Nelson Mandela, possibly the world’s greatest visionary of our time, lived and suffered for a vision of the future that cost him 27 years of his freedom. He believed in a better world, a world where blacks and whites were treated equally, had the same opportunities, the same access to education, the same access to jobs and who could build a better world together.
Mandela understood confinement, he understood isolation and endured and persevered through 27 years of imprisonment because he could see there was a better future worth fighting for.
After eight long weeks of lockdown with weeks and possibly months of social distancing and various interruptions still ahead of us, it’s easy to feel despondent, despair, and hopeless. Yet, what inspired Mandela must inspire us. We must envision a future that is different than our past. We must see the global disruption as a catalyst that will propel us into a new future, a better future, a future that respects our planet and each other.
One of the most powerful questions we should all be asking is what do we want to take with us into our collective future? What do we want for our planet, for our nations, for society, for our way of life? What seemingly impossible problems do we want solved? Now is our moment to dream of a better world so that we can start to make it a reality.
By 2050, just 30 short years from now, 25% of the world’s population is expected to be from the African continent, with 40% of the world’s workforce here. That will require 40% of the world’s jobs to held by Africans. How do we build an Africa that is ready to serve the world? How do we educate and train the workforce of the future? With 50% unemployment projected later this year in South Africa alone, we must start to think about reinventing economic structures and reimagine individual income provision and global distribution of services and jobs. Could a 50% unemployment figure be subsidized by creating a baseline level income for all, to prevent starvation, mass homelessness and potentially huge civil unrest across the continent? Could investment in the region see incredible returns as opportunities are accelerated? Africa could take the lead, demonstrating to the world how new ideas could actually be implemented and in doing so, simultaneously tackle the huge issues of poverty and inequality, paving a way for other continents to follow.
Now is the time for Africa to leapfrog ahead, to capitalize on the failings of the rest of the world and to implement radical change to capitalize upon technology, revolutionize schooling through online learning platforms, take new opportunities to secure manufacturing contracts long held with China, and test revolutionary ideas like universal basic income.
African nations have an opportunity to demonstrate to the rest of the world, a new way forward. She has shown she is capable of acting decisively, and swiftly taking drastic steps to protect her people from the catastrophes Europe and the United States are enduring due to Covid-19. Africans are already resilient, patient, used to inordinate challenges, persistent, able to overcome huge challenges and disadvantages and so now is the time to use that disadvantage to her benefit.
Now is the time for Africa to take her place on the world stage and capture opportunity. Now is the time for a transference of power and wealth to Africa and for Africa to lead the way into the future. Africa must start acting like she has the resources, the capabilities, the knowledge that she needs to transform the continent. After all ‘As a man thinks, so he is’ (Proverbs). The African diaspora around the world with knowledge, education, and skills that went in search of a better world, will return to find the world they were looking for was here all along.
Since founding our venture fund, Enygma Ventures, many people have asked me “Why would you invest in Africa?” My answer is simple, the opportunities of the future are right here on the African continent.
This crisis will end. We can be certain our days of disruption, confinement, isolation, and social distancing will end. We will get back to buying and selling, we will be able to attend gatherings again where we’ll celebrate with each other with additional passion and fervor. We will put Covid-19 behind us but how the world looks on the other side is up to us.
What kind of world will we rebuild and what huge problems will we have solved? Will Africa seize this moment as a moment to rise? I certainly hope so.
Sarah Dusek
Enygma Ventures Managing Partner & Co-Founder
