Praia, capital of the Cape Verde archipelago, officially Cabo Verde, on the island of Santiago. It is on the new campus of the University of Cape Verde, in its large and beautiful amphitheater, that women and men from different backgrounds, coming from several regions of the continent and the diaspora, followed one another from 10 to October 15 to share their projects, their commitments, their passions. Meeting dedicated primarily to the meeting between African entrepreneurs, project leaders, and investors, the Tropics Business Summit organized by the Tropics Group, has kept its promises.
This eclectic event brings together women and men, for once in this order, who work in extremely varied fields, and who have in common a desire to contribute to the economic and social progress of the continent, the search for excellence in what they and they do, the certainty that Africans, wherever they are, have no complex compared to others, in all trades, in all areas.
Cape Verde is a country that I really like, one of those on which I probably lack a little objectivity, critical distance. A country whose one of the airports, that of Praia, bears the name of Nelson Mandela, and another in Mindelo, that of the diva Cesario Evora, can only be special. It is also one of the two countries that bears the mark of one of the great Africans of the last century, Amilcar Cabral. So Cape Verde has remained faithful to this heritage by being one of the best governed African countries in Africa. This country, small in size and in resident population, shows that we can create the conditions for more virtuous democratic governance on the continent, if we really want it.
I believe it is no coincidence that it is the country with the highest life expectancy in West Africa and the seventh on the continent. People generally live there in good health. Probably because we eat well there, we drink water but not only… Probably also because many swim regularly in the sea, or do other physical exercises. In almost every district, spaces with simple and robust sports equipment are available for young and old. It is rare in West Africa and even in Africa.
It is a good country to live in even during difficult economic times. The health crisis has hit this country very dependent on tourism and very dependent on imports and remittances from the diaspora, which is more numerous than the resident population. When the quality of life does not only depend on individual material comfort, but incorporates all the other dimensions that give meaning to everyday life, even in difficult economic times, society resists. The smiles and laughter don't go away.
The Tropics Group had the flair to choose this place between sea and mountains for this meeting. A choice that is anything but easy. Coming to Cape Verde from South Africa, from the Republic of Congo, or even from Abidjan, is not so simple. The available flights are not numerous and it is much easier to get there from a European capital, via Lisbon for example. Bringing dozens of people for a big meeting in Praia, and not in one of the African capitals most used to hosting international meetings, was a brave choice, a bold choice.
What I reminded Praia is that nothing we have to do on the continent is easy. We must even run away from the easier options because the challenges we face on our continent are daunting and demand of us effort, daring, ambition to do what many think impossible to do. So yes, it was not an easy task to take the bet of organizing this event in Praia. The bet was held.
What I have seen in my interactions with Venicia Guinot, who heads the Tropics Group, is passion, hard work, the power of commitment to Africa, flexibility and great simplicity. During our remote discussions, we both understood very quickly that our commitments to Africa took different forms but that they were based on the same values and the same ambitions - ambitions for our continent and the celebration of all those who, known or unknown, carried values and projects that were not limited to the search for personal gains, exclusive profits.
Tropics in Praia was also a wonderful celebration of the transformative energy of women. Powerful, brilliant, determined women. The First Ladies of Angola, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, made the trip at the invitation of their counterpart from Cabo Verde, Debora Katiza Carvalho, a woman with a dense and committed message on the economic difficulties facing her fellow citizens and its fellow citizens, and on the major challenge of protecting the environment, biodiversity and the splendid natural sites of the archipelago.
Being in Praia was therapeutic: it was an encounter with the women and men who make Africa today and that of tomorrow, African men and women who "do things", the "Doers". A meeting that changed me from meetings, conferences on conflicts, political crises, terrorism, coups. These crises are part of the undeniable reality of the continent and a large part of WATHI's work consists in stimulating reflection and collective action to get out of the paths of crisis and take the paths of peace, cohesion and shared prosperity.
But the reality of the continent today is also thousands of ambitious projects carried out by entrepreneurs who are sure of their skills but modest and willing to continue to learn from others every day, social entrepreneurs whose driving force is first and foremost contribute through their business to create value for society, to create jobs, to pass on know-how to the youngest, to offer models of healthy success through work and integrity, to young people. This Africa is bubbling with ideas and actions and does not wait for anyone to move.
Our role is to remind us that the other Africa must also move, that of the political decision-makers who must, for example, finally create the conditions so that it is not so difficult and costly to move from one city to another on our continent, even within the same region. It is because the future will be built as much by entrepreneurs, investors as by thinkers, researchers, activists, analysts, civil society leaders, that WATHI's presence at this meeting made sense.
The beautiful encounters began as soon as we got off the plane and multiplied throughout the week. That is exactly what an event like this is for. Break down barriers, open minds, learn from others and sometimes start doing something together. Our lives are a series of encounters that change their trajectories, rectify them, sublimate them.
From Praia will germinate collaborations, new ideas, new directions, including for WATHI. I would not be surprised if more publications and debates on the culinary arts, on the fashion economy, on the creative and cultural industries in general are invited into our work program. Changing the narrative on our continent, but also changing the reality of our continent. At the antipodes of the choice of ease.
By Gilles Yabi
Gilles Yabi is the founder and executive director of WATHI. He directs and supervises the activities of the think tank whose permanent team is based in Dakar (Senegal). WATHI is an open platform for the production and dissemination of knowledge and proposals on all crucial issues for the present and the future of West Africa and other regions of the continent.
*This article has been translated from French into English by Marcus Boni Teiga
