINST effects. To TOGETHER AGAINST simply say we must be diligent with how we it is only address these problems. Instead xenophobia is of condemning South Africa, we quite lazy and should help them. South Africa is we will provide Africa. Anonymous, Durban. TOGETHER AGAINST false solutions as a consequence “ David Testimonies collected By Lady Maimela, Researcher at Mahogany.
STAND XENOPHOBIA STAND STAND XENOPHOBIAXENOPHOBIA STAND XENOPHOBIA STAND XENOPHOBIA STAND STAND XENOPHOBIAXENOPHOBIA Nigerian pastors or churches not under attack? Why are foreign students and lecturers not under attack? Why are the violent attacks only in townships? Answers to these and other questions will illuminate more on what the real problem is: an intra-class warfare that takes various forms and intensity. It is
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STAND XENOPHOBIA
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SPORTS
MISSION
GIANTS Giants of Africa’s mission is to use basketball as a means to educate and enrich the lives of the youth of africa. We aim to provide quality facilities, coaching and instruction while enhancing the growth of the game of basketball within Africa. We strive to create a pathway for the youth to use the game to create opportunity to better their lives with education as its foundation. Basketball as a tool.
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SPORTS
NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program in Africa. The foundation’s goal is to improve the face of basketball in Africa. We aim to develop a program that will enable us to improve coaching, while granting earlier sporting access for youth through a grass roots system. We intend to place a focus upon upgrading sporting facilities as well as raising the quality of basketball administration.
The TOP 50 Camp The Top 50 camp was established in 2003, providing youth with an opportunity to learn the basic fundamentals of basketball in a camp setting with instruction from the best foreign and national coaches.
ABOUT US Dream. Its okay to dream and its okay to dream big. This is the message from the founder of Giants of Africa, Masai Ujiri. In 2003, African-born Ujiri decided to make a difference for kids in Africa using basketball as a tool. Growing up in Nigeria and playing basketball, Masai realized that there was an abundance of talent in Africa, but the players were often referred to as “raw”, and lacked experience in the game, as well as access to coaching and facilities. Masai drew upon his experience as camp director for the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program to model the Giants of Africa camps. Today, the Top 50 Camp and Big Man Camp have developed players at the local, national, international
and professional levels. Over 80 of the campers attended high school or university in the United States, and over 100 attended university in Nigeria. In addition, nearly 20 former participants have played on junior teams in clubs throughout Europe. 30 of them have played on the Nigerian Junior National team, and nearly 55 have attended the
Today, the Top 50 Camp has become a premier youth sporting event in Nigeria. The camp features 50 of the best players between the ages of 11-18, scouted from across Nigeria, and consists of three intense days of instruction. From life skills to basketball drills, the youth are taught what it takes to become a better player both on and off
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At Giants of Africa, basketball is not only seen as a sport, it also represents opportunity for positive social change.
the court. Since 2003, almost 40 foreign coaches have instructed at our camp. The youth have continued to rise and develop at the local, national, international and professional levels.
The Big Man Camp The Big Man Camp recruits young athletes 6’8� and taller, and teaches them basic basketball 70 | Tap Magazine | Issue 4 | 2015
fundamentals such as running, catching, footwork and shooting. The aim of the camp is to develop athletes’ skills at a young age, to allow them plenty of room for improvement as they grow older. Through the development of these early skills combined with great athleticism and height, many talented players come out of this camp with the potential to excel in their basketball career. The Big Man Camp remains one of the most intriguing basketball
events in Africa and continues to grow. This event has been featured on Supersports and Sports Illustrated.
Donate At Giants of Africa, basketball is not only seen as a sport, it also represents opportunity for positive social change. Due to a lack of resources, such as funding, programs, leadership and facilities, many youth in Africa today do not have the opportunity to experience the benefits of sport. We believe that the youth of Africa deserve this opportunity. In order to work toward this, our goal is to increase the number of basketball camps and facilities within Nigeria, as well as across other African countries. Help us make a difference as we continue to shape the game of basketball for youth in Africa by visiting http://giantsofafrica.org/ donate/ Thanks for your support.
THE AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE MAGAZINE
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FASHION
DO IT YOURSELF In this Do it yourself tutorial I’ll be showing you how to DYI a clutch.
By Dee
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FASHION
S
hopping comes easy for most of us; especially when seasons are changing and sales signs are plastered everywhere. But sometimes, no matter how hard you look, you can’t seam to find that IT thing you’ve been looking for. If you’re a perfectionist like me, you know the idea of finding that perfect item will drive you crazy until you get your hands on it. However, that’s not always possible. So, faced with limitations and restrictions of small city shopping, I decided to take on "DIY’ing". In this “Do it yourself” tutorial I’ll be showing you how to DIY a clutch. Feel free to try it and make sure to let us know how it goes.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: •
Sewing machine
•
Fabric of your choice (about a yard)
•
Scissors
•
Chalk
•
Pins or studs to accessorize (optional)
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FASHION
1
HOW TO 1. Fold your fabric and measure to desired length 2. Then cut your shape 3. Turn your fabric inside out 4. Sew both sides 5. Turn your fabric inside out (right side) 6. If you like the rustic and minimal look, you can stop here
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7. Otherwise, you can finish off the look by adding studs or pins to the front lap of your clutch
FASHION
3
5
4
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www.giantsofafrica.org