If you’ve ever been a middle manager or worked closely with one, you’ll know this to be true: middle managers do the hardest job in an organisation. They sit in the squeeze zone, caught between the strategic, high-level thinking of senior leaders and the unpredictable, often messy reality of the frontline. They’re the translators, the glue, the shield, and the spark all at once. And most of the time, they’re doing this without enough training, recognition, or support. That’s why we’ve created a free Manager’s Capability Checklist  to help you assess whether your middle managers have the right skills, mindsets, and support to thrive. A recent survey  conducted by The Predictive Index and HR Dive's studioID found that 70% of middle managers would be willing to give up their managerial roles to become individual contributors if they could keep their current salaries. Let’s talk about what makes this role so challenging and critical, and what it really takes to lead from the middle. People Don’t Want to be Managed, They Want to be Led Here’s the uncomfortable truth: people don’t want to be managed. They want to be led. You can manage a project. A budget. A set of OKRs. But people? That’s a different ball game. People want inspiration. Clarity. They want to feel like their work matters, that they’re growing, that someone sees and values them. And yet, in so many organisations, someone excels at their technical role, maybe they’re a brilliant engineer, a sharp analyst, a natural salesperson, and what happens? They get promoted. Suddenly, they’re a manager, but no one has taught them how to lead. It’s like taking your star striker and telling them they’re coaching the team now. Same field. Totally different skillset. That’s why we created the  Changing Gears programme  at the African Management Institute (AMI). It’s designed for exactly this transition, from individual contributor to first-time manager. We help new managers build the habits, mindsets, and confidence needed to lead people well, right from the start. Because leadership isn’t a personality trait, it’s a skill. And like any skill, it can and must be learned. Middle Managers Need More Than a Promotion Middle managers live in the grey zone. Senior leaders set the strategy. Frontline teams face the customers, the production lines, and the operational fires. And in the middle? That’s where translation, negotiation, and execution happen. Middle managers are the ones who: Turn broad vision into concrete action plans Handle the push and pull of what’s possible versus what’s expected Keep morale up while driving performance Build culture on the ground Advocate upward, while holding the line downward They deal with complexity, ambiguity, and pressure from every direction. And yet, they’re often the least equipped, the least supported, and the least recognised. This is the gap AMI’s Management Development Programme (MDP)  was designed to fill. Built for experienced managers, the MDP offers tools for leading through uncertainty, managing up and down, and building teams that thrive . It’s practical, contextual, and battle-tested in workplaces across Africa. Leadership vs. Management Let’s clear something up. Management is about process. Control. Outputs. Leadership is about people. Influence. Growth. You can’t manage your way to a high-performing team; you have to lead them there. Great middle managers are fluent in both. They manage complexity, yes. But they lead with clarity and compassion. They understand that leadership isn’t about power, it’s about purpose. The best leaders don’t see themselves as the smartest person in the room. They see themselves as facilitators. Enablers. Builders of other people’s potential. That takes humility. And humility is often misunderstood. It’s not weakness. It’s not being unsure of yourself. It’s having the confidence to say, “I don’t know,” or “I need help,” or “You were right.” It’s being willing to grow in public. Think of the best leaders you’ve worked with. Chances are, they didn’t always have the right answers. But they asked the right questions. They listened deeply. They gave credit. They stayed curious. They didn’t try to be heroes. They were guides. That’s the tightrope walk middle managers do every day. And when they do it well, it changes everything. How Can Middle Managers Lead Better? In order to be their best, middle managers need plenty of support and empowerment, and research points to a few ways to make that happen. From building trust to breaking down hierarchies, here are five practical ways to lead more effectively from the middle. You can also use our Free Manager's Capability Checklist  to pinpoint strengths and growth areas in your team. 1. Build Psychological Safety, Or Nothing Else Works You can have the smartest strategy in the room. But if your team doesn’t feel safe, it won’t matter. Psychological safety is the foundation of any high-performing team. It’s what lets people: Speak up with ideas Admit mistakes Challenge assumptions Ask for help All without fear of judgment, punishment, or being ignored. As a middle manager, you set the tone. If you show vulnerability, such as owning a misstep, admitting “I don’t know,” and giving credit freely, your team will follow. And here’s the twist: it doesn’t make you look weak. It makes you trustworthy. People don’t expect perfection. They expect honesty. Humanity. And when they get that, they give you their best. 2. Ask Better Questions You don’t need all the answers. You need better questions. Effective managers know how to create space for thinking and dialogue. They ask things like: “What’s getting in your way?” “What do you need from me right now?” “If we weren’t afraid to fail, what would we try?” The goal isn’t to jump in with fixes; it’s to open up conversation and help your team reflect, grow, and problem-solve. Simon Sinek puts it simply, “I don’t expect my team to bring the right answers. I expect them to bring thoughtful ones.” That’s leadership. 3. Get a Leadership Buddy One of the most underrated growth tools? A leadership buddy. Someone you can talk to after a tough meeting. Someone who helps you reflect, keeps you grounded, and holds up a mirror to your growth. At AMI, we embed buddy systems into our programmes  because we’ve seen it work. Leaders grow faster when they’re not alone. You need someone who gets it. Someone you can message with, “That didn’t land. What could I have done differently?” Leadership isn’t a solo act. 4. Break the Hierarchy Middle managers often have to walk a fine line leading a team while also reporting upward. But here’s the key: to lead well, you need to make space for challenge, not just compliance. That means: Sharing your own learning journey Asking for feedback and thanking people for it Admitting what you don’t know Celebrating mistakes that lead to growth “My 360 feedback ratings have increased when we conduct feedback sessions with my team. I have been able to introduce better motivation and incentive schemes in my business unit as a result of getting input from my team members, which has had a direct impact on our overall performance.” - Carrington Otiebo, Online Sales Director When you break the hierarchy, you open the door to true collaboration. You build a culture where people think independently, speak honestly, and innovate freely. Because if your team is afraid of you, they won’t challenge you. And if they won’t challenge you, your strategy stays shallow. 5. Treat Leadership Like a Craft You wouldn’t expect someone to master a musical instrument without lessons, feedback, and practice. Leadership is no different. It’s complex, emotional, often invisible, and always evolving. But it’s also one of the most meaningful things you’ll ever do. So if you’re in the thick of it, leading, translating, juggling, know this: your role matters more than you know. And you don’t have to figure it all out alone. How Middle Managers Can Lead Teams Effectively from the Middle Conclusion Middle management isn’t a stepping stone. It’s a craft in its own right, one that shapes culture, drives execution, and unlocks potential across your organisation. But it’s also one of the most demanding roles in business today. Managers can’t thrive on pressure alone. They need support. Practical tools. A space to grow. That’s why we built AMI’s workplace learning programmes for the leaders in the middle who are doing the heavy lifting, and deserve better scaffolding to do it well. If you're ready to empower your managers to lead with confidence, clarity, and impact, let’s talk. Ready to support your managers? Download the free Manager's Capability Checklist  to assess whether your managers are equipped to lead, and discover practical next steps for growth. Please fill your details below to access the AMI Manager's Checklist Tool for FREE

To grow or not to grow is a key question facing founders once their business is off the ground. Noah (not his real name), a very enthusiastic and clearly effective entrepreneur in Kenya, just loves to sell. He wakes up fully energized by the idea of getting out there and offering customers great deals. He is enterprising and keeps three different little businesses going. Balancing Growth and Focus The decision to grow or not to grow is a complex one for founders. Growth can provide access to better supplier rates and resources, but it also increases vulnerability to staff turnover and competition.  Noah has great plans to employ staff, grow a franchise network, and expand. The danger, of course, is that as he grows he will have to spend more and more time recruiting and managing staff, installing systems to prevent them from defrauding him, and looking after the growing burden of administration and regulation. This could leave him with no time to indulge his passion to sell. So either he has to be very smart in delegating all that other stuff to people he trusts and can train, or give up the ambition to grow and rather just enjoy life selling on his own. But being small is limiting. Noah needs capital to secure his suppliers at favourable rates. Small companies are more vulnerable to losing key staff. Noah may invest time in training a bright young recruit with a view to then being able to spend his own time interacting with clients, only to have this person gratefully leave to launch his own competing business, taking his customers with him.  Keeping ahead of the competition that will follow any success can require further investment, especially in talent.  The Risk of Scaling Too Fast If Noah’s company does reach medium size and he wants to grow further, he may find himself subject to conflicting incentives. Investors are incentivized to generate the highest return possible from their portfolio. If one of their companies can hit unicorn status, that covers several who fail on the way. So they may incentivize founders to aim for reckless growth.  Founders are then faced with accepting this risk to attract the capital, or resisting the lure of fabulous returns in order to protect their prized creation and more modest livelihood. Employees will almost certainly be on the side of less risk, to preserve their jobs. So founders looking for ambitious growth without too much risk should be very careful to find investors who share their values and their view on long-term sustainability. It may be worth settling for a lower valuation to avoid unreasonable ambition killing the business. The Management Challenge The implications for the founder’s management team are both exciting and daunting. Significant growth also brings a need for new managerial skills . The excellence that brought them so far may not be enough to take them further. The bigger company will require a wider perspective on business strategy and the ability to identify and install systems and processes. To avoid spans of control becoming unmanageable, some managers may have to let go of pet functions. Managers of teams may become managers of managers, with this significant shift from supervising people to coaching managers on how to supervise teams. The higher one goes in a company and the more formal power one has, the more it requires new skills of influence, collaboration, and subtle positioning that may be alien to a very effective supervisor. Does Noah have the breadth of vision and cognitive skill to handle the increasing complexity? And he will need humility to keep learning. Lifestyle Implications The decision to grow a business also has personal implications. Noah must consider whether his family is prepared to face the increased pressure and time demands. Choosing growth requires courage, he must be willing to learn and adapt to new challenges. It’s not quite an iambic pentameter, but to misquote Shakespeare: To grow, or not to grow: that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of attracting outrageous fortunes; or avoiding that risky sea of troubles, by modest ambition enjoy a life of comfort? Jonathan Cook, a counselling psychologist, chairs the African Management Institute. This is adapted from a column for Business Day, originally published on 12th November 2024 here. If you’d like to read previous columns in this series or ask Jonathan a question please visit www.africanmanagers.com/jonathan-cook Please fill your details below to access the AMI Manager's Checklist Tool for FREE

Image from the Aspire Program Video In every corner of the African continent, entrepreneurs are hustling. They are building, selling, negotiating, and solving real problems. But beyond the hustle lies a quieter challenge: how do we move from survival to strategy? From working in the business to working on the business? For too long, many small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) have relied on instinct and grit alone. And while those qualities are critical, sustainable growth requires more. It requires structure. Systems. Strategy. That’s where programmes like the Aspire Business Growth Programme , powered by the African Management Institute (AMI) and Stanford Seed, come in. Aspire is built for ambitious African entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their businesses with intentionality and impact. Aspire Business Growth Programme by AMI and Stanford Seed Why Strategy Matters Now More Than Ever In today’s fast-changing world, strategy is no longer optional — it’s a lifeline for growth. Yet, many entrepreneurs have never had the chance to step back, take stock, and learn how to create scalable systems. That’s not their fault, it’s a gap in the ecosystem. The Aspire Programme fills that gap. Over the course of six months, founders are introduced to practical, actionable tools that can transform their operations, improve financial management, strengthen their teams, and clarify their customer value proposition. And the impact is real: “AMI has created an opportunity for new partnerships. With the growth realized in this quarter, we partnered with KaribuWellness, delivered counseling services to a client in Lesotho, and led other group coaching sessions. The impact for us — collaborative growth.” — Lindiwe Msiza, Transform Leadership Consulting From Firefighting to Focus A typical week for a founder often involves putting out fires: cash flow issues, staff turnover, or chasing down suppliers. Aspire introduces a shift. Instead of reacting, founders start planning. They set clear growth goals. They learn how to build performance dashboards. They explore proven business models tailored to African contexts. “I have attended programs at Harvard, Columbia Business School, and MIT Sloan School of Management. To say that the Aspire program is most eventful and practically enriching is an understatement! We owe AMI and Stanford a lot.” — Dankishiya Saleh Hadi, CEO, Dankish & Associates Ltd., Nigeria Dankishiya Saleh Hadi, CEO, Dankish & Associates Ltd., Nigeria Learning with a Community What makes Aspire unique is not just the curriculum but the community. Entrepreneurs learn alongside peers from across Africa. They exchange insights, support each other, and build networks that last beyond the programme. Learning in community reminds us that we’re not alone in our challenges and that collective wisdom accelerates growth. The Results Speak for Themselves “We sparked exponential job creation for women in Nigeria after the AMI Aspire Business Growth Programme. That included 52 new net jobs — the majority of which went to women — alongside a 76% increase in revenue.” — Omoyemi Chukwura, CEO of Seams and Stitches Limited, Nigeria Omoyemi Chukwura, CEO of Seams and Stitches Limited, Nigeria “Please don’t take these tools for granted. These are powerful tools, I treat them as gold. The programme made me mindful of the power of storytelling and how we can craft and utilize our stories to secure investment and funding opportunities. — Jackie May, Founder of Twyg, South Africa Jackie May, Founder of Twyg, South Africa These are not isolated stories — Alumni of the Aspire Programme have gone on to expand into new regions, double their revenues, attract investments, and, most importantly, lead with confidence. Confidence in their strategy, their systems, and their leadership. Proven impact from Aspire entrepreneurs Final Thoughts If you’re an African entrepreneur who has built something real and you know it’s time to take it to the next level, consider Aspire. Growth doesn’t happen by accident. It’s intentional. It’s strategic. And with the right support, it’s absolutely possible. Applications are now open for the June 2025 Admission Class  of the Aspire Business Growth Programme . Apply here  (limited seats available!) See the programme brochure  to learn more Let’s move beyond the hustle. Let’s scale with strategy. Disclaimer: This blog was originally published on   Medium  by Chialuka Anele  on April 25, 2025, under the title "Move Beyond Hustle: How Aspire Entrepreneurs Are Scaling with Strategy" . All rights remain with the original author and publishing platform. We are resharing it here to amplify the stories and insights of Aspire Programme participants across Africa.

At a recent event, I found myself in deep conversation with fellow ecosystem leaders. Many of them spoke about the importance of writing on topics they are passionate about, believing that strong voices can drive meaningful change across Africa. Their commitment to amplifying ideas that lead to action resonated deeply with me.  In my work supporting entrepreneurs and innovators in Ethiopia over the past 15 years, I’ve seen firsthand how young people solve real problems with nothing but ingenuity and scraps of material—fixing machines, building devices, and finding creative solutions to everyday challenges. Yet too often, these ideas disappear before they have a chance to thrive. That realization brought me back to a challenge I’ve encountered time and again: How do we bridge the gap between raw talent and real opportunity? African Innovation at the Grassroots Level Innovation doesn’t always start in gleaming research labs or high-tech incubators. More often, it takes root in the quiet corners of our homes, where young minds tinker with makeshift materials to solve real-world problems. This is a story that plays out across Africa every day. Across the continent, young people are repurposing scraps of metal and discarded electronics to craft solutions for everyday challenges. The spirit of invention is alive, but the question remains: where do these ideas go? The Missing Links: Why Ideas Fade Away Some of the most brilliant innovations are born from necessity, such as a young boy repairing his mother’s broken stove with salvaged parts or a girl transforming discarded plastic bottles into a water filtration system to provide her family with clean drinking water. These are not isolated stories; they are woven into the fabric of African ingenuity. Yet, too often, these ideas never make it beyond the backyard or village workshop. The challenge isn’t a lack of creativity or drive, it’s the absence of the right ecosystem of local support. How many game-changing inventions have been lost, not because of a lack of vision, but because the tools to nurture them weren’t available? How many young innovators have watched their dreams fade due to a lack of mentorship, funding, or access to the right training programmes? Africa is a continent of immense diversity and opportunity, with 54 nations, each presenting unique challenges and ecosystems. Innovation hubs like Kenya’s Silicon Savannah, Nigeria’s Lagos, and South Africa’s Cape Town are making strides in supporting startups. However, grassroots innovators often remain disconnected from these ecosystems, leaving immense potential untapped. This is where a stronger bridge between talent and structured support is essential , one that turns local ingenuity into scalable industry solutions.  The ManuTech Industry as Africa's Economic Driver The need for action is urgent. According to the African Development Bank (AFDB), Africa's contribution to global manufacturing stands at just 1.9% , leaving the continent at the bottom of the global value chain. AFDB also reports that between 2011 and 2013, manufactured goods accounted for 62% of imports, while only 18.5% of exports came from the manufacturing sector. AI-driven innovation globally could widen the gap for African manufacturing on the global stage. This imbalance highlights why we must accelerate industrialization through the support of technology and innovation. Simply exporting raw materials leaves Africa vulnerable—no nation has thrived without adding value to what it produces. Supporting ManuTech startups and tech-enabled entrepreneurs isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s an economic necessity. Encouraging trends are emerging. Over the past five years, Africa’s startup ecosystem has grown at six times the global average. Governments are implementing pro-startup policies, and continental frameworks like the AfCFTA and AU Startup Fund are in place. But despite these efforts, Africa still punches below its weight in the global race for technological advancement, holding just 0.2% of global startup value. The missing piece is an intentional, ecosystem-focused investment. A whole ecosystem approach must consider what is needed for innovation to thrive from the grassroots, through the globally competitive scale-up and needs policy shifts to really thrive. We must be inclusive at the grassroots, ensuring that young innovators outside major cities also benefit from structured incubation, funding, and mentorship. This creates a broader pipeline of talent. We must ensure that university and technical college-based innovators get the support they need to commercialise ideas. We must nurture the best ideas in hubs, building global connections for local innovators. Policy must support growing businesses to thrive. And we must co-ordinate between every one of these levels intentionally, to build thriving local innovation clusters. The UNDP timbuktoo ManuTech Hub Initiative One initiative stepping up to address this gap is the timbuktoo Manufacturing Tech Hub , a key part of UNDP’s  broader effort to position Africa as a global leader in technology and innovation. Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this hub is designed to incubate and scale the most promising African startups in the manufacturing sector. It provides startups with access to cutting-edge maker spaces, expert mentorship, co-working facilities, and potential funding opportunities. Powerfully, the Hub does not operate in a vacuum but integrates with UNDP-led youth entrepreneurship initiatives and policy innovation. The timbuktoo ManuTech hub will bring together 120 Pan-African startups to access bootcamps, incubation, acceleration, and potential seed funding. It provides support for early-stage ideas, and those ready for scale, by offering targeted support based on the business stage. This initiative recognizes that African entrepreneurs don’t always have the same financial or institutional support as their counterparts in other global innovation hubs, but by building an ecosystem that nurtures raw talent from the ground up and brokers the critical connections these businesses need, we can unlock transformative potential. Building Sustainable Innovation Infrastructure So, where do we begin? Schools, universities, and community centers should be the breeding grounds for problem-solvers. But beyond that, we must cultivate a culture where young innovators know there is a clear path from idea to impact. This means: Network building where innovators can learn from industry leaders, finance providers, and technical and business experts. Early-stage incubation programs that nurture ideas from their infancy. Accessible funding to ensure that financial constraints don’t stifle innovation. Mentorship and training from experienced entrepreneurs who can guide young innovators. Safe spaces to experiment, fail, learn, and try again, because failure is often the first step toward breakthrough success. Africa has the potential to be a global leader in innovation, but only if we create the right conditions for success. The next world-changing invention might already exist in a backyard workshop, waiting for the opportunity to flourish. Now is the time to turn local ingenuity into global impact.  Want to learn more about AMI Ethiopia’s work in the ManuTech industry - our localized approach, capacity-building efforts, and support for ManuTech entrepreneurs? Get in touch with us at mahlet@africanmanagers.com

Leaders of SGBs (and the intermediaries that support them) are busy people. They’re usually  trying to raise capital, hire a great team, deliver impact and hit KPIs. Many end up delaying the important but challenging work of developing people, thinking it’s something for mature businesses. Some have been burned by ineffective and old-fashioned training workshops and think ‘training’ is a waste of time. Yet talent-forward companies are starting to see a clear business case for investing learning or coaching early. It’s impacting employee engagement, productivity, and ultimately helping to drive business growth.  But what kind of models are working in our region? How does global best practice apply here – if at all? And what is the RoI of developing people in East Africa? Join us alongside the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs and Creative Metier for a fun quiz and discussion on new approaches to empower your teams and develop your people! This workshop will use a quiz format to generate discussion around effective strategies for developing people, with a focus on SGBs and the intermediaries that support them. We’ll look at how workplace learning is shifting globally, and what that means for our markets. And we’ll take a deep dive into two models that are generating real impact and RoI for SGBs in East Africa, focusing on concrete data and company testimonials. Agenda 7:30 am: Welcome coffee and networking 8:00 am: Introductions 8:10 am: ANDE Intro 8:15 am: Quiz and discussion around best practice in developing people – workplace learning, coaching and other models 9:00 am: What’s delivering RoI for SGBs in East Africa (1) – a new approach to learning:  How AMI’s blended learning model is driving productivity and employee engagement 9:20 am: What’s delivering RoI for SGBs in East Africa (2) –  a coaching model for East Africa How Creative Metier’s work with small and growing Nairobi businesses enables growth and resilience 9:40 am: Questions, discussions, and wrap-up Logistics When: Wednesday 18th July, 2018 From: 7:30 am to 10:00 am Where: Map this event » African Management Initiative

Empowering Managers in Energy to Lead with Confidence, Build Competitive Teams & Create Impact The energy sector in Africa is evolving fast, but strong leadership isn't keeping pace. Many managers in the energy sector excel in technical expertise but struggle with the real challenges of leadership: managing teams, making strategic decisions, and driving business growth. That is why AMI’s Empowering Managers Programme  is designed to equip energy sector professionals in Africa with the confidence and hands-on knowledge to lead high-performing teams, tackle industry-specific challenges, and build resilient businesses. But what sets this management course for the energy sector apart isn’t just the curriculum, it's the unique approach tailored to the unique needs of energy companies in Africa. Instead of heavy theory sessions, participants are engaged in interactive virtual workshops and participate in team based activities that put their skills to action. The focus is on real workplace challenges, allowing leaders to implement what they learn immediately.  How Energy Management Training Transforms Leadership The Empowering Managers Programme  is more than just a leadership course—it’s a career transformation. Managers who have gone through the programme  consistently report: Greater confidence in leadership roles Improved communication and delegation skills Enhanced ability to set and achieve SMART objectives Strengthened influence and decision-making skills Transforming Leadership in the Energy Sector – Real Stories from Our Managers Many of our programme participants report transformative changes in their leadership approach after completing the Empowering Managers Programme. They share stories of moving from uncertainty to confidence, from reactive management to proactive leadership. Jared Winston Ouda  for example, Sales Manager at Orb Energy Kenya, shared that before AMI, he often struggled with communication and delegation, assuming he was understood and taking on others’ problems. After going through the programme, he reported a noticeable shift to a more strategic role, delegating with confidence and improving team communication—a change his boss quickly noticed. Florys Mokili from Goshop, Energy SARL RDCongo, described how the programme helped him define SMART objectives and effectively communicate them to his team, fostering a sense of ownership and trust. He noted that his coaching skills have significantly improved, leading to stronger team performance. Why choose the Empowering Managers Programme? Many managers in the energy sector in Africa  rise through the ranks due to their technical expertise—but technical skills alone aren’t enough to lead effectively. The challenge? Bridging the gap between technical knowledge and strong leadership. Too often, managers struggle with: ❌ Delegation—Taking on too much themselves instead of empowering their teams. ❌ Communication—Assuming they are understood rather than setting clear expectations. ❌ Decision-Making—Reacting to problems instead of leading with strategy and confidence. The Empowering Managers Programme is designed to solve these challenges. Through hands-on energy management training, managers gain the skills to: ✅ Delegate with confidence and accountability. ✅ Communicate clearly and inspire their teams. ✅ Set SMART goals and make data-driven decisions. If you're a CEO or Director in the energy sector, you know that strong leadership is the key to business success. Investing in your managers' growth isn’t just about skill-building—it’s about driving performance, improving team efficiency, and securing long-term success. The Empowering Managers Programme equips your leaders with the practical tools to confidently manage teams, make strategic decisions, and solve industry-specific challenges. Ready to take that next step?  Enroll for the Empowering Managers Programme. Discover how the  empowering managers energy sector management training can help you become a stronger leader in the energy sector in Africa.

In the fashion world, the final product often gets the spotlight, while hardworking teams behind the scenes go unnoticed. These teams bring Vivo’s creations to life, making sure affordable, stylish, and high-quality clothing is available for all women. For over a decade, Vivo Fashion Group has been making women feel confident, comfortable, and fashionable without breaking the bank. Founded by Wandia Gichuru and Anne Marie Burugu in 2011, Vivo is East Africa’s fastest-growing fashion business. The company designs and manufactures all their clothing in Africa and is now East Africa’s largest ladies’ fashion brand. With branches across Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, Vivo felt the need to improve their management approach to maximise business growth. They identified issues within their management team, such as missed deadlines, turnaround times and poor communication. To address these challenges, Vivo partnered with AMI and introduced the Management Development Programme. Fourteen managers joined this six-month programme to develop essential skills for handling workplace challenges. Before the programme, some team leaders struggled to motivate their teams, leading to communication problems and missed deadlines. The programme’s tool, “Getting The Message Across,” helped managers improve their communication skills, making it easier to convey messages and link outcomes to objectives. Vivo values customer satisfaction, but delivering consistent service across multiple branches was challenging. The programme helped Emily Gor, the Regional Manager, create a community ofproblem solvers. “Continuous customer service training has improved our readiness to respond to client inquiries and concerns,” said Gor. “As a result, the motivated sales team has increased customer satisfaction to 85%, sales conversion rose from 14% to 15%, and the average basket size grew by 113%. Additionally, 95% of the stores achieved at least 80% of their monthly targets.” The programme addressed operational inefficiencies, leading to better productivity and financial savings. It helped the team reduce stock discrepancies by 70%, minimising losses and improving processes. Vivo managers continue to implement the practices they learned ensuring ongoing improvements in their operations and team dynamics. The results show that AMI was the right fit: 93% of participants feeling more effective at work and 100% indicating they would recommend AMI. To read more stories in our 2023 Impact Report click here: ‘10 Years as an African Champion for Africa’s Business Champions’.

We’re focused on helping ambitious businesses across Africa to thrive, even in the face of serious challenges like COVID-19. So let’s keep thriving! To do so, we’re monitoring the rapidly evolving situation across Africa and the world, taking precautions based on guidance from country governments and global health organisations, while tailoring our learning programmes and tools accordingly. Our goal is to help you continue to thrive, remain safe and healthy, and help your business and team navigate this serious public health challenge. In-Person Workshops Move Online That’s why effective immediately, AMI will temporarily move our in-person workshops and events to online events and learning. We’re doing this to allow participants and clients from across the continent to keep learning, even during the crisis. AMI already integrates online courses and tools into all our programmes and we’ll be working with clients to ensure everyone has access to our platform and mobile app, whether they’re working from the office, or remotely. We are reaching out to all clients and participants to discuss next steps for your learning journey. While AMI offices are closed in most markets, we have a robust remote working system, and will be providing seamless support for all learners. Supporting African Enterprises During COVID-19 This is a challenging and uncertain time for Africa’s enterprises – from solo entrepreneurs to small and medium-sized enterprises and even large companies. Many companies are preparing to work remotely and planning for the business threat posed by COVID-19. Smaller businesses, in particular, may be unsure how to respond. To help African businesses continue to thrive, AMI will be offering a free webinar series over the coming weeks, with a ‘COVID-19 Business Survival Toolkit’. We’ll cover topics aimed at helping you navigate the near-term challenges, and prepare for possible bigger shifts – like managing remote teams, leading in a crisis, optimising health and hygiene at work, as well as financial forecasting and cost management in an economic slowdown. Click here to sign up for the free webinar series . Our New AMI Learn App Have you downloaded AMI’s new app – AMI Learn? Download and use it today for learning on the go. Available on the Google Play Store , AMI Learn provides all AMI programme participants with learning-on-the-go, including access to hundreds of video-based lessons and practical business and management tools.

Let’s start by stating the obvious: People matter. In fact, people doing a good job – performing effectively and responsibly – underpin pretty much everything. But what’s less obvious, is how to help people and organisations unlock their potential. And how do you do this at scale, with lasting impact, while making money? That’s the challenge we set ourselves just over four years ago when we started the  African Management Initiative  a social enterprise pioneering a scalable approach to workplace learning for Africa. We’ve tweaked our model multiple times over the past few years. But we’ve never strayed from our core mission of delivering practical and impactful learning experiences at a price SGBs and intermediaries can afford. So far, we’ve directly trained over 20,000 managers, entrepreneurs and young people across Africa through our clients and partners, including many  ANDE  members and their portfolio companies. 100% of our clients reported a tangible impact on business performance after engaging with AMI, with two thirds drawing a direct link between that improvement and their work with AMI. So, we know our model works. But there have been many surprises along the way, and we’ve shared a few of these below. 1 – Learning is a practice, not an event Training is not new.  In fact, if anything, many of the SGBs and intermediaries we work with are tired of training. And this fatigue comes DESPITE a recognition that SGBs in Africa and beyond are battling critical skill gaps. So why the disconnect? It’s simple – traditional training is broken. And the reason? Traditional training centres on events, such as workshops or courses, instead of on  practices or habits . Effective learning experiences help individuals and organisations develop new practices and habits to drive performance. That’s not something you can do in a 2-day workshop once a year. So, what does practice-based learning look like – in practice? At AMI, we refuse to deliver what we call ‘hit and run workshops’ (despite getting asked for them regularly). Instead we partner with organisations to deliver ongoing learning journeys. First, we create a ‘learning academy’ that staff can access anytime, anywhere, on an ongoing basis, and then we layer in blended programmes for targeted groups. So, for example, our  Management Development Programme  for new and middle managers lasts 4-6 months and takes participants through a journey that introduces them to key tools for managing their teams through our web and mobile platform, then gives them a chance to practice those tools with their peers in our interactive workshops, followed by time to apply these skills on-the-job with their teams. In any AMI programme, we work around that cycle several times, creating opportunities for learning, practice, feedback and reflection. Eventually, new habits are formed, people flourish and organisations grow. 2 – Entrepreneurs and employees have different learning styles. But blended is almost always the best. Different people learn differently. But there are consistent patterns. Our data shows very clearly that entrepreneurs prefer informal and practical learning tools, rather than formal courses and workshops. They want to drive their own learning agendas, have little interest in one-size-fits-all training programmes, and critically – they need to see the results immediately by  using  what they learn in their business. They also want to network – exchanging ideas and seeking out support from their peers. This makes sense – impatient and busy business owners want to find exactly what they need, when they need it, and are not interested in taking a course someone else thinks is important. In response, we designed  Grow your Business  a scalable approach to business development support that flips the traditional model of entrepreneurship training on its head. Instead of starting with a core curriculum, entrepreneurs choose five business practices from a list of activities that we know correlate with business growth. We provide the tools entrepreneurs need to embed these practices or habits in their business (things like ‘I forecast my cash-flow monthly’, or ‘I survey my customers every quarter’) over a 6-month period, and connect them into a peer support group. It’s a highly scalable and effective model that allows entrepreneurs to feel in charge of their own learning journeys, without resorting to expensive (and often ineffective) consulting. We’ll have more data to show soon, but initial feedback is very promising. In one of our most successful programmes with entrepreneurs, 7,000 young entrepreneurs downloaded over 1 million tools from our online platform in less than 6 months.  100% reported business growth and 75% increased revenue.  Grow Your Business  is being tested rigorously through a Randomised Control Trial with a team of researchers at MIT. Participants at our Grow Your Business Programme in Partnership with KCB Bank Employees tend to have a very different learning style from entrepreneurs. They typically enjoy being part of a shared learning journey – and in fact this collective experience typically boosts engagement and improves outcomes. Employees are much more likely to complete a formal online course – as opposed to downloading informal tools and resources – and attend scheduled workshops, particularly if they know they’ll get a certificate, and think it might boost their career. Despite the different approaches, we’ve learned that combining online resources with in-person experience, plus and structured opportunities for on-the-job application, yields results for both for entrepreneurs AND employees.  Blended is best, always. 3 – Everyone needs soft skills. And soft skills are hard… We like to think of soft skills as personal habits for effectiveness. And everyone needs them. This is perhaps less of a surprise now than when we started AMI a few years ago, and many others in the talent space have identified the same need. But still, too many SGBs and intermediaries still think their biggest challenges are around technical, functional or ‘hard’ skills, when research and experience suggests that the less tangible skills – such as people management, communication, personal effectiveness, working as a team, critical thinking – often cause the biggest problems. Of course, these are also the skills that can be hardest to develop, particularly in the pressure-cooker of an entrepreneurial business. Working with an external learning partner can help. Again, we’ve noticed a real shift in the past few years, as talent-forward organisations increasingly see the value of investing in developing core people skills, at entry level as well as middle and senior management. Programmes that focus on  helping staff manage themselves  and their teams now account for almost all our work with established businesses. Even with busy entrepreneurs, we’ve embedded courses on personal effectiveness and setting goals into our programmes, and they often end up being the ones that generate the light-bulb moments, and the most significant changes in habits and practice. 4 – Investing in a few key people can lift a whole workforce. We’ve always hypothesized that investing in key managers, either at senior, middle or even line manager level, would not only improve the performance of those participants, but could affect employee engagement and productivity across a whole workforce. Our latest impact report confirms this assumption, with 100% of clients reporting improved company performance and 92% of business clients reporting improved productivity across the whole company (not just AMI participants), 96% noted improved employee engagement. The data is clear – providing structured learning opportunities even to a small group is a win for the entire team. It has a ripple effect – good managers, develop good workers. Developing key staff increases the collective capacity of the team, boosts employee job satisfaction and acts as a powerful retention tool. We hope this data will encourage even cash-strapped early-stage SGBs to invest early and often in their people, to quickly see the benefits across their team and the business more broadly. 5 – It is possible to demonstrate impact and Rol on developing people. For several years, the human capital community – particularly in East Africa – have been wringing our hands over how to measure impact and Return on Investment. Measuring intangibles like leadership skills, or organisational culture, is not easy. We often revert to blunt instruments like workshop feedback surveys or course completion rates. At AMI, we’ve been working hard to develop a better methodology for impact measurement. We don’t have the whole answer, but for the first time this year, AMI generated data proving that our programmes not only help build the skills of the individual participants who take them, but also drive the business performance of organisations.  This is a game changer in demonstrating how talent links with SGB performance, and in proving the RoI for developing people. AMI data showed that  92% of business clients saw improvements in management and leadership skills  among their employees, with 100% of clients saying business improved after they ran AMI learning programmes with their employees. Of those,  92% reported an improvement in operating efficiency  and 92% reported improved customer satisfaction. As Richard Branson said, look after your staff, and your staff will look after your customers… Our programmes with SMEs and entrepreneurs appear to be even more impactful than those with employees, despite often running with thousands of participants at a time. 100% of entrepreneurs who completed a post-programme survey saw a change in their business after engaging with AMI. Of these, 75% reported an improvement in revenue, 73% increased profit, 50% created new jobs and 35% secured debt or equity funding. All of them attributed that change at least partly to the AMI programme. We’re thrilled to finally have hard data that proves the power of people development. And we’re looking forward many more surprises, as we expand our work to empower individuals and organisations across Africa.

The original article ran on February 25, 2020 in South Africa’s Business Day as part of the series Innovate Africa: Entrepreneurial perspectives from a thriving Africa. The series is a partnership between Business Day / Businesslive and African Management Institute (AMI), focusing on the entrepreneurs and business innovations accelerating economic growth and establishing sustainable businesses across the continent. Solutions found that match the need and prices set, in keeping with the local economy.A popular way to get from point A to point B in Kigali – even for business people – is on the back of one of Rwanda’s estimated 45,000 “taxi-motos”. The low cost of using one of these 125cc motorcycles keeps conventional car ride hailing businesses out of Kigali. You’ll find similar options in other African countries, such as Kenya and Nigeria. One entrepreneur who has seen opportunities in this is Junior Kanamugire. His PikiWash offers a one-stop wash and service facility for taxi motos. He has imported an automated bike wash machine from India in a 20-foot container and has the rights to distribute these throughout Africa. The operation recycles up to 75% of the water used and the clean water does not damage bikes like the gritty river water used otherwise. He has 2,600 subscribed customers and revenue has grown steadily over the past year. But it is his plans for the future that make this a potential business bonanza. With an established customer base he is considering offering full servicing of motorcycles (oil changes and mechanical repairs), and sales of merchandise often preferred by motorcyclists. Future plans include up to three more locations in Kigali, and a few more in secondary cities. At the moment there is no successful ride hailing business model for moto taxis because the bikes are so ubiquitous that you can hail them live in the street without waiting. “And the app company would take too high a proportion of the modest fare,” adds Junior. Here is one of the great advantages of local entrepreneurships. Entrepreneurs on the ground can spot spin-off opportunities invisible to funders sitting in city office suites – like the smart Kigali entrepreneur who offers cloth head covers to keep customers clean when they don the moto taxi’s helmet. [Junior Kanamugire’s] PikiWash offers a one-stop wash and service facility for taxi motos… With Africa’s urban congestion and poor or nonexistent rural transport infrastructure, “mobility” (moving people and products) is one of the continent’s big challenges, and so it offers enticing opportunities for innovation. The extent of this innovation was illustrated this year when Bosch Africa ran a competition to find Africa’s best smart mobility start-ups. It received 222 entries from 27 countries in Africa within a space of a month. The winner’s prize was shared by two smart firms. Hello Tractor, founded in 2014, is a Nigerian digital platform and farm equipment sharing app that connects tractor owners with smallholding farmers. This helps the farmers by providing access to tractors while giving the owners an additional income stream. The platform also tracks the tractor’s performance and location remotely, thus preventing abuse and fraud. Everyone wins. The other winner, Kenyan-based BuuPass, founded in 2015, offers commuters an app on which they can book, pay for and receive tickets for different bus companies, all on their smartphones. So far it has sold 500,000 tickets on 115 routes for seven bus companies. Start-ups in East Africa are particularly helped by the grandparent of tech innovations, M-Pesa. This mobile phone deposit and payment system has transformed payments in Kenya, Tanzania and beyond, and propelled mobile phone operator Safaricom to a dominant position in East Africa. MTN Mobile Money has had similar success in Rwanda, being the backbone of outside banks’ money transfers. Mobile payments have transformed ease and security of payments for small businesses like PikiWash – it only accepts payment through Mobile Money. Oddly, M-Pesa has not thrived in SA, illustrating that innovation is often best when home-grown and thus able to accommodate local requirements and regulation. Some mobility innovations have been around for many years. In Kenya most minibus taxis are bought through savings and credit co-operatives (Saccos) that operate rather like SA’s stokvels except they are formally registered as deposit-taking entities and regulated through the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority, established in 2010. Uber is big in many cities and has spawned a number of local competitors. Enterprising drivers keep two or more ride hailing apps on their phones to increase their customer base. At peak times they can also pick the call that pays them best, increasing competition between companies to attract the loyalty of drivers. Is there a dark side to this? Uber is criticised in developed markets for treating its drivers as contractors rather than employees, thus reducing their rights. In Africa, most of the drivers I have spoken to regard Uber as a step up from poorly paid driving jobs in companies. They work long hours but can choose the hours and over a period of time draw on company schemes to work towards owning their own car. Some go on to own a fleet and employ new drivers, who in turn dream of owning their own car. Inevitably Uber has generated a plethora of ride hailing competitors, some imported from elsewhere, some begun by big African companies wanting a share of the business, and some by typically entrepreneurial individuals or groups that have skills in making apps. Safaricom, for example, has a stake in Lyft, which recently launched an SMS service for those who cannot access their app on a smartphone. Any of these mainstream or alternative options could fail, but the momentum of innovation is good for economies. Innovation requires both technical expertise and business savvy, so quite often innovative start-ups are created by people while they are in full time employment. Junior holds down a full time job in training while driving PikiWash. Innovation, and indeed entrepreneurship, are qualities that are difficult to train for, but each time we build capacity in business, whether in corporate or SME fields, we increase the capacity of Africa to innovate and create employment. A last word from Junior in Kigali: “Finding home-grown solutions is a crucial component for developing countries. And this doesn’t necessarily mean reinventing the wheel. Finding solutions that work elsewhere in the world, and adapting them to address local problems, is the backbone of innovation.” The author Jonathan Cook is chairman of the African Management Institute (AMI). The series Innovate Africa: Entrepreneurial perspectives from a thriving Africa  is a partnership between Business Day / Businesslive and AMI, focusing on the entrepreneurs and business innovations accelerating economic growth and establishing sustainable businesses across the continent.

Fresh from the beach or the mountain, what sort of company do you want to help create this year? Leaders have the responsibility and privilege of creating the organisation of their choice. What values do you want to see flourish? Every organisation is unique, so for illustration let’s draw on a case everyone observes – a country – and draw parallels to leading our businesses. I am writing in South Africa, but I expect readers from other countries can draw similar insights. President Ramaphosa has been controversially slow in implementing a vision for South Africa, but I understand his approach to be to build the institutions that will act way beyond the constraints of his own power. This means not acting by fiat himself to fix wrongs arbitrarily as he notices them, but rebuilding the mechanisms of a healthy society so that every responsible person will fix wrongs when they see them. It’s slower, but far wider reaching and longer lasting. These institutions include the law and its implementers, the mechanisms of democracy, the things that influence society such as education, and that intangible shared set of assumptions and practices about honesty and respect for each other that we call culture. Does your company maintain a thriving culture beyond your influence? What structures, procedures and habits maintain things as they should be? Do your people understand what makes for sustainable success and are they committed to this? For institution-building to work in a country or company requires a critical mass of us, ordinary citizens, to want to follow the rules. Our daily contribution to justice, for example, is to obey laws and encourage those around us to do so too, both in the letter and the spirit. Even traffic laws. We need the majority to care about building for the future. Far too many powerful people believe the nation will continue to be productive if they ignore the greater good in their pursuit of personal power and wealth. It won’t. They want their turn to eat without realising that the pie that feeds them needs continually to be baked. The country’s infrastructure and economy are collapsing because people have helped themselves without building capacity for the future. They have taken the golden eggs without protecting and feeding the goose that lays them. The same applies to our companies. We thrive when every member is committed to expressing its best character. No amount of regulating, auditing and performance management (essential though these are) can match willing, voluntary adherence to the values that make the company great. That’s not complicated, but it does require consistent insistence from the top. Owners/managers first need to live the values. Then they need to talk about them a lot, explaining in practical terms what they mean in daily work. Then they need to follow up personally, noticing and commending those who exemplify the values, and coaching those who don’t. At its best, this will not always require punishments. If possible, the better route is to be thoroughly surprised and alarmed when anyone ignores the values, and hurry to help them correct it. Of course, this takes time. And if a different spirit has infected the company, it becomes that more difficult to change. What do you want the spirit of your company to be this year? If you own it, let this be the year when you both live the values and require them of your people. If you are not the owner, you can be your own ideal for the company you work for. This kind of commitment is noticed. And if we all live and talk as if our country were what we want it to be, that too will be noticed. There is a future if we create it. Jonathan Cook is chairman of the African Management Institute

Sustainable agriculture practices are critical for the advancement of SDG2: Zero Hunger in Africa. At the African Management Institute, we believe that agri-MSMEs are the super seed for improving Africa’s food systems , helping to unlock smallholder production capacity in the fight to end zero hunger.  Our recently released agri-white paper explores the human capital challenge, recognising the action steps required to achieve zero hunger and how supporting MSMEs can catalyse this progress. SDG2 sets an audacious goal, acting not as a unique indicator, but instead casting a larger impact on other SDGs such as sustainable livelihoods. We explore the connection between improving the productivity of smallholder farmer capacity and addressing the African jobs crisis, through accelerating the potential of agri-SMEs. With agriculture accounting for 52% of total employment across Sub- Saharan Africa, the sector remains as a critical focal point for meaningful change. At AMI, our theory of change in agriculture is built on the premise that supporting MSMEs through key interventions such as building talent capacity, driving innovation, enabling ecosystem development, and supporting the hidden middle can create a positive ripple effect towards the advancement of zero hunger by 2030. Focused on systemic challenges affecting MSMEs, youth, leaders, and ecosystem enablers, our programmes are designed to scale the outcomes of improved production capacity of the food systems. While a myriad of challenges make the progress towards accomplishing SDG2 slow, we remain keen on exploring the opportunities for growth that addressing human capital barriers can create. Download our white paper to learn more about skills development as a tool for enabling sustainable growth and progress.