Big lessons from a tiny country that shows Africa how to do it
Small businesses can learn from its self-promotion and pioneer spirit
THE world’s attention was on Rwanda recently when the World Economic Forum on Africa 2016 gathered in Kigali, the capital of this tiny East African nation, to discuss topics critical to the region’s continued success.
Fortunately, sub-Saharan Africa remains the second-fastest-growing region in the world, despite the world’s economic woes.
Last week’s gathering of African leaders focused on how the region could advance itself in areas such as energy, agriculture, resources, food security and technology.
And when Africans and the rest of the world think about where such key topics should be discussed, Rwanda immediately comes to mind.
How is it possible that this landlocked country, devastated by the effects of the 1994 genocide, has managed to become a leader in the region, despite the fact that is it the fourthsmallest country in Africa with a population of around 12 million?
I believe the answer lies in Rwanda’s ability to focus on delivering on high-impact initiatives and then effectively marketing its successes.
By highlighting its triumphs, the nation has generated plenty of positive buzz and built a strong reputation.
Team Rwanda has invested significant effort into building its reputation around the world. The fact that people in the global community have for some years now referred to Rwanda as “a leading African country” is not a coincidence.
During my two years studying at Stanford University, at the heart of Silicon Valley in the US, I could not help but notice the high profile and good press Rwanda enjoyed there, thanks to the way in which the nation continues to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship.
We had case studies of Rwanda’s entrepreneurial success stories and its opportunities for growth and investment. Rwanda’s government, stakeholders, institutions and companies proactively gave input on these case studies and were keen to create opportunities for those who wanted to develop a close relationship with the country.
I had the honour of meeting President Paul Kagame when he made a trip to the Stanford University campus in order to engage with us and share more details of his nation’s initiatives.
This extra effort invested by him and his team in building a relationship with one of the world’s leading innovation centres is critical.
It increases the level of support the country is likely to receive as Rwanda tries to become a world leader in certain areas of technological innovation.
I believe we all have a lot to learn from how a small country such as Rwanda managed to successfully market itself globally.
It now has the same level of respect accorded to some larger world economies.
South Africa needs this kind of respect — more so now, considering that it faces being demoted to junk status. We have a lot to offer as a country and we need to do a better job at marketing that message in Southern Africa and beyond.
It prioritises initiatives that give it a ‘first-mover’ advantage globally
Above all, I hope our own small businesses will take a lesson from Rwanda’s approach.
In general, small-business owners tend to hold back, instead of immediately showcasing the small milestones they reach along the way. This kind of publicity could open doors for even bigger opportunities.
Rwanda continues to do a good job of marketing its successes — regardless of the fact that the country is unlikely to be able to become the region’s biggest economy.
Rwanda is notable for prioritising initiatives that give it a “first-mover” advantage globally. For example, it is one of the world leaders in promoting female representation in the private and public sectors. It was the first country in the world in which more than half of its MPs were women.
The lesson? Even a small business that has achieved gender equality should not shy away from highlighting this as an achievement in comparison to bigger competitors that have yet to make any progress.
In addition to advertising its successes, Rwanda enthusiastically seizes opportunities to be a leader.
How many small South African businesses in, for example, agriculture, would put their hands up to host one of the most important forums in this sector? I doubt there would be many. Yet, through Rwanda’s openness to attracting delegates on topics related to the whole of Africa, it has brought great attention to the country and helped it build an even stronger reputation.
The key lesson is that being small is not an excuse to avoid playing in the big leagues. Rwanda has shown us all that it is indeed possible for even small players to have a dominant presence in the global arena — and reap rewards from it.
Sikhakhane is an international speaker, writer and retailer, with an honours degree in business science from the University of Cape Town and an MBA from Stanford University. She also advises and funds small businesses