Learning Journey to Silicon Savannah, Nairobi

Date/Venue:
20/11/2023-23/11/2023, Nairobi, Kenya

Get to know an economically booming Africa. Silicon Savannah, where a huge demand meets a newly networked society. Digital Africa as a starting point for new contacts and future cooperation. We in Europe have not recognized this side of Africa yet – our Learning Journey will change that.

A huge demand meets a newly interconnected economy

To most of Europe, Africa still means crises, catastrophes and wars, so we have not recognized that Africa’s businesses are booming. Our Learning Journey to Silicon Savannah will change that.

Too few of us are aware of the high economic growth rates of African countries and their pioneering solutions. Africa is the first “mobile-only” continent. 60 % of its 1.2 billion population are owning a mobile phone which gives them access to their bank accounts, acts as a credit card, provides them with medical advice, gives them market information and a platform to sell what they produce – generally it is a tool to earn a living.

African countries have simply by-passed the stage of fixed-line telecommunication, a banking system with only physical outlets and access to the internet only via desktop computers in their economic development. Can you imagine the ingenuity and power of innovation that has been released without Basel III und Solvency II restrictions?

Our program has been set-up in collaboration with LivingLab, a new-generation African think-tank. We show you what one of digital Africa’s hotspots has to offer. We will visit companies such as M-Pesa and hotspot-institutions as iHub or Gearbox. And we will meet local CEOs and other important decision makers. Additionally, we have also arranged visits to important spots of the city and a safari in Nairobi National Park.

It has really changed my life, at least the perspective on much of what we Europeans think is good, right, meaningful or whatever. What really counts is what locally is considered as appropriate.“

Dr. Markus Griesbeck, Member of the Executive Board, Crespel & Deiters Group, Germany

What will you get from it?

  • Insights into a different digital transformation
  • Access to agile people and organizations
  • Starting points for further contacts and cooperation
  • Ideas and Concepts for access to new markets
  • Indications of what the next market disruptions can be
  • Understanding new approaches of collaborations
  • New insights and understanding of Africa’s relevance

What makes this Learning Journey different?

Our Learning Journey comes before you go on a classical business mission:

LEARNING JOURNEYClassical business mission
Joint experiencing of local reality and developing local knowledge and insightsPresenting and collecting information
Planned contacts and serendipity contactsGetting planned contacts
Emerging of new business ideas, value propositions, business models, and partnershipsRole-out of certain products or services
“test-and-learn”“plan-and-implement”
Peer group – Changes need a fresh look to the outside and from the outside.

The group consists of entrepreneurial thinking people. Joint development of knowledge and ideas is important to us. Hans Stoisser and his local partners provide additional inputs.



Program

MondayTheme of the day: APPROACHING
Morning“Silicon Savannah: A new Africa breaks free”
Pitches and Talks from Nairobi business people
AfternoonField visits to successful Start-ups – ENERGYTECH
EveningDinner with Nairobi business people
Tuesday Theme of the day: DIGITAL AFRICA
Morning“The mobile economy – access to communication and money”
Field visit to Safaricom/M-Pesa – FINTECH
Field visit to Nairobi’s first open-access makers’ space
AfternoonField visits to Nairobi’s co-working spaces like iHub
Field visit to investors platform
Eveningfree evening
Wed’day Theme of the day: URBAN AFRICA
Morning“21st century entrepreneurship: A huge demand meets the networked global society”
Reading and discussion with artists and thinkers
Field visits EDUTECH and HEALTHTECH
AfternoonLocal tour to Kibera, Nairobi’s biggest informal settlement
EveningBuilding the plane while flying
– NextAfrica Networking Seminar
Thursday Theme of the day: CO-CREATION
MorningExperiencing: train ride with Madaraka Express
German companies in Kenya
China in Africa
AfternoonSynthesis: “New African-European relations: Co-Creation”
Visit Nairobi National Park
End of program at 6.30pm
Fr/Sa optional:
2-day Safari to one of Kenya’s famous National Parks

Who should join us on the Learning Journey?

1. CEOs, CIOs.
2. Business angels and incubators.
3. Decision-makers in the fields of politics, business, technology, development cooperation and migration.

When and how much?

Next Journey:
Monday to Thursday, November 20 to 23, 2023

Individual travel to Nairobi on Sunday before.
We start on Monday at 8 am and end on Thursday at 6 pm.

Booking before July 31st, 2023: EUR 2.100,– plus 20% VAT
Booking before September 30th, 2023: EUR 2.500,– plus 20% VAT

Booking after Oktober 1st, 2023: EUR 2.900,– plus 20% VAT

The fee includes a program of lectures, company and field visits, a city tour, four lunches, coffee and tea catering and one dinner. Hotel stay and travel to and from Nairobi are not included.

What people who participated say

Who is behind the journey?

Hans Stoisser (author of “The Black Tiger – what we can learn from Africa“) and Karin Krobath have joined forces to create this program. They have two things in common: They are both management consultants and both are passionate about African countries. Hans brings his expertise as a Malik-Associate and extensive experience in African countries. Karin brings her passion for brand positioning, innovation culture and empowerment together with honorary board functions for Light for the World.



Organizer:

NextAfrica

NextAfrica – We bring together purpose-driven organizations from Africa and Europe to collaborate and co-create.

NextAfrica is powered by:

ECOTEC

ECOTEC makes collaboration in Emerging Countries work.
– We bring together many years of entrepreneurial experiences with companies and organizations at the interface between Europe and Africa.

identifire

IDENTIFIRE specializes on Employer Branding and Corporate Culture. Clarity on brands and strategy and focus on innovations are essential.

NextAfrica’s partners are:

Stephan Grabmeier is Purpose Innovation Contributor for sustainable business transformation, New Work and innovation.

Code of Africa

Code of Africa – Our heart beats for building a business bridge between tech talents in East Africa and the demand for IT services in Europe.

You are welcome to contact us:

Hans Stoisser, hans.stoisser@ecotec.at, +43 676 9200200
Karin Krobath, karin.krobath@identifire.at, +43 699 1077 6611



Further information: