Book review: How entrepreneurs make it in Africa

"How we made it in Africa," a book published in 2010 by Cape Town-based digital media company, offers an insightful look into the lives of 15 African entrepreneurs and five Singaporean counterparts. The book was commissioned by the Nanyang Technology University's Centre for African Studies and explores the growing partnership between Asia and Africa, anchored by shared values, common history, and mutual economic interests.

The narrative begins with Herve Tuyishime, a Rwandan entrepreneur who transformed his family's home into a thriving farming enterprise. Despite initial setbacks, Tuyishime's pork and sausage production venture, PMP, saw significant growth. His strategy of supplying local bars with PMP sausages proved successful, and he later established Livestock Bank to support small-scale farmers. Today, PMP's revenue has increased by over 5,000% since its inception seven years ago, with its shares valued at more than $5m.

Another featured entrepreneur, Botswanan Calisto Radithipa, began his journey in China, selling counterfeit jeans. Eventually, he shifted his focus to supplying mining materials through Kemcore. A pivotal moment came when Kemcore secured a $10m contract to supply sodium metabisulphite to DR Congo, which led Radithipa to invest in trucks and eventually establish a gypsum factory in Ndola, Zambia.

This transformation exemplifies the shift from import/export trade to local manufacturing, a trend that could be further accelerated by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).