Fortnightly Open Africa Update # 05/2011

This is a big day at Open Africa.  If you go to www.openafrica.org at the top of the home page you will see a new listing called Safari Lodge bookings, which heralds a whole new chapter in the life enriching journey story. It also heralds a new kind of partnership in sustaining that story, to the benefit of all – communities, partners, travellers and the Earth.

“Without one threatening situation or one flat tyre, with roads that my VW Polo could have survived and with sticking to a shoestring budget, I can confidently say that self-drive travel in Southern and East Africa is indeed easy, safe, affordable and most certainly life-enriching.” Those are the words of staffer Nikki Rushmere who has just returned after covering 22 000km in 103 days, visiting 23 Open Africa routes, 12 World Heritage sites, traversing nine countries. The purpose of her journey was to practice what we preach and we are delighted by her experience in encountering countless smiling faces and endless African inspiration.

Nikki adds: “Open Africa wants to get the word out there that not only is a self-drive possible and safe, but that taking time to get in touch with the real, rural Africa can change your perceptions of life, and enrich your world. We want to stimulate the self-drive travel market so that jobs in rural areas are sustained and that the custodians of Africa’s natural and cultural treasures are compensated and rewarded for sharing their riches with travellers.” Well done Nikki and welcome back.

Those who know Open Africa well will instantly recognise the name Georgie Tovell. Between 2004/7 she was a star performer who then left to have children. Now Georgie is back, not here but in the UK, where she and her husband have temporarily settled and where she is going to represent Open Africa in forging overseas partnerships.

Hundreds of customer comments are posted on the openafrica.org Website, some critical and helpful but most by far positive and uplifting. Some occasionally are exceptional, like this one, reminding us that we live in a remarkable place:

Kgalagadi and Augrabies : 2 – 9 august 2011 What a fantastic and unforgettable experience! It was even better than what I was expecting! I enjoyed Kgalagadi a lot : bushcamping in Rooiputs and Polentswa was absolutely fabulous. Polentswa was my favorite: amazing place! (I liked to have the tent under that tree, facing the plain). The sceneries were magnificent and wildlife was plentiful: lots of birds, gemsboks, springboks, giraffes…and the cats: seeing this lioness lying on the road, 2 meters from the car was absolutely brilliant! And we were so lucky to see those cheetahs and some more lions! Listening to the sound of wildlife at night, looking at the stars in the sky – priceless! It was just too short! I would love to come back there and explore more! (Polentswa 4×4 trail is waiting for me!) The end of the trip was also fabulous: Neus gorge, Quiver Tree Route and Augrabies were amazing (especially the view in Ararat!) So thanks a lot Eben for having been my guide and having made this experience unforgettable: thanks for your professionalism, your knowledge and your care! and also thanks for all the delicious meals you cooked (you’re the chef of the Bush!) 10 days Garden Route – August 2011 We didn’t know in advance what would be the next stop, where we would sleep. We didn’t take the main tar roads but took some gravel tracks. We didn’t meet many other tourists. We were just a very small group. For all those reasons I really loved and enjoyed doing this tour. For me, that was the best way to see the Garden Route! Staying next to the Breede River, stopping for some wine tasting, whale watching in Hermanus, Witsand or Plettenberg, hiking on Robberg Peninsula, visiting Cango Caves and ostrich farm, crossing countryside with beautiful canola fields, getting stuck in the sand on a 4×4 trail… so many unforgettable moments. The other reason why I really loved this trip is that it was also an unforgettable human experience …thanks to Eben (best guide ever) and thanks to Peter (aka Mad Max) my fellow traveler… such good time we share. Never to be forgotten ! HAPPY DAYS !!! – posted by Celine.

Fortnightly Open Africa Update # 04/2011

“The route we are launching today is a special destination for those interested in authentic travel experiences. The Kavango people still uphold their culture and this proud tradition is what makes this route especially interesting and attractive.” So said Sem Shikongo, Director of Tourism in Namibia in his speech at the Windhoek Tourism Expo launch of the 62^nd Open Africa route recently.

Stretching from Mpungu in the west to Divundu in the east, and incorporating Mahango and the Khaudum Game Park in the south, the Kavango Experience Route is populated by friendly people, prolific wildlife, pristine vegetation and rich cultural heritage. Sponsored by the Canada Fund, this route connects with others to cover the whole of the Caprivi Strip and from there deep into Zambia in the steady advancement northwards of the Open Africa network.

“It is kind of dreamy down there,” is how someone described the new premises to which we have relocated. Quiet and peaceful and in a wind shadow too, though every now and then a train rushes by just five or so metres away, momentarily jerking things back to reality. These features together with the space for parking and the comfortable interior (even sans furniture) make for a really nice Open Africa space, on top of which the address is Wilderness Road. We look forward over time to welcoming all our friends there – the street number is 35.

Donors rightfully expect many things from Open Africa. How many jobs have been created, what capacity building is done, what are the enterprise development parameters, are the participants representative of BEE, how many people trained, what are the sustainability statistics and so on. The core question at the centre of all this however should be how much business is Open Africa pumping into rural and marginalized areas? Everything else emanates from the answer to that and happily presently booking enquiries across openafrica.org are 46% up on last year despite the fact that tourism is going through a soft patch.

One of the loneliest jobs in the social space is that of raising money. Nobody will ever know how much sweat goes into that. Nor how deep you have to dig into your insides to compellingly explain in the fewest possible words why anyone should be interested in the cause. As Open Africa approaches the goal line we are in need of a seriously strong push right now, resulting in a new case statement of which the first page reads as follows.  Can you see or feel from this which way it is heading?

Job creation in Africa that works for everybody

 Your and my links to Africa are far more than just an airline ticket

Or that we care. Or love it for its magnificent landscapes, plentiful biodiversity, and the friendliness, hospitality and charisma of its people.

It is because even if we do not know why, something inside us recognizes this place. Recognizes that this is the birthplace of our origins. That here is where our souls feel at home.

400 million years of ancestry

That is what we share, All of us. And it started in Africa, the birthplace of humankind. Here is where our genomic journey began.

Come home

So Open Africa is inviting you for a visit. But not just an ordinary visit. Nor just to have fun. This is going to be a pilgrimage. Something that can change your life forever. And the lives of many millions of Africans too.

Documenting the autobiography of a continent

To prepare your visit Open Africa partner AEON (African Earth Observatory Network) has for 10 years been compiling the history of the destination. Divided into 20 corridors of geological events that in turn have spawned 400 nodes of present day circumstances, they are narrating how what happened over time, when and why in this house of our joint forefathers.

Which room was yours

Together with another Open Africa partner, Cape Town University’s Division of Human Genetics, we will show you which space in particular your soul recognizes in Africa.

Two-way Connectivity

Putting you back in touch with your roots and your own humanity. Reconnecting Africa with its descendants and their great accomplishments. Restoring the balance.

It is about now and the dream of a better tomorrow

About the spirit of Africa’s people, their pride, and the use of their indigenous skills; their culture, the value of their natural assets, and the use of their own resources. About liberating the renowned spirit and resilience of rural Africans through faith in their worth, building confidence, giving them strength to raise themselves through their own self-esteem.

Fortnightly Open Africa Update # 03/2011

Among several golden rules at Open Africa is one that says never write anything that doesn’t either surprise and/or inform. This is out of respect for the fact that everybody is over-communicated these days and we don’t want to waste people’s time. Hence the reason why this ‘fortnightly update’ doesn’t necessarily appear every fortnight. We are busier than we can ever remember, doing the things you expect us to do, which consequently are not out of the ordinary and therefore not especially newsworthy.

The above reason is also why the word ‘newsletter’ is banned at Open Africa.  There are simply too many of these things that seem repetitively to shout ‘look how good we are,’ which isn’t really news. So we try though may not always to succeed only to put messages out when they are genuinely relevant.

Good news right now is that enquiries year to date across openafrica.org are 25% up on last year.  This is especially noteworthy in circumstances where most reports indicate a slow down after last year’s World Cup and increases in the petrol price. This growth is the result of our marketing efforts becoming more penetrative.  Connecting rural and marginalized areas to markets is the core purpose of our mission, so the aforementioned figure is one we watch closely.

More than just speculation about retirement for me, there is action in that Rob Bloom has been appointed as a succession candidate. I do intend to withdraw from the day-to-day management of Open Africa, for there are younger more adept people than me ready to take over that role now.  But retirement of the kind normally understood by this word has never been in my contemplation.  I have always intended for my life to be thoroughly used up by the end, so will be around for as long as I am wanted to do whatever I am wanted for.

“Open Africa is putting its money where its mouth is,” says Open Africa marketer, Nicola Rushmere. Together with three others she will travel through ten Southern and East Africa countries over three months, documenting the trip along the way and visiting about a third of the existing 61 routes in the network, touching base and gathering interesting stories “The aim of The Journey is for Open Africa to practice what we preach by embarking on a cultural and wilderness experience that supports rural areas, explores the real Africa and provides a life enriching journey, both to ourselves and to the areas we visit. Rushmere adds: “Open Africa wants to get the word out there that not only is a self-drive possible and safe, but that taking time to get in touch with the real, rural Africa can change your perceptions of life, and enrich your world. We want to stimulate the self-drive travel market so that, ultimately, jobs in rural areas are sustained and that the custodians of Africa’s natural and cultural treasures are compensated and rewarded for sharing their riches with travellers.”  

Fortnightly Open Africa Update # 02/2011

Wicked problem is how some academics who have studied them describe situations where multiple stakeholders agree to subscribe to a common vision and are then expected to collaborate. The tendency in such circumstances is for initial enthusiasm to be followed over time by growing lethargy that needs constant attention to revitalize the process. We know about this and the costs it involves, as anybody dealing with development will surely also know. Now these academics have found some answers that, if they work, will help us enormously.

The root cause of wicked problems is in the assumption that when groups of people sitting around a table all nod their heads in agreement to subscribe to a common vision, they all have the same expectations as to what they will get out of such agreement. This is not so. Instead and in reality they are assessing the vision in relation to their own individual goals, and when, say, 18 months later these goals are not met specifically, their interest wanes. In other words, even though they are not consciously aware of it, their motivation is driven predominantly by self-interest. We are all prone to this. It is a natural human trait.

The solution is to ensure that each individual participant knows upfront what to expect from the initiative vis-a-vis his or her particular circumstances. Not only that, but these expectations must a) be stated and shared with the group, and b) be addressed as to the extent to which they may be met. This builds trust between the parties and ensures that nobody walks away from there imagining a different outcome to the one that is intended.

Following the above procedure takes more time and therefore money to implement, but improves the solidity of the foundation of any initiative and will significantly reduce the amount of aftercare needed to keep things on track. So over time costs are reduced whilst progression is improved.

Another benefit of the above is that it has catapulted us into the realm of drawing what are called rich pictures ie, an illustrative and easier way to clearly communicate understanding. More about that later, but meanwhile consider how little it means to tell funders we develop tourism routes as against drawing a rich picture for them that includes things like the following.

At the Kanna Biodiversity Route an ECO Creative art project and competition for schools has been organized by a route participant, Ladismith Eyes Gallery, with the idea of forming a close collaboration with the schools and enriching the learning experience for youngsters.  The project aims to raise awareness of the environment, sustainability and conservation through the creative making of artworks by re-using waste materials. Grades R to 12 are divided into four groups, each with a specific focus in terms of creative interpretation; these are ECO inspiration – ECO commentary, ECO message and ECO solution.  The schools are collecting materials that are thrown away and transforming them into creative art pieces.  The selection of works will take place at the end of the first school term and finalists and winners announced at an Eco Festival on 30 April 2011 and displayed in the Ladismith Eyes Gallery from 30 April to 7 May 2011.

On the same route ‘Land and Sand’ environmental excursions for children are being organised and facilitated by Alicatt Tours, another route participant, in collaboration with Cape Nature, WESSA and Ladismith Eyes Gallery.  Learners from grades 5 to 7 are offered opportunities to go on these hikes, following in the footsteps of the Attaqua Khoi and experiencing the three biomes of the area firsthand. This educational experience includes information about medicinal and other properties of the plants, cultural stories and legends. A donkey cart ride into Seweweekspoort offers a unique memory of the excursion.  Ladismith High School participated in the first weekend, with Dankoord Primary and Amalienstein Primary taking part later in the month.

Thus a rich picture of this route, as with any of them, would reveal much more than one imagines when you think about what Open Africa does.

Fortnightly Open Africa Update # 01/2011

 

You’ve heard about the Asian Tigers, including China of course. Also BRIC. But did you know that over the last decade no fewer than six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies were in sub-Saharan Africa? And that over the next five years economic growth in Africa will outstrip Asia? 

And from what we see much of this insofar as individuals are concerned is centred around cellular technology. It is as though Africa’s people are organizing themselves according to what they can accomplish via this little instrument and anyone thinking about the future should take that into account. We are certainly doing so at Open Africa and in SA alone six million people are accessing the Internet on their phones.

In one of several strategies in the above connection we are soliciting comments under the theme of ‘My Africa’ as to what makes people feel passionate about Africa. The list is growing and getting ever more interesting, some reading as follows . . .

‎”It feels like God visits everywhere else but lives in Africa.” – Will Smith (on his first visit to South Africa)

“We are the SUNSHINE CONTINENT – South Africa alone enjoys one of the world’s highest average daily hours of sunshine…8.5 hours! Compared with 3.8 hours in London, 6.9 hours in New York and 6.4 in Rome – the sunshine continent is definitely where you want to be this summer!”

“They say I am in Africa…the truth is, Africa is in me.”

But here is our favourite so far, a bit long but well worth reading. It is from a very special lady born in the Congo, grown up in France, recently graduated with an MBA from Oxford, and now back in Africa where she wants to make a difference – at Open Africa . . .

 “A strawberry. Not a pineapple. Not a lion. Nor a palm tree, a diamond or a sand grain. Just a juicy and colourful red strawberry. That is the picture I would draw to represent “my” Africa. A rather strange image to represent an exotic continent, you might think. In most people’s mind a strawberry is the delicate fruit you can only cultivate in Western Europe-like climate, but not in the very hot, sunny weather we have in Africa. Yet this strawberry I saw and ate in the North of Kivu few years ago remind me that Africa has many facets. And more than the fruit itself, it reminds me that Africans are courageous enough to physically mould their environment and to work for their own development, without waiting for anyone else’s help.

Yet the strawberry is not the likely image that will stick with people if they see North Kivu today, especially not in the light of the daily news we hear from the front. But for me, this strawberry is the positive image I carry of Africa. It represents all the efforts that local people can put into developing their region for a better life. I know it because I have seen it. I have seen it because I was there. Any media did not bring this image to me but it is the souvenir I have taken from this journey. Like Obama, I did not know that I needed my African inheritance to strengthen my identity, an affirmative identity that makes me proud of my roots. I truly believe that this constructive illustration will continue helping me to stand my ground in any decision I take, either in my immigrant’s journey or in my personal and professional life.

Unlike Obama, I do not want to be a President. But once my root is set in fertile ground, I will be able to allow myself to remove all obstacles to my dreams.

To conclude, earlier on this year in Parade magazine, President Barrack Obama described in an open letter to his daughters what he wants for them, as for every child in America, and that is for them to “grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach”. I want the same, for all those children, in this different continent.” – Muswagha Katya.

 

Fortnightly Open Africa Update #13/2010

Nowadays at Gondwana on the Four Deserts Route in Namibia guests are not only spoiled with delicious dinners but also a ‘Quickly Prickly’ digestive. At their self sufficiency centre, which in itself is a place worth visiting, 20 tons of prickly pears are harvested each year – far too many to turn into jam. So instead of disposing of the excess, it is distilled into 1000 litres of schnapps. How is that for the derivation of a new African product? But, as suggested by the name, caution is advised as to quantity of intake of this gargle blaster.

 

STRONGBOW (Sustainable TouRism based On Natural resource management with Gender Balance tOwards Women) is the name that has been given to a huge project in Ethiopia to promote tourism there. Led by the VU University of Amsterdam, Open Africa has been contracted as one of the consultants.

 

Linking rural communities to markets, which is what Open Africa does, is not a metric – not a measurable thing. So how big or small a deal is it? Ultra conservatively based on the data we have, we estimate that our route participants will have turned over R2b this year. Together they have the capacity at 35% occupancy to accommodate 1,804,979 people annually.

 

Which makes one wonder about the Mac Dollar. You know, where they compare prices of a McDonalds hamburger from place to place. Well, what is a rural Rand in the hand worth by comparison with an urban Rand? Our experience is that it goes much further, but it would be nice to prove that.

 

“The ‘executive in residence’ program is the best intervention I have experienced in 15 years.” My explanation of a recent such two week visit Open Africa had by Jean Claude Farah, senior vice president of Western Union. Arranged by Ashoka, this superbly competent executive gave us his undivided attention in thoroughly reviewing every aspect of our activities, from strategy, structure, and impacts through to the finest details of affectivity. Besides all the other benefits, really striking for me about this program is the positive implications of having corporates get to understand the social sector this way and vice versa. Both are vital in bringing about change that will make this a better world and from what I have seen it is far the most productive combination of these forces.

 

The Kanna Biodiversity Route, the 60th in the Open Africa network, was launched at Ladismith in the Klein Karoo last week. As happens every time the plan comes together in the culmination of this development process, one’s breath is literally taken away by what you witness in local charm, culture, and characteristics. In his opening address the ‘Stamvader’ of the Khoi, who have been resident in the area for thousands of years, said that while they welcomed the new South Africa in 1994, the reality was that here SA has been new for much longer than that. And the feel of the place and its people tell you that must be so.

 

Kannaland is also very beautiful, splenderously mountainous, blessed with water and rich soil in which much of the country’s organic food is grown. A jewel in the crown of SA’s plantlife biodiversity, next time you do the Garden Route divert this way on the return journey and surprise yourself (again) about the magnificence of Africa. This route was funded by the National Lotteries Board.

 

It would be wrong regarding the above launch not to mention a pantomime that was staged by a group of 12 little 4-5 year-old children about conservation. Explained afterwards by the elders, they said that for us older people it is too late. If we want to save humanity’s habitat it is now about the children. This wisdom from deep in the rural hinterland.

 

There are few options in rural areas to improve livelihoods and the government has recognised craft as a priority amongst them. Following this Open Africa is partnering with Womensnet and the African Craft Trust (the lead organisation) in a three year phased project to grow the businesses of rural based craft entrepreneurs on our routes. The prospect of bringing such a high level of expertise to bear is welcomed with grateful thanks to the Ford Foundation for initial funding.

 

Fortnightly Open Africa Update #12/2010

After spending 15 years and thousands of hours on a particular subject, you don’t expect to have any more ‘aha’ experiences. Wrong. A while ago in converstaion we were going over the reasons why many SMME’s fail. All agreed on the issues but in the end someone offered that the main reason had not been mentioned. What is that I asked, somewhat bemusedly. “It is because they don’t keep books of account.” The penny dropped like a ten ton stone. Of course, and we know that, but it keeps slipping through the cracks. Thank you Charles Maisel for the reminder of a root cause that should be first in line for elimination. Nor is it even a difficult one to fix.

In Africa uncharted attractions are around every corner. Recently Open Africa visited one of the lesser-known waterfalls in Zambia, to discover that this completely untouched area is perfect as a hiking attraction for the Munjili Wilderness Experience Route. The Kapamba Falls, located in the Mpika district, are hidden away in thick Miombo woodlands that require only a 4,5km hike to experience.

In northern Zambia, fifteen biodiversity monitors have started monitoring species, following training with Open Africa. One of the flagship species is the warthog, which is being threatened by bush meat trade in the area. Four additional species are being monitored – the ground hornbill, the emperor moth/caterpillar, the bushbuck and the common duiker. Partners in this initiative include the Zambian Wildlife Authority and other conservation NGOs.

A project funded by Anglo American Chairman’s Fund through Tshikululu Social Investments will see small rural entrepreneurs provide services/products to three already established Open Africa routes in Kwazulu-Natal. This will enable more people to benefit from rural tourism opportunities.

Resulting from the recent launch of the Karoo Highlands Route the Northern Cape administration has budgeted to erect route signage along not only this route but the others in that province too. This is the one thing that can do more than anything to increase business for route participants. A major step in the right direction, it is typical of what we call lateral benefits arising from developing routes. Not done by us and difficult to measure, yet highly significant.

Competitions are not our game, so we only enter them when pressed to do so. With the World Bank’s Global Environmental Fund (GEF) being one of Open Africa’s donors and the sponsor of a photo and video competition to celebrate 2010 being the International Year of Biodiversity, we decided to step up to the plate on this one. Entries were evaluated for overall impact, originality, memorable content or delivery and visual impact, and our submission on the Kasanka Bat Migration won second prize. The video (which is on openafrica.org) is now on display at the Biological Diversity Tenth Meeting of the Conference of Parties in Nagoya, Japan, helping to raise awareness for preservation of biodiversity.  Credit for the above belongs to Charl Pauw, who shot the clip, and Robin Cress, who spliced it. Both heroes in our eyes for what they continually accomplish on behalf of Open Africa network participants.

Fortnightly Open Africa Update #11/2010

From today you will see a fresh new look for Open Africa. The much-loved footprint icon has been enhanced to make it more distinguishable from the many who have copied it. Graphically more modern, it embodies the byline ‘life enriching journeys’ to reflect its core purpose – connecting routes to markets through journeys that are life enriching for travellers, for community businesses and and for the environment.

Coinciding with the above are some significant  refurbishings at www.openafrica.org that go live today – with a blog, social media, a new section on sponsor opportunities, and streamlined navigation.

Heartfelt thanks to those of you who contributed to this process. Yellowwood Future Architects, who expertly helped with the thinking and then generously translated it into design pro bono. And to Flow Communications, our long standing and big-hearted web partners.

Three new members have joined the board as Open Africa directors in the past month, bringing considerable expertise and wisdom to the table. Charmaine Groves is responsible for operations at Masisizane (part of Old Mutual), a development initiative supporting national economic transformation. Following a career in IT, banking and recently a partner at KPMG, Lehotlo Ramokgopa is MD of her own company, Evolut Consulting, where she focuses on small business and rural development, strategy and BBBEE transformation. And Thabang Skwambane, from working with Mark Shuttleworth to a successful merchant banking career, now preserves quality of life through Kaelo Consulting, a health and wellness company, and The Lonely Road Foundation.

Meanwhile in his New York Times column Thomas Friedman says the present global economic situation is like this: “things are getting better, except where they aren’t. The bailouts are working, except where they’re not. Things will slowly get better, unless they slowly get worse. We should know soon, unless we don’t.” Yes, well no and maybe, for at least we Africans are accustomed to uncertain uncertainty.

 

Route participant in the far north of Zambia, Mark Harvey, comments that he had his busiest season ever and this mainly as a result of the Open Africa website and brochure maps. The moral – just get on with it and don’t wait for the yes, no’s and maybe’s to sort themselves out.

The Karoo Highlands Route was launched on Saturday 2 October in Carnarvon to boost tourism and economic benefits to the area, as well as to enhance conservation of the endangered Riverine Rabbit, found nowhere else in the world. Many small Karoo towns are struggling economically, although the area has an abundance of tourism attractions, notably: astronomy; corbelled houses; wide open landscapes; rich history; crisp air; farmstays; and down to earth hospitality.

When Ian Player told me over a camp fire many years ago that when you go into the African bush your soul recognises that it has come home, he provided an Open Africa by-line I have used hundreds of times since in conveying that special feeling you get here and nowhere else on earth. Now Lee Berger, of prime origins fame, has provided another. He says, “Whoever you are, wherever you come from, Africa is the only place in the world where you are indigenous.”

Fortnightly Open Africa Update #10/2010

Open Africa is tightly focused on just three things – networking people with similar interests, building enterprises along the value chain that surrounds them and linking them to markets. Simple and straightforward, these are its core ambitions with just one addition, which is to accelerate the process as rapidly as possible.

So, having navigated its first 15 years, what can you expect the product of your support and involvement in this initiative to look like in 20 years time?  Here is the picture as conjured from the track record established to date . .

The present 56 traveller routes in six countries will have expanded to 176 in 15 countries, directly employing more than 100 000 people in rural areas.

Through the economic platforms created by these routes, peripheral enterprises utilising the feedback chain will have been developed at a rate (on average) of four per route ie, another 704 small businesses added to the 5280 participant businesses in the network (at this stage insufficiently robust data exist upon which to estimate how many incremental jobs this will mean).

The peripheral enterprises will be in fruit and vegetable growing; honey production; chicken and egg supplies; bakeries; bicycle hiring; and tour guiding.

At least 60% of the routes will be monitoring a flagship species in the interests of entrenching a resource protection culture throughout the network.  This means 106 species will be the focus of conservation by local inhabitants.

A project presently under wraps pending the tying up some strings and in which Open Africa is the catalyst will set the stage for Africa to become the global knowledge centre in the field of genomics. The purpose of this is to highlight the continent’s unique position as the birthplace of humankind and leverage it to hilt from a marketing standpoint.

From being nearly 100% donor dependent presently, Open Africa will have developed revenue streams with the ultimate goal of being self-sufficient. Plans to achieve this include earning commission on airline and car rental bookings (partly installed already); creating a commissionable credit card payment facility on behalf or route participants; selling preferred supplier advertising on the website; providing a consulting service to the mining industry; providing a help-line call centre both for participants and travellers; outdoor merchandise sales across the website; and selling satellite tracking equipment that lists all the route participants.

Further affects of the contents of this picture, what we call lateral benefits and which are very difficult to measure, can best be described as a reversal of the tendency for rural areas to be looked upon as disadvantaged, poor, remote and unfortunate. This is already beginning to happen.  Many small towns and villages are rediscovering their heritage, sprucing up and sourcing characteristics that make them proud.  In other words, making a living out of being who they are with what they have got.

Open Africa is tightly focused on just three things – networking people with similar interests, building enterprises along the value chain that surrounds them and linking them to markets. Simple and straightforward, these are its core ambitions with just one addition, which is to accelerate the process as rapidly as possible.
So, having navigated its first 15 years, what can you expect the product of your support and involvement in this initiative to look like in 20 years time? Here is the picture as conjured from the track record established to date . .
The present 56 traveller routes in six countries will have expanded to 176 in 15 countries, directly employing more than 100 000 people in rural areas.
Through the economic platforms created by these routes, peripheral enterprises utilising the feedback chain will have been developed at a rate (on average) of four per route ie, another 704 small businesses added to the 5280 participant businesses in the network (at this stage insufficiently robust data exist upon which to estimate how many incremental jobs this will mean).
The peripheral enterprises will be in fruit and vegetable growing; honey production; chicken and egg supplies; bakeries; bicycle hiring; and tour guiding.
At least 60% of the routes will be monitoring a flagship species in the interests of entrenching a resource protection culture throughout the network. This means 106 species will be the focus of conservation by local inhabitants.
A project presently under wraps pending the tying up some strings and in which Open Africa is the catalyst will set the stage for Africa to become the global knowledge centre in the field of genomics. The purpose of this is to highlight the continent’s unique position as the birthplace of humankind and leverage it to hilt from a marketing standpoint.
From being nearly 100% donor dependent presently, Open Africa will have developed revenue streams with the ultimate goal of being self-sufficient. Plans to achieve this include earning commission on airline and car rental bookings (partly installed already); creating a commissionable credit card payment facility on behalf or route participants; selling preferred supplier advertising on the website; providing a consulting service to the mining industry; providing a help-line call centre both for participants and travellers; outdoor merchandise sales across the website; and selling satellite tracking equipment that lists all the route participants.
Further affects of the contents of this picture, what we call lateral benefits and which are very difficult to measure, can best be described as a reversal of the tendency for rural areas to be looked upon as disadvantaged, poor, remote and unfortunate. This is already beginning to happen. Many small towns and villages are rediscovering their heritage, sprucing up and sourcing characteristics that make them proud. In other words, making a living out of being who they are with what they have got.

Fortnightly Open Africa Update #9/2010

As a rule governance matters aren’t featured in these updates, but the appointment of YUMNAA FIRFIREY to Open Africa’s board is of relevance to our constituents too. A Rhodes Scholar with an impressive track record in tourism and conservation, she is Managing Director of Towards Uhuru Consulting, which conducts research on corporate social investment aimed at helping the private sector to contribute more effectively toward attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. We all share a deep interest in this subject and Yumnaa brings much welcome expertise (and charm) to the subject.

Asked to speak at and therefore allowed the privilege of attending the recent Fortune/Time/CNN Global Forum in Cape Town, it struck me that of all the legacies of the World Cup and of that forum there is one in particular that I wish could be conveyed to the ears of every youngster on this continent. It came in the form of words by Archbishop Tutu in addressing two girls and a boy chosen as leaders of the future by Nelson Mandela’s Group of Elders. Passing on advice to them from his own experience, he said, “Don’t ever . . . (followed by a long pause for emphasis) believe that God made a mistake by arranging for you to be born African.”

My subject at the above was the economy of wildlife, in which I made a comparison among other things between Scotland and Africa. Scotland covers 79 000km2 against Africa’s 30,2m – 380 times bigger. Scotland is beautiful but not really known for wildlife in abundance, yet it is positioning itself as Europe’s premier wildlife destination. Africa on the other hand is custodian of most of the world’s animal and plant species. In Scotland the annual worth of wildlife tourism accurately calculated and excluding other tourism is $96m. Multiplied out, which I agree is not a valid proposition but does illustrate the point, the same expenditure in Africa would be worth $36 000m.

Though and as expected the astonishing success of the World Cup did not have immediate benefits for Open Africa participants, most of them being rural rather than urban located, in the longer term they may yet be the greatest beneficiaries. The impacts of reports like this one by Shari Cohen of the Huffington Post will echo down the line for years to come: “I am a cynic, no doubt about that. And yet I have to admit, I’m a little teary just writing this because I leave for home next weekend and I will be leaving a little piece of myself here in South Africa. I just hope I have learned enough to bring back a little piece of Ubuntu to my homeland, where perhaps with a little caring and a little water, it will take root as naturally as it does here, in the cradle of civilization . . . When I think of Ubuntu and my recent experiences here, I think America has much to learn from Africa in general, in terms of living as a larger village; and as human beings who are all interconnected with each other, each of us having an affect on our brothers and sisters.”

Despite the urban swing the enquiry figures on openafrica.org are 12% up on last year. By the quarter mark for the year they were up 29% however, which shows how strong the trend was for people to flock to the cities where matches were held.

With 56 routes developed and eight in the pipeline more attention is being given now to using the economic platforms thus established to enterprise development on the periphery of these routes. Vegetables, chicken farming, honey production, laundry services plus seven more opportunities contextual to traveller needs have been identified as having potential for exploitation among residents located near routes.