First Ooqoo Meeting in London

The First Ooqoo Meeting of the Viadeo Africa hub is scheduled for Saturday 15 August 2009 from 1PM to 4PM in an afro caribbean restaurant in London.

Aims: to maximize the Ooqoo network by going from virtual to reality in order to identify possible synergies between participants.

We are looking for people / companies / NGOs wishing to present their activities/projects in an exposé.

The program of this meeting is as follows:
- Greetings - Round Table - Presentation (0.5 H)
- Speed Networking(1H)
- 4 exposes and debates (1H)
- Presentation of Viadeo Africa's projects (0.5 H)
- End of meeting

To register as a regular participant, or an exhibitor, please contact Francis (francis@ooqoo.org)

Hurry up because the number of exhibitors is limited to a maximum of 4. The configuration is the following: 2/5 NGOs and 3/5 Business

Phila Thikazi [2/2]

Image via Wikipedia

REJECTIONS

But the 49-year-old had a burning desire to succeed and persevered despite the constant rejections. Phila continued to knock on doors and word quickly spread about his car valeting service. Eventually, he landed a money making contract at Luton Airport.

“One day when I was knocking I came across a certain gentleman who I never knew, and he asked me if I was a big company. I said I was, and he said that he was looking for a huge valeting company so that they can give them a contract to wash people’s cars whilst they were on holiday,” he said.

Success came at a rapid rate. Phila now employs 10 people and valets 1,500 cars each month around the UK. Last year, his business turned over a profit of £120,000. “I am excited and very proud of what I have achieved,” he said. With a successful business and a six-figure salary, Phila decided to write a book, You live in Great Britain: why are you broke?, telling others how they too can be successful.

“There are so many other people out there who are struggling like I was. I am interested in personal development and it made me realise that I don’t need to work for anyone in life,” he explained.

POSITIVE

Phila believes that people who are poor in Britain choose to be, and he hopes the book will inspire people to take control of their future through positive thinking. “I want people to know that it doesn’t matter where you come from. Your background has nothing to do with what you want to achieve in life. After this recession, the brilliant thinkers will be so rich that it would seem that they weren’t affected by this recession, but poor thinkers will come out worse off,” he said. Despite running a successful business, motivational speaking is Phila’s real passion. He has set up a mentoring company called Positive

Impressions Coaching Academy. Phila believes he can help participants make £100,000 in a year. “You can make a fortune, and in my academy I tell people that you can make £100,000 in 12 months instead of settling for £20,000, because I have done that.

“The coaching is about upgrading your mind and not listening to the voices that are coming from outside. Just listen to the positive voice within,” he said.

Phila shares the fruits of his success with his proud family. Both of his sisters died of Aids – in 2007 and 2008 – and he helps to financially support their children.

EDUCATION

“My sisters left behind a total of six kids and in African culture we look after one another, so my sisters’ kids become my kids. The money goes towards their education and I have ended up helping 25 children go to school,” he explained. Despite the economic downturn, Phila is determined to achieve his goal of becoming a millionaire by his 50th birthday next year. “I want to concentrate on my coaching academy, where people can learn a lot and move on with their lives, because that is my passion,” he said. For more information visit Whyareyoubroke.com and www.thesuccesscoach.ws

Phila Thikazi [1/2]

A dream for Phila

 

BY Maxine Myers

How a South African migrant to the UK went from car washer to six-figure money making mentor

SEVEN YEARS ago Phila Thikazi left his native South Africa with dreams of a better life in England.

With a strong economy and currency, he believed the streets of Britain were paved with gold. However, he was soon disappointed. Phila found himself working menial jobs making less than £11,000 a year.

“I came over here to better myself financially because I thought the UK represented one of the richest nations in the world. So in my mind I thought if I could get there I can have a better life,” he explained. But working long hours at two jobs and taking home just £350 a week, Phila soon became frustrated, especially as he had made a promise to his mother when she died that he would make something of himself.

TEMPTATION

“I cried when it dawned on me that I was not only behind with my bills but also behind on the many promises I had made to my immediate and extended family. The reality was that I was deep in poverty and people couldn’t understand it,” he said. At times Phila was tempted to return home after realising his dream of making a fortune was slipping away from him.

But he decided to stay and change his situation.

“I said to myself ‘now that I’m here I think I am making a mistake. Like everyone else I am looking for jobs instead of looking for opportunities,’” he said.

It was while he was reading billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson’s book about how he became rich that Phila realised he could be as successful.

“There was one statement from that book when a reporter asked him [Richard Branson] ‘How do I become a millionaire?’ and he said, ‘It’s easy to be a millionaire these days, stop everyone and ask them for £5,’” Phila said. He believed that if he offered a service instead of asking people for money, he could be on his way to riches.

However, with no start-up capital he found himself struggling to come up with a business he could launch. Then, while at his local supermarket in Luton, a man who wanted to wash his car approached him. Phila realised that car washing could be a successful business and asked the man to teach him the ropes.

Once equipped with the relevant skills, Phila had £1.50 available to him and bought himself a bucket, sponges and washing up liquid. But he faced difficulty.

“I got so many ‘No’s on that first day I ended up washing only one car, after knocking on 50 doors. There was so much discouragement I was unwilling to go back to knocking the next day. I hated being rejected by so many people,” he said.

Saoti Finance on line

Saoti Finance is a consulting firm dedicated to serving the needs of the markets of sub-Sahara Africa, especially West and Central Africa.

We are energized by the belief that, for Africa's businesses and entrepreneurs, the winds have hardly ever been more favorable than today. This is the time to dare, go for growth and productivity gains and compete in regional or global markets.

We are confident that, in Africa as elsewhere in the world, the tools and disciplines of finance -appropriately used- bring a fundamental contribution to the controlled growth of economic activities. We command a thorough understanding of these tools and disciplines, just as we do of the markets we operate in.

Saoti Finance puts its financial skills to work for industrial companies, financial institutions and private equity investors active on the continent.

In doing so, we expand the scope of possibilities in Africa.

Contact :

• Saoti Finance
• 17, Square Edouard VII
• 75009 Paris (France)
• Phone : (+33)1 53 43 50 61
• Fax : (+33)1 53 43 92 92
• E-mail : isabelle.imbert(at)saotifinance.com

Sebastien Negy | Insurance Broker, Tanzania

What is the secret of success in business? During Africa Economy week, BBC News asked entrepreneurs across the continent to give us their “top tips”. (Source IT News)

SEBASTIEN NEGY, INSURANCE BROKER, TANZANIA

Set goals and go after them.

Value your customers - deliver what you promise.

Have confidence and believe in yourself. I always go for what people think is not possible.

Courtesy By BBC NEWS

Dinah Binah | Florist, Tanzania

What is the secret of success in business? During Africa Economy week, BBC News asked entrepreneurs across the continent to give us their “top tips”. (Source IT News)

DINAH BINAH, FLORIST, TANZANIA

You have to network, network, network.

Families, friends, classmates, schoolmates, the people you met in church neighbours - they are all your prospective customers.

Stani Muke | Graphic Designer & Animator, Dr Congo

What is the secret of success in business? During Africa Economy week, BBC News asked entrepreneurs across the continent to give us their “top tips”. (Source IT News)

STANI MUKE, GRAPHIC DESIGNER & ANIMATOR, DR CONGO

 

Stani Muke, Graphic Designer, DR Congo

Stani Muke set up a successful graphic animations company in DR Congo

You need lots of patience and nerves of steel.

When you’re setting up a business in virgin territory, you are on your own.

Six years ago I set up a small company, producing TV, radio and graphic design for the local market.

We needed the help of the government and private sector.

It hasn’t happened yet. There are no structures in place to support local productions.

I feel discouraged. But at the same time I understand the country is in transition. Maybe soon we will reach that point.

Gaulphine Nyirenda | Bookseller, Malawi

What is the secret of success in business? During Africa Economy week, BBC News asked entrepreneurs across the continent to give us their “top tips”. (Source IT News)

GAULPHINE NYIRENDA, BOOKSELLER, MALAWI

My secret is hard work.

Being honest with my customers, telling them the truth, honouring my bills, and knowing what is the customer’s need in the area.

Now, I not only run a book shop, I also supply women’s book clubs, and I’m an agent for major UK academic publishing houses.

Elise Bates-Williams, Hair stylist, Nigeria

What is the secret of success in business? During Africa Economy week, BBC News asked entrepreneurs across the continent to give us their “top tips”. (Source IT News)

ELISE BATES-WILLIAMS, HAIR STYLIST, NIGERIA

You don’t need to save a huge amount before you start your business.

You can begin working from your house, or even under a tree.

We started with a small amount - buying two or three dryers, chairs and other equipment a customer might need.

Anybody who came, we gave them good hair.

Then, by managing well, we have grown bigger.

Sylvie Banda | Restauranteur, Zambia

What is the secret of success in business? During Africa Economy week, BBC News asked entrepreneurs across the continent to give us their “top tips”. (Source IT News)

SYLVIA BANDA, RESTAURANTEUR, ZAMBIA

 

Sylvia Banda, Zambia

Sylvia Banda’s first restaurant had no tables. She now owns 16 eateries.

My advice - persevere.

I remember very well the first day I opened my restaurant.

I did not have any chairs. I did not have any tables.

My customers had to eat in a standing position. I told them - you’re going to have a “standing buffet”.

They laughed and continued eating, and that’s how my catering business was born.

Today, we have 16 eating places in Lusaka and we have opened a college training students in hospitality.

It is important to say to yourself - I am as good as the other person. If that person can do it, then so can I.

Francis Oghuma | Entertainment Promoter, nigeria

What is the secret of success in business? During Africa Economy week, BBC News asked entrepreneurs across the continent to give us their “top tips”. (Source IT News)
 

FRANCIS OGHUMA, ENTERTAINMENT PROMOTER, NIGERIA

Nigeria is driven by nepotism. But you have to hang in there.

When you have the right product and you wait long enough, the rainy day will come.

Also, putting in the street style works well for me. Formal training can help. But businesses are driven by passion and innovation. Even if I’d been to the best business schools, my business would still be driven by my goals.

Libya's wireless web access leap

Libya's wireless web access leap (Source: BBC News)

WiMax does not rely on sometimes poor conventional wire infrastructure

Libya's only internet service provider is launching its first commercial wireless network which it says is one of the most advanced in the world. The state-owned firm said only a handful of countries have rolled out the advanced internet connection known as WiMax on such a wide scale.

Libya Telecom and Technology aims to start with WiMax coverage, including a mobile feature, in 18 cities. Africa is seen as a potentially huge market for WiMax technology.

The network is meant to be cost effective in the long run and does not depend on often poor conventional wire infrastructure. Anyone with a simple USB device which can be plugged into a laptop can connect to the internet within 50km (30 miles) of any WiMax tower.

The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says six years ago most Libyans depended on internet cafes to connect to the web, but technology has moved a long way since then. The new WiMax network, which has a capacity for 300,000 subscribers, will begin taking on business clients from next week and individual customers the week after.

Massive pressure

Our correspondent adds that other African countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria also have WiMax networks, but their coverage is more fixed and limited. There are an estimated 51,000 broadband subscribers in Libya and some 170,000 still depend on the much slower dial-up internet.

Both of these connections need a fixed phone-line, a service that has come under massive pressure in recent years because the available infrastructure is outdated and limited in coverage. As well as rural areas cut off from modern technology, new housing - even in the capital Tripoli - is being built in areas with poor land-line infrastructure, says our correspondent.

The WiMax network is meant to do away with all these hurdles and bridge the digital divide, making the internet available to people across the country. Libya Telecom and Technology said the new service would cost $30 (£21) per month - twice the existing cost of broadband - although prices are expected to drop in the long-run.

But our correspondent says it will be difficult for the average Libyan to afford the initial cost of the new WiMax service. It requires a one-year advance payment of around $400 (£290), including the cost of a USB device.

Entrepreneur: Nadine Harding / Curl Harmony

Hair care harmony: How to keep your curls in harmony

Olivia Benson (Manchester Evening News)

AFTER years of `going straight' with her hairstyle, Nadine Harding decided it was time to stop damaging her locks. However, following a fruitless search for products to keep her curls in top condition, she decided to launch her own hair care range.

Nadine, a former chemist who studied at the University of Manchester, has set up Curl Harmony, which sells products that are handmade from natural ingredients and are designed specifically for Afro-Caribbean hair.

Twenty-seven-year-old Nadine established her Manchester-based business after being made redundant from her job at a scientific instrument manufacturer. She says: "I thought of the idea after looking for natural products to use on my hair. I'd been straightening it for many years using relaxing treatments which contain a number of chemicals and, as a result, my hair had become very dry and brittle.

"When I failed to find suitable products for Afro- Caribbean hair, I decided to have a go myself." With a £5,000 bank loan, Nadine set up a laboratory in her spare room and set to work sourcing the ingredients and making the hair care products.

Natural

The Curl Harmony range includes conditioners, shampoos, oils, clays and styling products which contain ingredients such as coconut oil, jojoba oil and shea butter. They retail from £7.50 to £14 and are sold through Nadine's website (curl harmony.co.uk), wholesalers and other internet outlets that sell natural beauty products.

Nadine says that Curl Harmony products are the only ones that contain natural ingredients, are handmade in the UK and are aimed at the Afro- Caribbean market. She says: "There are a number of specialist stores that sell chemical-free products but these are predominately imported from America, where they are very popular.

"There are also many products in the UK market that are aimed at Afro-Caribbean hair, but these contain chemicals. I believe that Curl Harmony products fill a gap in the UK market."

Nadine says the business is set to generate turnover around £16,000 in its first year, and already she is making a profit. She hopes her products will one day grace the shelves of mainstream retailers.

One Laptop per Child : Zimi's Story FULL

One Laptop per Child : Zimi's Story FULL
Uploaded by olpcfoundation

Mads Kjaer, Founder and CEO of MyC4

10 questions to O. Couturier / African Secure Invest Ltd

• Your name: Olivier Couturier
• Your company name: African Secure Invest Ltd
• Where are you based: London/Brussels
• Your line of business/services provided: Investment Promotion
• What/who would be your ideal contact in business: Hedge funds
• Your hobbies/interest: African Development
• Which person do you admire the most and why: Mandela, he struggled for his ideas, won and did not betrayed his spirit once being President.
• Describe your ideal day out: Meet as many people as I can, and sign as many contract as possible
• Your most embarrassing moment: Well... it's too embarrassing to talk about it on the net;
• Your epitaph: He was hell of a good man.

Partnership To Support Entrepreneurs in Africa

PRIORITY AFRICA - Gender Equality

PRIORITY AFRICA - Gender Equality - Awesome video clips here

PRIORITY AFRICA - Climate Change

PRIORITY AFRICA - Climate Change - More amazing videos are a click away

Kanya King / MOBO

Kanya: I did cleaning jobs – MOBO chief on her struggle to make it

THE MOBO Awards might be a global brand now, but 13 years ago' it began life in a messy bedroom in Kilburn, north London – Source: Lester Holloway - NewNation

Kanya King, the youngest of nine children, came up with the idea of an award ceremony that would take black music to the masses.
She had just persuaded Carlton TV to screen her event, but the broadcaster put very little money into it. It was now up to this young single mum to raise the money and make it happen. And so the glamorous annual event was born. King's telephone manner gave the impression she had smart corporate offices, but the reality was very different. Often she was sitting in her bedroom in her PJ's.

But operating the business was nothing compared to the challenge of raising enough money to bring her vision to reality. King began by re-mortgaging her house. But that was not enough; she needed to find a lot more money, fast. 'It was a massive struggle at first: she said. 'I took on many jobs. I worked night and day; cleaning, promotional work, anything. I've done everything:

Those who have met King know a friendly, approachable, very normal and attractive woman. But when the opportunity came along to make her dream happen in the mid-1990s, King displayed a steely determination to grab her dream. In an era before MTV Base, 1Xtra or Channel U, her bank manager didn't know her house was being staked on an event aimed at honouring black music. For a young woman who had left school at 16 without any qualifications, she was gambling on her vision working.

There had been black music awards before but they were targeted specifically at the community and were bedeviled by bad organisation. King believed in the music she loved and was confident that high production values and professionalism would take the whole genre forward. She said: “I was surrounded by musicians that didn't have anywhere to perform. I didn't intend to go into the music business. I was talking about the need for someone else to promote it, but in the end I had to do it myself”.

The MOBO Awards grew rapidly and soon moved from the Connaught Rooms to the Royal Albert Hall, and' then to the Dome. Last year the event I was broadcast in 57 countries to a 250 million audience. On 15 October this year MOBO will move to Wembley Arena and once again promises to be one of the most star-studded glitzy events of the year. MOBO remains hugely popular because It keeps reinventing itself to remain relevant and continues to spread its' wings in many directions, not least Africa.

But the big project this year is to boost the Be-MOBO award, which celebrates heroes who work selflessly to improve their community. The award was won last year by Decima Francis of the Boyhood II Manhood Foundation. King has been keen to promote this, as well as moving MOBO in the direction of supporting arid offering practical advice to aspiring artists in areas like marketing themselves and royalty rights to get paid.

It has also become more democratic, with a new black music panel deciding the categories. King is also aware of the new age of the internet, where artists can blow up without the support of big record companies. King describes the awards as her “calling” and predicts there are more exciting times ahead. If that wasn't enough, the MOBO's will begin with a children's talent show this year. King, who was awarded an MBE, also credits her Irish mother Mary, who died earlier this year, as a key source of inspiration. So to was her father; Christian, a Ghanaian from a poor village who died when she was 13. “He came here with huge ideals and ambitions and wasn't able to achieve them. In many ways I feel I'm carrying that mantle; I'm carrying the torch for him?”

No doubt their spirits still swell with pride as they look from above at what their daughter has created out of nothing. Just a dream and good helpings of passion, energy, chutzpah and good humour.