http://www.mthente.co.za Welcome to the Mthente blog – Excellence in Africa! Amid the widespread doom and gloom surrounding Africa’s political stability, economic development and growth prospects, very little attention is given to excellence on the continent. While it is important to be mindful of the realities and difficulties faced in many African countries, it is equally important to highlight the positives – there are many success cases and stories across the continent. Our aim is to celebrate the pockets of excellence in Africa! We will be posting bi-weekly opinion pieces on topical economic and trade-related issues affecting Africa, and monthly case studies of specific success stories from across the continent, with a strong focus on entrepreneurial talent and small business growth. Please feel free to sign in and comment on any of the blog postings. daily 1 2009-03-25T15:02:48Z http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/discovering-excellence-in-africa Jean-Pierre Lehmann, Professor of International Political Economy, IMD, and Founding Director of The Evian Group in Lausanne, Switzerland discusses the need for greater knowledge and understanding of Africa and suggests the potential for Africa to flourish by 2020. The Evian Group is a coalition of global corporate, government and opinion leaders, committed to an open, inclusive and sustainable global market economy. No publisher Jennie BlogEntry 2011-05-26T13:07:41Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/the-potential-of-business-model-generation-for-african-entrepreneurs Our latest blog entry explores the potential for a recently released business manual on business model generation to boost entrepreneurship in Africa. No publisher Neil 2011-08-31T16:52:58Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/unpacking-the-way-south-african-youths-perceive-entrepreneurship South African youths have a “let's do it” mentality when it comes to entrepreneurship, but a lack of business skills, mentors and finance, and the dominance of short-term thinking are some of the factors that deter many from pursuing entrepreneurship. No publisher Neil 2011-07-27T07:10:37Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/fieldwork-within-the-south-african-context-overcoming-obstacles In working towards excellence in conducting fieldwork, South African researchers are constantly faced with challenges in trying to ensure the participation of all South Africa’s demographic groups. In particular, urban residents are particularly difficult to access, often assuming that all research is either market research or not relevant to them. No publisher Neil 2011-06-27T14:43:37Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/our-trade-problems-are-at-home-not-the-wto-1 In an article that appeared originally in the Business Day on 9 March 2011, Dr Soko questions the merits of seeking to reclassify South Africa as a developing nation through the World Trade Organisation (WTO). No publisher Neil 2011-05-31T14:42:16Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/look-out-for-the-african-middle-class A growing African middle class has created an increasingly favourable environment in which local consumer products can thrive. No publisher Neil 2011-03-09T07:03:38Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/susu-collectors-in-ghana-lending-a-hand-to-smallholders-microentrepreneurs-and-the-poor One of the oldest financial groups in Africa is coming to the rescue. On a continent in which many individuals, entrepreneurs and small businesses have no bank account, let alone any formal means to access credit, a seemingly unlikely source of microfinance – men in distinctive coats with many pockets – is filling the gap. No publisher Neil 2011-02-03T12:44:27Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/replacing-coups-with-votes-electing-a-democratic-future-for-africa The year 2010 has been something of a hot year for elections in Africa. By the end of the year, a score of countries across the continent will have staged a variety of local, regional and national elections. Burundi, Guinea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Chad headline this list. No publisher Neil BlogEntry 2010-11-22T06:39:05Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/carthage-must-be-rebuilt-for-an-african-renaissance According to Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, the task of rebuilding Africa from its mired history of colonial conquest and prejudice is akin to the challenge of rebuilding the city of Carthage in the aftermath of the Battle of Carthage. Renewing African universities and the continent’s higher education landscape should be a crucial element of this rebuilding process. Lwazi Sikiti was present at a recent keynote address to listen to Mr Mbeki set out his vision of how this can be achieved. No publisher Neil BlogEntry 2010-09-27T11:15:38Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/africa2019s-oil-deposits-and-despots-black-gold-or-a-curse The recent discovery of sizable onshore deposits of crude oil in Uganda and Ghana offers the opportunity for these states to learn from the historical pitfalls of the African “oil curse” and utilise the revenues generated from these deposits as a catalyst for economic development. No publisher Blog Master 2010-09-17T12:10:38Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/yes-south-africa-can The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was by all means a much anticipated event, both locally and internationally. Prior to the Opening Ceremony on 11 June 2010, much of the international community expressed hesitation and doubt about South Africa’s ability to host a successful World Cup tournament, and this was compounded by less than favourable media coverage in many European countries. However, as the tournament has come to an end, it has proven a success on many accounts. No publisher Blog Master BlogEntry 2010-09-17T12:13:13Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/doing-business-the-african-way-africa2019s-changing-business-environment A series of rapid improvements to the business environment in many African countries is gradually eroding the negative perceptions of doing business in Africa. This augurs well for economic growth on the continent and should encourage more and more companies to do business the African way. No publisher Blog Master BlogEntry 2010-09-17T12:23:59Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/potholes-tyres-and-entrepreneurs-in-the-drc A recent first time visit to the DRC revealed stark developmental challenges in the nation's capital, Kinshasa. At the same time resourceful entrepreneurs have found a way to provide an essential service. No publisher Blog Master 2010-09-17T12:24:48Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/narrowing-south-africas-current-account-deficit-a-bridge-too-far-or-is-there-hope In recent years, South Africa has seen a burgeoning deficit on its current account. However, after widening sharply in the first quarter of 2009, the deficit has since narrowed significantly, primarily on the back of the global economic slowdown. No publisher Neil BlogEntry 2009-11-16T06:05:31Z Blog Entry http://www.mthente.co.za/excellence-in-africa/tackling-the-devil-derailing-the-quest-for-african-governments-to-perform-excellently Slowly but surely, African governments are beginning to demonstrate the political will to embrace democracy and engage in constructive dialogue with political opposition. The dependency syndrome plaguing many African states is also being addressed through targetted investment policies; and, at the same time, the devil of corruption is being handled through the creation of corruption monitoring boards. This suggests that the continent has the will and capacity to take the lead in tackling its own developmental agenda. No publisher Neil BlogEntry 2009-08-26T15:33:19Z Blog Entry