Walking On The Wild Side

Enter The Red Dragon

A significant event happened on the African economic landscape last week, when the Chinese bank Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) bought 20% of Standard Bank. This is significant in a number of ways in that it represents the single largest foreign direct investment in Africa to date USD5.5 billion. Secondly, it shows the Chinese mean real business and they are not ready to give up on Africa. The Chinese have been busy investing in commodities in Zambia, DRC, Cameroon et c to secure raw materials for their growing industry back home. Now they have just bought a bank to make structured deals and trade financing easy for them! The purchase of the Standard Bank stake, gives them the financial avenues to structure deals in the emerging markets of Latin America, Asia, Africa and Middle East (of which Standard Bank is in more than 38 countries). In a single swoop, they will be in more than 38 countries! This is smart business by the red dragons. For all the big talk, America and Britain have been overtaken by China as the biggest investors in emerging markets.

Walking On The Wild Side

I remember watching the comic, Lion King, when Simba remarked that “I laugh in the face of danger. I walk on the wild side”. Simba was a young adventurous lion cub who decided to check out the “really cool place” as advised by his wicked Uncle Scar. The cool place was an elephant graveyard full of hyenas. Although risky, the adventure satisfied the curiosity of the young lion cub. Doing business in emerging markets is exactly not fun – the political, economic and regulatory environments are a minefield. Just think of MTN being asked to pay USD50 million mobile licence in retrospect for a small market like Benin! It is very risky. The flip side is also to think of MTN making more profit across the border in Nigeria than all its operations in Africa (including South Africa) and the Middle East combined. I have greatest respect for people like Strive Masiyiwa who are trailblazers who went to places like Nigeria when it was a lions den. They are the forerunners of a cadre of Afro entrepreneurs who we need to take this continent forward. When the West carry out due diligence of emerging market businesses, the results are negative. They walk away…not so for the Chinese, they run in! African assets are a real bargain when one looks at the price to earnings (PE) ratios. The West will see risk, the Chinese will see return. Even in portfolio risk theory, you learn that the investments with the highest risk, offer the highest return. Your risk appetite can determine how far you can go in life.

Cris-atunity

The Chinese word for crisis, “wei chi” translated literally means “dangerous opportunity.” The Chinese pictograph for crisis is made up of two characters, one standing for opportunity, the other for danger. In one of the Pauline letters it is recorded that, (paraphrased) “…a great door of opportunity has been opened for me, but the adversaries are many….” The great Paul had doors to fulfil his mission at Ephesus, but the opposition was so intense. He did not give up. At Ephesus he had one of the biggest successes of his ministry, as he would write later to them exhorting the Ephesians “…having done all to stand, stand ye therefore…” There is any eternal conflict between our destiny and opposing forces. The forces could be the economy, government, adversaries, sickness, lack. Is there a crisis in your country, your job, your family, your business? Let me encourage you – having done all to stand, stand ye therefore! Don’t give up on that country, business, job, relationship, marriage. Use your shield of stubborn faith to quench the fiery darts of the opposition to your destiny. Behind the crisis is an opportunity. Forget about the crisis look for the opportunity in the crisis…cris-atunity. It is darkest, just before dawn. The brightest star shines on the darkest night. Keep shining!

African Roots, Global Fruits

Celebrating Our Own

One of the things that I have observed of our kindred is a failure to recognize and celebrate our living icons. It is only when you hear the eulogies that you learn the departed was so great. I wrote an article last year about the late Ray Charles who overcame blindness to become a global icon in the area of music. This week, I felt the urge to write about one great African whose contribution to music places him in a class of a maestro. South Africa did not honour Lucky Dube for his musical and artistic contributions especially during the apartheid era. He risked life and limb fighting apartheid through his music. Just look at how Britain knighted Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney et al. They know how to celebrate their own while they are alive. Lucky Dube who passed on this week after a botched hijacking attempt is one African musician who is known across the globe. If the day you pass on, the news of your death is aired on BBC, CNN, Sky News and Reuters, then we all know you have made a difference. His music transcends time and space. But what made him so great?

Stop Blaming Your Circumstances

Single mother, black young man under apartheid, little education, garden boy, absentee father (abusive when present). This is Lucky Dube’s short CV. Does not make for an international music artiste, huh? He could have easily blamed any of those circumstances and sat on his laurels. He didn’t, and that’s why we all know him today. How many times do we blame it on the government, environment, family background, education? When we do that we basically delegate and surrender our destiny into the hands of others. You might come from a broken family, even orphaned early in life, little or no education, dysfunctional economy, so what? Your destiny is too precious to have any of these circumstances interfering with it. Lucky once worked as a garden boy, but still managed to educate himself (he spoke such flawless English for an ex garden boy, with an English accent too!). An excuse is escapism, just seeking to shift blame and absolve ourselves of responsibility over our personal affairs. This does not take us anywhere. You need to release your stubborn faith over the rebellious circumstances in your life. A faith in your destiny that does not give up or give in. Great rivers cut through a great rock terrain.

Be Different To Make A Difference

Reggae music, which is the genre which Lucky chose, is basically protest music. The birth of reggae is steeped in conditions of slavery and colonialism and is meant to interrogate political and social conditions. The musical arrangement and lyrics is all inspired by the desire to communicate social justice, emancipation, equality, among other human virtues. This is what Lucky sang about. He used to sing ‘mbaqanga’ (a traditional Afro music genre). This kind of music was just for fun, and had a huge following in South Africa! In 1984 he then made the decision to switch to reggae. Professional suicide? He was right! He had a conviction to sing about what was happening around him. Living under apartheid he felt he had to highlight this injustice through music. After 1994, when apartheid was gone he started to sing about black on black injustice, crime and violence. Talk about conviction and consistency! This is what makes Lucky an icon. The spirit of his songs did not change, just the lyrics. Since 1984, he had released 22 albums, the majority of which made record sales throughout the world. The way to create a lasting legacy is to do something for humanity. He had a deep desire to touch lives through his music. The money just followed. If he had stuck with singing ‘mbaqanga’, he might never have become a global icon. He went against the grain, and everyone noticed including the apartheid government which banned his music. When you dare to be different, you make a difference, because soon your tune becomes either sweet music to the ear, or such an irritant it cannot be ignored.

Your Gift Makes Room For You

“A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men” Proverbs 18:16. Your gift or talent opens a door for you. You cannot be blessed outside your area of gifting or talent. To be great, you need to stir up your gift. As your gift flourishes, your doors begin to open for you. There is nothing called luck – luck is when ‘opportunity meets with preparedness’. You cannot say Lucky was one luck guy? No way. He worked hard, was focused and stirred up his gift. In spite of confessing to be a Rastafari, he did not smoke weed, nor was he given to intoxicating drinks and drugs. I cannot vouch for his private life, but what is in the public domain points to a man who led a clean life. I might have long stopped following his music, but what I vividly remember is that the man was serious about his music. The arrangement, quality, excellence and handling of his affairs was world class. He performed with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Sting among other world renowned musicians. He hardly performed in South Africa because he was always on international tours. He was no longer a village player, but a global player! His gift took him places and I have no doubt that although he died at a young 43, he lived a full 43 years and his legacy will live on through his musical gift. A time for you to reflect on your gift and talent. You do not know what you could be sitting on.

The Womb of Success Part 2

Show Us Your Faith

Preparation is the highest act of faith. When you prepare for something, it means you strongly believe that it will come to pass. Expectant mothers, prepare for the time that the baby will come. They buy clothes for ‘little people’. The home is prepared in readiness for the baby. The baby’s room is decorated in pink or blue depending on the sex of the baby. Your success is like the coming of a baby. You need to prepare for it. If you dream of making money, stop dreaming and start making it. It is the little steps of preparation that will get you there. An expectant mother will buy a romper today, gloves another day, nappies tomorrow, vests next week. Slowly the new baby’s wardrobe takes shape. That is preparation. As you also prepare for your success,

Activate Your Dream

A dream with no action remains a dream. I have folks in the village. Boy, do they have dreams! Everytime I visit them we just sit to catch up. They will tell you how they are going to be successful one day. How they will drive big cars and live in a nice city house. Meanwhile they will continue imbibing ‘skokiaan’ (home brew) and indulging in village gossip. Now that does not make for one serious about their dream. If you are an African you know what I am talking about here. Those folks are not bad at all, some of them are quiet brainy too. Their dreams join a cemetery of dreams because there is no ACTION. If you want to be a business person, go and register a company or buy a shelf company. Research about that business on the internet. Save some money towards your dream. Enrol in a Basic Business Course. Do a business plan. You will see your dream taking shape. Invest in yourself today to reap tomorrow. The things you do today, are the seeds for the harvest you get tomorrow. If you are a church pastor and you want to be a great pastor, go to a school of ministry, study about great ministers of the Word, follow their example. Like a photo the picture of your success gets clearer as you develop it. If you remain on the shoreline, you will not see your success at the horizon where the ocean meets the sky. I want to persuade you today, even to jerk you, please give us some action!

A Leader Is A Reader

An expectant mother reads all kinds of books to learn about mother hood. Every mother has a dream to be the best one. The books, internet research, advice and ante natal classes equip the mother with superior knowledge to handle the baby and attendant challenges. Albert Einstein said that, a problem cannot be solved at the same level at which it was created. In other words to get a solution to your situation you need to think higher than your problem. It is for that reason why companies may seek outsiders to turn around their business. Even in interpersonal, regional or national conflict, sometimes it has to take a mediator with a different thinking to bring peace to warring parties. Anyway lets talk about you. Yes, your mind needs to die and be renewed. Your mind needs continuous updates and rebooting in order to be compliant with the ever changing operating systems life presents to you.

Winston Churchill predicted that empires of the future are empires of the mind. You need to read. A leader is a reader. Education and learning give you multi-trajectories of opportunity. You need to be a fundi in your field. To obtain mastery in your area, you need to learn, study and research. The idea of undertaking doctoral studies strongly tickles my fancy, not because I want to look for a job with a PhD, but because I want to extend my knowledge horizons and increase possibilities in life. Businesses today are heavily investing in R & D and knowledge management, because they want to be strong today and tomorrow. How about you?

Delivering Your Dream

An expectant mother needs a gynaecologist, obstetrician and paediatrician. A gyaeno looks at the health of the mother and undelivered baby. She acts a as ‘mentor’ for the expectant mother until delivery. The obstetrician plays a mid wifery role to help deliver the baby. At that stage, the paediatrician takes over. The paediatrician performs the AGPAR test to just ensure the baby is normal and healthy. In order to deliver your dream, you need to have a mentor. A mentor gives you handles (shows you how things are done), roots (develop stability and strength) and wings (the confidence to become who you should be). You also need a catalyst. This is a person(s) who open doors for you and point you to the right places at the right time. This is a person(s) who ignite the spark to usher your dream. Relationships will take you much further than education. You need to know people (always remembering that who you see determines who sees you). Network. There is nothing wrong with having friends in high places! I have got Jesus. Lastly you need to have counselors and advisors to interrogate your dream. Your dream needs to be tested and given a quality stamp of approval; otherwise it can become a nightmare.

The Womb of Success Part 1

The Womb of Success

Last week on Friday night I was speaking to Cher, who is a media and publishing entrepreneur at a function. As we chatted she asked me where I get inspiration to do my consulting and motivational work. This is how I responded, “I am loaded! I mine it from the spirit”. There is a seed that is inside of me which I conceived. This has been growing inside of me. I nurture it, protect and cherish this seed that I carry. Every one of us has a seed of destiny inside of us. It is dropped into our spirits, but we have to acknowledge it and nurture this seed. Think about a woman when she conceives. The ante and post natal period is a gestation (development & growth) period. We would like to look at some anecdotes of success which we can learn from this.

Sanctify Yourself For Success

The moment of conception is a defining moment for the woman. A lot of things have to immediately change because of what she carries. No more stressful routines. Those who smoke and drink stop doing that for the sake of the baby. Most medicines especially antibiotics become a NO NO during the pregnancy. Even animals are known to be very protective during the gestation period. They become more territorial and jealousy of invasion of their space. This protective instinct is crucial for success. Your destiny is like a baby. You need to protect it and separate yourself for success. This can mean being circumspect about the company you keep, better work ethic, due discretion in the books and information you read. You can easily shipwreck your success if you do not know what you are carrying inside of you. Be more purposeful and have homing instinct that draws you to your destiny. Do not allow your destiny to be aborted by getting entangled with the wrong things.

Feed Your Success

“Eat for one, drink for two”, was what we were told during the ante-natal classes. There is a special diet for expectant mothers. The chances of a healthy baby are increased by adhering to a specific health regime. This in some instances is augmented by iron, vitamin and calcium supplements (organic not genetically modified /GMO). Even animals as primal as they are, go and hunt for good prey to feed the expectant female. Have you increased your chances of a healthy success by adhering to a healthy dietary regime? Are your nurturing your destiny, starving or feeding it on steroids. Feeding your success on steroids is when you are taking short cuts, buying your way to success. This does not work. Ask Marion Jones (She is returning 5 Gold Olympic medals after recently admitting to the use of steroids!). Feeding your success on GMO, is when you “hot wire” – bribery, unethical (end justify the means attitude). The way to success is to work for it. Years of feeding on steroids, GMO manifest in cancers, organ failure and degenerative diseases in later life. So great is your fall, when your success is fed on the wrong things. It catches up with you. Your success just degenerates or becomes malignant/ cancerous and devours you.

Speak to Your Success

A baby in the womb hears the parent(s) voice. Your destiny hears your voice. When the mother is stressed, the unborn gets stressed. Gynaoecologists encourage parents to speak to the unborn baby “You are great. You are super intelligent, You are man of valour. You are a woman of substance”. This has been proven that it does something to the spirit of the unborn child. Parents who shout at each other before the baby is born produce timid and low self confidence/ esteem offspring. What does that mean for your success? Every morning when you wake up, speak to your day, call forth favour, and declare open doors. In moments of confusion tell yourself you have a sound mind. Declare YOU ARE A SUCCESS! Life and death are in the power of the tongue according to the Ancient Book. There is a creative power in the words that we speak. Words are spiritual because you can’t touch them. Isn’t it? By the same token success is also spiritual because you can’t touch it right? So you can talk your way to success. The psychologists call it self talk or positive talk. Those like me who are from Zion (the city of God), call it FAITH because it is based on logos (written word) and rhema (spoken word). This stuff works!! It is for that reason why you should never allow anyone to talk you down. When they talk you down talk yourself up. When they write you off, write yourself in. Speak to your success.

Don’t miss out next week when we talk about the importance of preparation and the people you need to deliver your baby called destiny.