Africa is Open for Business: Ten Years of Game-Changing Headlines

by Victor Kgomoeswana

Victor Kgomoeswana, well known as an African business expert with a profile on radio and television, shares 50 stories of innovation and opportunity behind the business headlines of the last ten years on the African continent, with some revised content since the first edition of the book in May 2014. From the introduction of M-PESA in Kenya to changing the image of Nigeria as Africa’s fraud capital, and from Rwandan coffee farmers to other remarkable stories in between, Kgomoeswana criss-crosses the continent to highlight and revisit the most fascinating business stories and their impact on the future of Africa. Africa is Open for Business contains a dynamic and different view of the opportunities available in Africa from those usually portrayed in the news and in other media. Kgomoeswana focuses on the stories behind the headlines as well as sharing his personal experiences of Africa while travelling and doing business in a way that is as entertaining as it is informative.

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2015

Reviews

[Michel Russo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up in a bookstore in the Joburg airport in 2023, about 8 years out from its most recent update. As brief and recent anecdotal history of Africa based enterprises and entrepreneurs, it’s sufficient to inform the uninformed like myself.

Beyond that, it’s quite lacking in any valuable assessment of businesses and business people alike. Every story ends with something like “I believe wholeheartedly this business has the potential to change the landscape of Africa” without analyzing the business model or operating environment. Time, unfortunately, has rendered many of the author’s sentiments too hopeful.

The author will also laud business moguls with shady backgrounds and tries to prop up their image in the face of allegations of corruption. Feels more like he’s paying a favor than providing an honest assessment of their avenues to success.