It started as an ambitious idea. Now, we are a global movement.
Our Story
In spring 2020, Mansah Africa launched its series of online training and networking events connecting young changemakers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders in Africa and the diaspora. The timing was perfect. People were forced to stay at home due to the pandemic, so more people from both continents were able to attend. However, it wasn’t just a matter of luck.
Many dots had to be connected well before the events began in order to bring the Mansah Africa concept to life. To understand how Mansah Africa started, you have to go back to the time when the whole world was plunged into lockdown due to covid-19. the African economy was undergoing chaos, the players had less experienced solutions, strong companies saw their turnover decline and the less experienced went bankrupt – the African Union Commission and the Economic Commission of Africa were concerned with supporting the economy and above all to prepare for possible future crises in the continent have decided to bring with the support of the African Development Bank and the World Bank two main donors and advisors the program “AFRICAN LEADERS OF TOMORROW”
“Mansah-Africa was not initially intended to become ‘the biggest or the best’. The goal was simply to inspire more ambitious young people to challenge the status quo within the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” explains Makhtar Diop. Most young people were more interested in joining big companies than starting their own businesses. Mansah-Africa wanted to change that.
In 2023 the “AFRICAN LEADERS OF TOMORROW” program decides to facilitate access to its financing for African entrepreneurs but needs to be reassured of the adequate knowledge that project leaders possess, the program, therefore, asks all young people wishing to obtain its financing to continue the MANSAH-AFRICA program and to pass its certification to obtain the necessary knowledge to face current and future challenges, this becomes the only condition to see its project financed because according to the actors, the Mansah-Africa certification is in agreement with the program
The Triple E: education, entrepreneurship and entertainment
Entrepreneurship has been established as a core stream of Mansah Africa because it doesn’t matter if you have the best ideas in the world if you don’t do something to make those ideas come to fruition in the real world it won’t do any good. Mansah Africa believes in the need and value of extending the entrepreneurial spirit outside the realms of startups and into organizations, governments and universities.
Mansah Africa views high-quality education as the foundation for building and sustaining strong societies. This is why another of the three components of Mansah Africa is education.
“The best education system is the one that does not kill creativity and initiative. Children are seen as people, not inferior adults. It’s not a question of age, it’s a question of attitude,” says Vesterbacka. Finland, for example, has a small population compared to most African countries, but even countries like Mozambique or Cameroon, with a population of 20 to 30 million, remain the most important resource, “All the world deserves a high-level education. It is no coincidence that Finland has been ranked as the happiest nation in the world. Happiness and education go hand in hand,” he says.
Finally, entertainment can be used to enable lessons learned from entrepreneurship and education to engage and inspire massive audiences. Today, everyone is fighting for time and attention. For example, by merging the expertise of teachers and game designers, new learning experiences can emerge that can spark greater engagement and focus on learning among young people, all in a spirit of fun .
Keeping up with Africa
Across the areas of entrepreneurship, education and entertainment, the program aims to be at the forefront of showcasing and celebrating the uniqueness of Africa on a global platform across all sectors – commerce, fashion, design, etc.
Africa is experiencing a fourth industrial revolution. This means it is easier for them to go straight to 5G compared to many Western countries. Mobile is an important part of development and there are many opportunities when you create products that are relevant in the African context. Today, six of the ten most dynamic economies are in Africa
