Out of Africa

The end of my summer internship in the Middle East was actually spent in Africa. The three interns were sent off to Africa to talk to potential investors and partners. Yes, you read that right. Now, if it was me, I would not be sending interns to round up tens and hundreds of millions of dollars to fund the future of my company.

Nevertheless, I think we did a good job, while learning a lot about business in Africa. First -- and this may seem obvious after the fact -- no two countries in Africa can be treated the same.

South Africa is a completely different place to work in than any other country due to its standing as the dominant market in Africa, as well as its apartheid history. For example, Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), a form of affirmative action that goes far beyond simple hiring and firing decisions, mandates minimum levels of black ownership and even ends up dictating who you use for product and service vendors. One investor advised that, "BEE is a form of competitive advantage in the sense that, if you don't have it, it is a competitive disadvantage." The country itself is very beautiful. Although we didn't get a chance to leave Johannesburg, just seeing the lush hills and the pleasant climate were enough to make me want to return.

After a few days of meetings, we had a chance to take a 4-day safari in Tanzania. We visited the NgoroNgoro Crater, the Serengeti, and Lake Manyara. Absolutely AMAZING. Here are a few pictures:

Mount Killimanjaro from the plane:


Wildebeast:


Ostrich:


Elephant (NgoroNgoro Crater):


View of NgoroNgoro Crater from the rim:


Giraffe in the Serengeti:


Lion in the Serengeti:


Leopard in the Serengeti:


Monkeys:


Baby Lion Cubs:


Hungry Hungry Hippo in Lake Manyara:


Crazy Pic of a Baby Elephant:


Water Buffalo on Guard:



Throughout our African trip, I marveled at the tremendous potential that this continent has. People from all walks of life, from the villager to the politician (we spoke to non-corrupt politicians... I think) are all working towards a brighter future. I believe they will soon have it. There is a buzz going on down there and it is inspiring to see.

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This is probably my last, perhaps second-last, blog post with school ready to start. I'm not sure what I'll do with this site. I may leave it up, undisturbed, for future generations to read and enlighten themselves. I may delete it, not wanting to expose myself to those who see some of my rants as being a bit on the offensive side. Or, I may morph this into a blog of another subject. Only time will tell.

Thanks for reading about my adventures and impressions of a road less traveled and, as a friend once said, it's been real.