S14Q2 magazine by Breinstorm Brand Architects

64 Yaya Toure photographed by John Wright

18 create/inspire

7 Need to know.....................................6

Guest editor’s note Samsung S14 Q02 takes us on a journey as it celebrates the beauty that’s Africa. The 120 UNESCO listed World Heritage Sites creates the perfect setting as this issue lures you to rediscover our continent, our people and our story. It inspires you to go ahead and tell your story. After all,”there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”: Maya Angelou. Omoyemi Akerele, Style House Files, Nigeria www.stylehousefiles.com

African World Heritage Sites........18 Africa innovation prize. . ............... 24 African photographers. . ............... 28 TED in Africa.................................... 36 Brand Africa. . ................................... 40 Africa’s green credentials........... 48 SK A telescope. . ............................... 56 Samsung Innovation Museum... 58

To enjoy a complimentary subscription to S14 Magazine, visit www.amazeafrica.com

In S14Q1 the Marina Mall photographs in the Accra City guide were not correctly credited to Quarets Photography

inside S14Q2 70 play The Galaxy 11.................................. 62 Cover stor y: Yaya TourĂŠ............... 64 Shopping Nigeria........................... 66 Grafitti in Africa and Korea......... 70 Lagos city guide............................. 76 Bombardier .................................80

S14 Quarter 2 Editor in chief Eben Keun Guest editor Omoyemi Akerele Managing editor Emma Jordan Finance Ilan Green Designers Leanie Herbst, Jacques du Toit, Gregory Wylde, Jana Jansen van Vuuren Production Michelle Nelson, Romy Schneigansz

90 share/invest Single use syringe......................... 88 Heel the World................................ 90 Guaranty Trust Bank..................... 92 Tizen.................................................. 98 Business leader profile.. ............. 100 Graphene . . ...................................... 102 Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GDP . . ............................... 104 A day in the life............................. 108

Contributors Ameyaw Debrah, Chris Saunders, Nana Ocran, Kate White, Lightfarm, Lola Pedro, Patrick Latimer, Phiona Okumu, Refilwe Boikanyo, Thebe Ikalafeng, Tolu Ogunlesi.

82 For editorial queries contact S14@breinstorm.co.za S14 is published quarterly for Samsung Electronics Africa by Breinstorm Brand Architects, Dispatch Building, The Media Mill, 7 Quince Street, Milpark, SA, 2092 Commissioning Editor Christine Roux

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It is imperative that Samsung’s innovations continue to meet the needs of everyday consumers… 80% of people accessing the internet for the first time do so via mobile devices

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Foreword George Ferreira, vice president and CEO of Samsung Electronics Africa

ommunication is imperative to Samsung and we pride ourselves on making a difference to the world by openly and effectively communicating our shared passion in discovering new experiences that shape the future. In this issue, S14Q2 we look at Brand Africa and how it is communicating a reflection of the continent at home and abroad. Renowned brand analyst Thebe Ikalafeng takes us through what he thinks makes Africa unique – today and tomorrow, while guest editor Omoyemi Akerele introduces her list of top photographers translating a new, modern view of Africa. We also take a look at the TED phenomenon and some noteworthy talks providing a fresh take on African solutions. A combination of factors, economic (the growth of the middle class), social (improved education systems leading to higher numbers of graduates in technical fields) and political (the opening up of previously ‘closed’ economies) have resulted in Africans demanding and adopting technology at greater rates than ever before. Samsung sees Africa as a series of urban hubs with regional powerhouses like Lagos (West Africa) and Nairobi (East Africa) and S14Q2 goes west, unpacking the boom in Nigerian retail, looking at how GT Bank is revolutionising the African art market, and discovering Lagos with top fashion blogger Wadami Amolegbe. The magazine also reflects on what the raised GDP base rate really means for the everyday Nigerian. It is imperative that Samsung’s innovations continue to meet the needs of everyday consumers. The growth of services such as Kleek — which now boasts more than

2.5 million unique users across the continent — is an example of this. Samsung is constantly looking at new content partnerships, the latest of which are detailed in the magazine’s Need to Know section and a look at the bigger story behind the K1 syringe and the LifeSaver Campaign which is available on the Samsung SmartHealth App. There are currently roughly 600 million handsets on the continent and 80% of people accessing the internet for the first time do so via mobile devices. Samsung is making a huge difference by offering these consumers customised content as a result of strategic content partnerships. Samsung also continues to be a leader in corporate citizenship. Samsung Electronics won the 2014 Energy Star Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the second year in a row and the holding company Samsung was rewarded with the 2014 Energy Star Partner of the Year Climate Communications Award for educating consumers about energy efficiency and how to proactively affect climate change through positive choices and behaviour. UNESCO and Samsung also joined forces, combining their respective school programmes to give students in the developing world better access to their education offerings; putting UNESCO’s expertise in the field together with Samsung’s Smart School facilities and solutions. All of this and more is uncovered in this issue as Samsung continues to drive growth on the continent and contribute in a meaningful way to Brand Africa. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 0 5

Need to know VLISCO X OZWALD BOATENG In an interview with online news site Business of Fashion, Ghanaian-born Ozwald Boateng said his mother and her friends collected hundreds of reams of the iconic Vlisco cloth. In fact, said the renowned Savile Row tailor, he encountered her wrath when, at the age of 16, he decided to experiment and make an outfit from some of her precious fabric. It's no wonder then that the designer jumped at the chance of a collaboration. Working with the Dutch cloth manufacturer Boateng has released a series of five prints in various colour-ways from green and purple to tonal greys. Boateng is a vocal protagonist of growth in Africa and his suits have been worn by Hollywood stars including Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Laurence Fishburne and Puff Daddy. Barack Obama wore a custom made suit by Boateng on his first official visit to Ghana. The limited edition Ozwald Boateng Vlisco collaboration cloth carries the Ozwald Boateng stamp.

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NAMASTE AFRICA In 2007 the Africa Yoga Project set out to see whether yoga could positively transform lives across race, nationality, age, gender and economic status. The project, which started in the poorer part of Kenya, uses yoga as a way to engender self-esteem and discipline and directly promotes experiential learning and development.

Since then over 5,000 people have participated in more than 80 locations. More than 52 young people have trained as teachers and are earning a living wage by teaching yoga. Participants have said that they have increased physical health and vitality, as well as feelings of emotional strength and empowerment. To volunteer, donate or find out more visit www.africayogaproject.org

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Images courtesy of Kenneth Izedonmwem

KENNETH IZEDONMWEM JOINS EDUN In 2013 Frallain – a luxury company whose portfolio is made up of established African premium and luxury brands – announced that they would partner with the Guaranty Trust Bank Lagos Fashion and Design Week to provide an internship with one of their partners or brands in the luxury goods industry in New York. Kenneth Izedonmwem, 23, is the first young African to take advantage of this immense

opportunity. His 6-month paid fellowship has also been facilitated by LDI, a social enterprise that connects skilled African professionals with the relevant global players. Izedonmwem will intern at EDUN, Ali Hewson and Bono’s clothing label. While in New York, Izedonmwem will also attend classes at the world-famous Fashion Institute of Technology.

FIRST-CLASS CITIZENS

Samsung and UNESCO have combined their respective school programmes to give students in the developing world better access to their education offerings; putting UNESCO’s expertise in the field together with Samsung’s Smart School facilities and solutions. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 0 8

Samsung’s Smart School is an ingenious way to bring education to areas in developing countries, specifically through their innovative solar-powered internet schools and mobile units. Through screen interaction, teachers and students from across the world can interact and communicate. Content is education-related, but also includes up-to-date school information, access to crucial learning resources and real-time attendance and participation trackers, all of which serve to increase students’ engagement and performance Now, together with UNESCO, content and availability will be enhanced: the partnership directly supports UNESCO’s five major program sectors of Education, Culture, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Communication and Information.

FASHIONISTA PHONES Limited edition crystal-encrusted Galaxy S5 covers and Gear Fit charms have been launched as part of the first ever “Swarovski for Samsung” collaboration. Available online since May 2014 and at selected Samsung stores, the range can be customised to suit personal taste. The Gear Fit Charm sliders are available in a wide variety of colours and styles, each easily customisable with mix-and-match capabilities. The new Galaxy S5 covers are available in Vibrant Blue and Mystic Black. “Swarovski for Samsung” is the first large-scale collection that Swarovski has participated in in more than 100 years. For more information, search “Swarovski for Samsung” at store.Samsung.com

AFRICA “DOES DEALS” At the end of March, over one hundred entrepreneurs and investors met in Lagos for the first Angel Fair West Africa. Coordinated by the Angel Africa List – a Pan African investment platform founded by 56 African delegates, including South Africa based ArtLogic – the Fair brings together Africa’s top technology and business innovators and investors. Here they network, inspire and, most importantly, make deals that will fast-track Africa’s businessmen and –women into the global economy.

In attendance this year: luminaries such as Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; investors such as Fatumata Soukouna of Soft Solutions and Folabi Esan of Adlevo Capital; and delegates from online platforms HYBOO, pliby.com and Save&Buy. With seven out of ten of the fastest-growing economies right here in Africa, the Angel Fairs provide an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurs to come together and “do deals” that could change the future of the continent. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 0 9

SANDTON EXPERIENCE STORE NOW OPEN! THE WARKAWATER TOWERS Designed by Italian designer Arturo Vittori, the beautifully sculptural WarkaWater towers were inspired by the Ethiopia’s Warka tree. The tree, which provides fruit for harvesting, and shade in the hot summer months is often venerated by the local communities. Now, Vittori’s WarkaWater towers seek to replicate that. The 30 feet bamboo structures truly follow form with function, collecting atmospheric water vapour that, when amassed, can be used as drinking water. Inside the towers a plastic mesh material captures condensation and channels the droplets along microtunnels. It is estimated that just under one hundred litres can be collected every day. In addition the towers are easy to build and can be equipped with a solar-powered LED, which would provide security and light at night, so maybe children can study, and like the namesake Warka tree, it can become a place for the community to gather for special events. “’Warka’ can be the semination point for a leapfrog development to bring the rural Ethiopian village community into the space age,” writes Vittori. “The tower can be enhanced with a shared internet connection for rural communities to bring them such valuable real-time information as weather forecast, actual market prices of food, fruit and vegetables, but also create a higher awareness of the ‘Genius-Loci of the Space-Age’ to continue to live in harmony with the local resources nature is providing.” S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 1 0

Brands are no longer just about the product – they now offer the consumer a full experience and nowhere is this more evident than the newly launched Samsung Experience Stores that are launching world wide and the latest to roll out is in Sandton, South Africa. Situated at popular Nelson Mandela Square, the Sandton Experience Store is stocked with the latest mobile phones, audio-visual solutions and household appliances. While there, customers can browse and sample products, get cellphone upgrades and installations or meet with highly trained staff who can offer technical advice. The Sandton Samsung Experience Store is based at shop number 1, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton City Shopping Centre. Telephone: +27 11 465 8880.

Image by Ugo Giacalone

TODAY’S HOME WITH TOMORROW’S TECHNOLOGY At this year’s Milan Design Week in Italy, Samsung joined forces with top Italian furniture designers Arclinea, B&B Italia and illumination brand Artemide to join top design and innovative technology in the Samsung Premium Home, an initiative in which premium products such as the curved Ultra HD television, the WW9000 washing machine and the Food Showcase refrigerator were displayed.

During the Fair, resident chef Davide Oldani of Cucina POP was stationed in the kitchen. He joins the team of Michelin starred chefs who advise and consult with Samsung on their next generation kitchenware. Concurrent to the home an installation entitled “Flows: a Journey to the Future” highlighted the integration of cutting-edge technology with everyday lifestyles.

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Samsung content partnership A wealth of new content partnerships enable Samsung users to work, travel, play and be entertained on the go.

b-there

nMusic

ADH Premium

This app acts as an online travel agency and now brings Samsung end users exclusive travel deals which can be booked directly from the b-there Travel App.

nMusic give customers the freedom to access music on GALAXY devices anywhere, anytime, even when the device is oﬄine.

This premium offering includes benefits like Smart Swap, Smart Pick-Up and Smart Value where the user can enjoy Guaranteed Future Buyback for their Samsung device.

Hello food

Dobox movies

Box oﬃce

Is an online food ordering service that delivers directly to you.

Take your movies with you and enjoy your favourite videos on the go.

Video On Demand service that allows you to rent and watch blockbusters from your smartphone.

Oﬃce 365

Spinlet music service

Mikz voucher service

You can access email, instant messaging and documents on your phone.

Spinlet offers digital distribution for artists, free streaming, and downloads.

Get exclusive discounts and vouchers on your Samsung smartphone.

Easy taxi

Sygic navigation service

Lifestory photoclub

This app connects taxi drivers and passengers with just a tap of a button.

Okada books Instantly get access to bestselling books and exam papers all from the comfort of your couch.

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Oﬄine maps & navigation app with turn by turn navigation.

Kenya law reference centre This app provides a wealth of information on the laws of Kenya.

Order prints, gifts, canvas and posters using photos and images from your Samsung phone.

ZOOM IN If you could zoom any closer, you’d be right there. The Galaxy K Zoom might be a camera phone, yet it delivers the control and functionality of a professional camera. The most notable innovation is the incredible 10x optical zoom function that retracts into the slim-line body of the phone. Other features include a 20.7 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor for ultra-detailed images, Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) to reduce blur, a Xenon Flash, full HD capabilities and technology to compensate for low light conditions and counteract the distance of the 10x zoom. And yet none of this photographic evolution compromises the phone functionality; it still functions as a Samsung Galaxy smartphone is expected to. Perfectly.

SAMSUNG’S STAR SHINES BRIGHT Both Samsung and Samsung Electronics scored this year with the win of not one, but two, Energy Star Partner of the Year Awards. This prestigious award recognises a company’s leadership in protecting the environment by creating products with enhanced energy efficiency. Samsung Electronics won the 2014 Energy Star Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the second year in a row. The holding company Samsung was rewarded with the 2014 Energy Star Partner of the Year Climate Communications Award for educating consumers about energy efficiency and how to proactively affect climate change through positive choices and behaviour. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 1 3

ON ANOTHER LEVEL Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newly launched range of audio products, named Level, combine high functionality and design. Created specifically for the tablet and smartphone generation who listen to music and watch movies while on the move, Level speakers and headphones come in four models: Level Over, over-ear wireless headphones with touchpad capability on the outside of the cans; Level On, lightweight over-ear headphones designed

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for long-listening; and Level In, in-ear bud headphones. The range also includes Level Box â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a wireless, metal Bluetooth speaker that pairs with your phone or tablet and has buttons for calls, music and a microphone for conference call functionality. All headphones come with sound cancelling functions to eliminate background noise, have Bluetooth speakers with rechargable batteries that last, on average, for thirty hours.

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create/ inspire

Wonder world THE SHINING MOUNTAIN An extinct volcano that looms 5,895 metres into the African sky, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free standing mountain in the world and, even in the height of summer, is capped with snow and surrounded by glaciers. The ice core found at the summit is estimated to be 11,700 years old. Surrounding the inner Reusch Crater, a wall of volcanic ash reaches up 120 metres high. Only 41% of climbers reach the summit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; most turn back with just one kilometre to go.

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Of the world's 981 World Heritage Sites, 120 sit in Africa. Ear-marked by the UNESCO organization, these sites are known for outstanding cultural and natural importance and are looked after and preserved for the common heritage of humanity. In a new series S14 pays homage to these regions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; places that tell of the earth's extraordinary journey, or scenes of unique phenomenal beauty â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all miracles of our great land.

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THE SEA OF SANDS Imagine a 3 million hectare desert of dunes sculpted by fog. The Namib Sand Sea is just that: large, shifting dunes that change according to the thick blankets of mist that roll in from the South Atlantic. It is a place of outstanding natural beauty â&#x20AC;&#x201C; conditions allow for exceptional visibility of dunes during the day and a dazzling Southern Hemisphere sky at night.

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NATURE'S WONDER CATHEDRAL Situated in Madagascar, the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve is made up of structures of sleet-grey limestone â&#x20AC;&#x153;needlesâ&#x20AC;? that can reach up to 300 metres in the air. This karst limestone formation, known as tsingy in Malagasy, forms a unique contrast with the green of the plummeting gorges and valleys. Surrounding forests, lakes and mangroves encompass various ecosystems and are home to the world famous lemurs and endemic birds.

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Africa through their lens Photography, the art of story-telling through imagery, is currently playing a defining role in contributing to new narratives about the African continent. Omoyemi Akerele picks her top image-makers.

fricaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new photographers are a creative class characterised by passion and a distinct point of view that communicates their story to the world around them. The resultant effect, a pattern of work that goes beyond photography, is re-presenting the African story. From runway fashion to fashion editorials and street style imagery, to photography that tugs at our heart strings as they depict poignant messages about the reality of Africa, these photographers are crafting stories that emphasise

the importance of seeing photography beyond the mere capturing of everyday occurrence. To them, photography is sharing a whole new experience that cuts across a diverse audience and reaches far beyond a single representation. The below photographers are award winning storytellers whose work has been highlighted and celebrated via a range of projects across CNN, Al Jazeera, Reuters and in exhibitions around the world, each carrying with them a visual representation of Africa, captured through their lens.

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Barbara Minishiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attraction to beauty, culture and the vibrancy of the human spirit inspires what she captures through her lens.

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Simon Deiner captures the best moments on notable fashion runways across Africa, making the images immediately accessible to all via his website www.sdr.co.za S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 2 7

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George Osodiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critically acclaimed photo documentation depicts a juxtaposition between the difficult conditions that prevail in the Niger Delta and the vast amount of wealth that the oil rich region generates for Nigeria.

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Nigerian Lakin Ogunbanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to present his art and fashion work with an edge and a hint of provocation has made him sought after for editorial and private collections.

Neo Otsoma is a multiple award winning photo journalist, she takes photos to make people believe in the subject of her photography. Her work aims to share her point of view about her subjects but most importantly, to capture the spirit and soul of the subject sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photographing.

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Awarding innovation

The challenges of doing business on the African continent are numerous but given the right stimuli, so too are the solutions. Phiona Okumu introduces the finalists in the 2014 Innovation Prize for Africa. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 3 2

ounded by Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais the African Innovation Foundation provides the banner under which the prestigious annual Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) operates. Now in its third year the aim is to encourage African-led development innovations that contribute to sustainable development in Africa. Entrepreneurs and innovators are called upon annually to propose projects which offer solutions to problems in five categories that are uniquely experienced in Africa. The winner takes home a cash prize of $100,000 and the two runners up – an innovation with the best business potential and another with the best social impact – are each awarded $25,000. Out of 700 applications from 42 countries, ten finalists were selected, and the IPA 2014 winners then chosen based on the marketability, originality, scalability, social impact and business potential of their ideas. Announced at an awards ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria in the week leading up to the World Economic Forum, this year's finalists run parallel to the WEF agenda - approaches to inclusive growth and job creation.

Winner Doctor Bones Dr. Nicolaas Duneas and Nuno Pires Dr. Nicolaas Duneas and Nuno Pires of South Africa’s Altis Osteogenic Bone Matrix (Altis OBM) were named in joint first place for their innovation in the treatment of bone injuries and voids. This breakthrough treatment offers an alternative to hostile invasive surgery used in the treatment of osteoporosis and other bone degenerative diseases. The treatment uses an injectable regenerative biological implant that is not only cost-friendly but also contains naturally extracted bone growth proteins sourced from mammals which brings about safe, quick and natural restoration of traumatised bones.

Runner up Daily Grind Logou Minsob Making foufou – the West African starchy staple food made of cassava, yam and plantain – is a labour intensive activity that typically requires hours of pounding the ingredients to a pulp before it can then be turned into its sticky dough consistency. Togolose entrepreneur Logou Minsob came up with an appliance not unlike a standard electric blender that whittles down the duration of preparation to a mere eight minutes. The Foufou Mix, as it’s called, was chosen especially for its marketability potential.

Runner up In the trenches Melesse Temesgen The African Union declared 2014 to be Africa’s “year of agriculture” and backed a new campaign aimed to help lift more than 85 million Africans out of poverty through targeted investment in agriculture, and featuring celebrity endorsements from the likes of Nigerian music artist D’banj and Ivorian footballer Yaya Touré. Well-intended efforts like this go in vain in countries like Ethiopia where up to 5 million hectares of land is water-logged and therefore rendered unusable. Ethiopian inventor Melesse Temesgen’s device is the low cost Aybar Broad Based Furrow Maker (BBM), which drains excess water from waterlogged fields while building a broad bed for planting.

Easy peasy processing Sulaiman Volarinde Famro Another food-processing invention premised on saving time (and therefore cost) is the Nigerian-made Farmking Multi-Crop Processor. On average, converting tuber farm produce such as sweet potatoes into paste form not only takes up to four days to complete but

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also results in harmful starchy waste. Sulaiman Volarinde Famro’s Farmking Multi-Crop Processor addresses both aspects by completing the process in 5 minutes flat, and also facilitating the repurposing of its starch by-product by the pharmaceutical industry for a number of industrial processes, potentially generating an additional income for users of the processor.

Baby steps for all Joshua Okello Like many developing countries, Uganda has high maternal mortality rates. The majority of expectant mothers in rural areas still prefer to take matters of their health into their own hands with assistance from a traditional mid-wife or “senga”, after whom Joshua Okello names his life-saving device. Leveraging the widespread use of mobile phones his antenatal diagnosis kit enables easy monitoring of mother and child by recording foetal heart beat sounds and having the diagnosis sent to the mother via SMS.

See the light Ashley Uys The OculusID Impairment Screening device developed in South Africa by Ashley Uys uses a non-invasive and hygienic method to observe the way the pupil of the eye responds to light. The outcome is useful in determining whether the subject is under the influence of drugs or narcotics or whether there is any defect related to disease such as diabetes.

Voicing the weather Maman About Kanée There are similar technologies to this new Horticultural Tele-Irrigation system out of Niger, which allow farmers to remotely control their irrigation via text message. How Maman Abdou Kanee’s is different is that it’s voice activated, and therefore user-friendly for illiterate farmers. It is also able

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to gather meteorological data about the farm and help the farmers interpret this data to inform their activity.

Palatable solution Viness Pillay South African Professor Viness Pillay has developed a more palatable ARV drug to administer to children suffering from HIV. The WaferMat TM is in the form of a wafer that dissolves within 3 seconds of being placed in the mouth and absorbs more efficiently than the ARV formulations currently available.

Waste not Daniel Gitau Thairu This Kenyan entrepreneur might have a solution to the sanitation problems which commonly plague African urban populations expanding at a rate faster than their infrastructures can cope with. His Domestic Waste Biogas Digester processes human and food waste separately with the added functionality of producing biogas.

Ear on the ground Elise Ressel Cloete South African software developer Cloete has devised coded ear tags, which are used to track livestock throughout their life cycle. Their unique traceable numbers are uploaded to a public database, making it easy to keep record of the animals’ movements which is useful for instance when there is a disease outbreak. The call for applications for IPA 2015 will be announced in July 2014. For more, go to www.innovationprizeforafrica.org

Samsung Innovation Museum

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Telling tales TED and TEDx continue to inspire and educate, giving voice to thousands of innovators across the globe. Refilwe Boikanyo looks at TEDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development on the continent.

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o one could have foretold the success of an offline ideas conference in the mid-eighties. Now, thirty years later TED lives online and off, connecting and inspiring billions of people around the globe. TEDx, a licensed platform that runs concurrent to TED allows individuals, industries, countries and the entire African continent to share their ideas, tell their own stories and define their essence as a people.

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In 2006 the TED conference extended its reach by posting these TED Talks on their website and through various other online channels. According to www.ted.com “At the end of 2006, TED Talks had been watched 2 million times; by the end of 2009, that number jumped to 200 million... As of November 2012, TED Talks have been viewed one billion times”. Kelo Kubu, a South African TEDx organizer, explains

At the center of a good TED / TEDx Talk is a clear single idea that can be replicated and scaled

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TED (which stands for technology, entertainment and design) is a non-profit organization devoted to “making great ideas accessible and sparking conversation”. The organization does this through a set of global conferences where the world’s greatest leaders, thinkers and teachers give a series of well-choreographed short talks sharing their innovative ideas, insights and experiences. American architect and graphic designer Richard Saul Wurman conceived the organization in 1984 and even though TED started its life as a conference where technology, entertainment and design converged; today the talks cover all topics ranging from science to business and global issues.

“At the center of a good TED / TEDx Talk is a clear single idea that can be replicated and scaled. The rest is preparation and presentation. For our TEDx events, we give our speakers at least three months to prepare. We take them through workshops on framing their story, designing their presentations, work on a transcript of their talk and do full rehearsals before the event.” Planned and coordinated independently, under a free license granted by TED, the TEDx platform was launched in order to bring the TED experience to more communities around the world and help individuals spark conversation, connect and collaborate by exposing them to innovators in

their own backyards. To date there have been over 9,000 TEDx events in 2,230 cities including Nairobi and Johannesburg. This has contributed tremendously to spreading the innovative ideas of Africans as over the years the platform has showcased numerous African speakers. Kelo says as a result “the ideas and innovations that have been presented by Africans at various TED / TEDx events are contributing to solving challenges across the world.” For instance “Juliana Rotisch and her team in Nairobi came up with the Ushahidi platform [a Web 2.0 crowdsourcing software initiative for real-time tracking of emergency events via cyberspace] that is now being used globally [since being adopted by Google]. The team also recently launched BRCK, which is a solution to anyone who has internet challenges in the world, not just Africa. Also, last year Zimbabwe based Allan Savory talked about how to fight desertification and reverse climate change. His talk has been viewed over 2.5 million times in just over a year.” Kelo, like many African TEDx supporters, believes that these are just some of the many examples of how the platform is helping to showcase the continent’s cultural and intellectual capital. And by doing so, it isn’t just highlighting how industries in Africa are increasingly rising, inspiring and influencing the rest of the world, the TED platforms are also a testament to how sharing ideas can help to improve mutual understanding amongst people in similar and differing communities. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 3 7

Top TED talks �

The TED platforms are also a testament to how sharing ideas can help to improve mutual understanding amongst people in similar and differing communities

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Chimamanda Adichie

Anas Aremeyaw Anas

Chimamanda is an awardwinning Nigerian writer whose accolades include receiving a National Book Critics Circle award for her latest novel Americanah and a film based on her popular novel Half of a Yellow Sun. In her talk she says humans are three dimensional, real stories are complicated and lives are layered so “if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding”. Her other widely popular talk “We should all be feminists” was sampled by Beyonce in the song Flawless.

Journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has broken dozens of stories of corruption and organized crime all over Ghana — without ever revealing his identity. In his talk (in which his face remains hidden) Anas tracks his lustrous career from early days as a young reporter to hardened under-cover journalist. The talk shows grisly footage from some of his investigations and demonstrates the importance of facing injustice. Anas is passionate about the impact journalism has on affecting society and community in the most progressive way.

The danger of a single story & We should all be feminists

How I named, shamed and jailed

Boyd Varty

Saki Mafundikwa

Kakenya Ntaiya

South African Boyd Varty is the fourth-generation custodian of the Londolozi Game Reserve. His talk focuses on building a movement around man’s connection with nature, what he calls a psychology of restoration. He says: “We would like to be pioneers of the age of restoration. Restoration of land, people and the human spirit.” His foundation, the Good Work Foundation provides environmental, English and computer education to the people who live and work in Londolozi. Boyd is also creating an economically and socially sustainable model for conservation.

Saki Mafundikwa is a Zimbabwean graphic designer and author of African Alphabets. Following twenty years in the US, Mafundikwa returned to Zimbabwe and opened the country’s first design college called the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts (ZIVA). In his talk he looks at African words and symbols through the ages and in different regions on the continent. Passionate about visual and linguistic communication his talk presents a succinct view of social intercourse and heritage in Africa.

This talk tells the harrowing, but ultimately heartwarming tale of Maasai Kakenya Ntaiya, a young Kenyan girl who made a deal with her father: she would undergo the traditional rite of passage of female circumcision if he would let her go to high school. She relates her fearless story of continuing on to college, and of working with her village elders to build a school for girls in her community. It’s the educational journey of one that altered the destiny of 125 young women. In the final minute she urges everyone to be brave and make a difference, as she has.

What I learned from Nelson Mandela

Ingenuity and elegance in ancient African alphabets

A girl who demanded school

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Thebe Ikalafeng discusses the current state of Africa, the brand the world sees, while highlighting points for the future.

ifty years ago on 25 May 1963, the 32 forefathers of the Organization of African Unity met with a unified agenda: to promote unity and solidarity of African states, to co-operate and co-ordinate efforts to achieve a better life for the people of Africa, defend its sovereignty and eradicate colonialism. Symbolically, it was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the only African nation never colonized, other than a short-lived occupation by Italy’s Mussolini. It was a seminal moment for Africa, by Africans. Fifty years since, when Africa celebrated 50 years of unity in Ethiopia on 25 May 2013 with a vision for peace and prosperity, it was a new Africa – the liberated African Union, rebranded earlier on 9 July 2002, in Durban, South Africa, the last colonized African nation. While Africa is a continent of 54 diverse nations and a billion people, all at different levels of development, collectively, it now presents a singular new global opportunity with peace and prosperity within reach. It’s an Africa

with no more need for begging, blaming or borrowing. No longer can Africa be accused as reported in The Sydney Morning Herald on 18 August 2003 about Idi Amin that ‘(like) many Africans, who admired a civilization whose external trappings he strongly desired, but of whose internal workings he had no idea, while at the same time he was partly enclosed in the mental world of a primitive tribalist.’ On December 15, 2013 when the world descended on the small village of Qunu in South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s funeral, it was not a summit on Africa’s demise or to resolve another war, but to celebrate a poignant moment – not only to bid farewell to an icon, but to acknowledge the caliber of leadership Africa can produce. Now, collectively, as the father of African Nationalism Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah urged 50 years ago, Africa “we face neither east nor west; we face forward.” This is the African era with more reasons to believe in and to be inspired.

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W E A RE GROW ING The Economist predicts that 6 of the top 10 fastest growing economies in the world will be African by 2015. Real GDP in Africa has risen by 4.9% a year from 2000 through 2008, more than twice of what it was in the 1980s and 1990s. Africa now is the fastest growing economy in excess of 5%, projected to be $2.6 trillion in 2020, buoyed by $860bn combined spending by almost one billion African consumers according to the McKinsey

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Global Institute. Africa’s wealthy class and high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) are also growing by 9.9%, the second highest growth rate in the world after North America, and above the global average growth rate of 9.2%, according to the 2012 World Wealth Report by the consulting firm Capgemini. According to McKinsey’s Rise of the African Consumer report, Africa’s consumer-facing industries are expected to grow by more than $400 billion by 2020.

Africa is now the fastest growing economy in excess of 5%

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W E A RE Y OUNG Africa is not only the world’s fastest-growing population, projected to account for more than 40% of global population by 2030 (McKinsey), but the youngest with 70% of the population under the age of 30 (United Nations). This demographic dividend can be an opportunity

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for a rising continent that will require new ideas and creativity in an information and borderless world in which the young thrive.

W E A RE AT P E A CE For a continent synonymous with frequent and expected coup d'etats and as many as 16 raging wars as recent as 2002, Africa is now relatively at peace with around two thirds of governments in Africa democratically elected, compared with just eight in 1991. As Mandela recognized, “Peace is not just the absence of conflict; peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish, regardless of race, colour, creed, religion, gender, class, caste, or any other social markers of difference.”

W E A RE CRE AT I V E

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Two thirds of governments in Africa were democratically elected

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MADE IN

AFRICA In the Brand Africa 100 survey, African brands represent only 33.7% of all the most valuable brands, while international brands account for 66.3%. Of the African brands, South African brands represent 71% of the share, Nigerian brands represent 27% and Kenyan brands represent the remaining 2%. As Africans become wealthier they are seeking more quality products and brands. In a spirited competition against global brands, Africans are fasttracking ‘Made in Africa’ brands

across all sectors, particularly in retail, telecommunications and financial services where brands such as Shoprite Checkers, Kenya’s Safaricom mobile money brand, M-Pesa, Nigeria’s online retailer brand Konga, and South Africa’s MTN have affirmed Africa’s growing capability in building worldclass African brands and standards.

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W E A RE BE A U T IF UL

In the 1800s South African Saartjie Baartman was shipped off to France as a freak. In the 1990s the Sudanese model Alek Wek emerged as a curiosity – a stereotypical African beauty.

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In the 2000s, Hollywood and mainstream global media acknowledged Kenyan Lupita Nyong’o, the new face of Lancôme and Miu Miu, as the new standard of beauty.

Hollywood acknowledged Kenyan Lupita Nyong'o as the new standard of beauty

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W E A RE P ROUD

Iconic Nigerian singer, Fela Kuti once said “you must identify with Africa, then you’ll have an identity.” Africans are no longer running away from Africa. The

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BBC Pulse of the People Survey in 2006 established that at least 85% of Africans are proud to be African and 3 out of 5 are confident in their countries.

W E A RE COMP E T ING

While the World Economic Forum ranks Sweden as the #1 most competitive nation, Africa is holding its own. In Africa, Mauritius is #1. The recent rebasing of the Nigerian economy has now created two centers of economic power in Africa – with Nigeria at #1

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with $500bn and South Africa #2 at $350bn. Foreign Policy Magazine’s Baseline Profitability Index, which measures frontier markets that offer high returns and improving economic institution ranks Botswana (2), Rwanda (5) and Ghana (10) among the top 10 globally.

The new broadcasters of the African narrative

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W E A RE OR AT ORS Chinua Achebe, the late Nigerian literary giant once said, “until the lion tells his side of the story, tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” For a long time the African story has been told by non-Africans. For a long time Africa responded by blaming the West’s CNN and BBC. Inspired by the Arab nations’

Al Jazeera and China’s CCTV who took control of their own narrative, Africans such as award-winning authors Chimamanda Adichie of Nigeria and NoViolet Bulawayo of Zimbabwe, along with the likes of DSTV and AllAfrica are the new authors of the African narrative.

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W E A RE BE COMING IN T E RDE P E NDE N T

FLOUR MADE IN AFRICA

One of the fundamental goals of the OAU/AU since inception was to create economic cooperation and a common market for Africa. While collectively intraregional trade is only about 12%, in other regions such as the East Africa Community it's as high as 26%. It has been estimated that a 1% increase in intra-regional

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trade will generate over $50billion for Africa – effectively wiping out the need for debt. Africa has noted and buying local – creating enabling environments such as Buy Zimbabwe, Proudly South Africa and Team Namibia initiatives to catalyze local industries, create jobs and fasttrack African innovation.

Three major African airlines connect all 54 African countries

W E A RE CONNEC T ED The three major African airlines – Ethiopian, Kenyan and South African – among the best in the world, not only fly their individual national flags, but collectively connect all 54 African countries. MTN, Safaricom and Vodacom, and many other African networks connect all Africans to relate and transact. Collectively, they’ve eradicated the borders that divided Africa.

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CH A L L E NGE S With the rise of Brand Africa, there are some challenges that can become barriers to the desired unity and prosperity: corruption Africa routinely dominates the Transparency International Corruption Index, with SubSaharan African countries having the highest perceived levels of public sector corruption.

Inequity Africa (and Latin America) has the highest disparity between the haves and the have nots.

Intolerance One of the major causes of conflict in Africa’s history is intolerance – religious (e.g. Nigeria’s Boko Haram), ethnic (eg. Sudan/ South Sudan) and sexual orientation with 38 of the 54 African nations criminalizing homosexuality as un-African.

Ownership The challenge with Africa is that with all its opportunities and natural wealth, Africa is still largely mortgaged and sponsored. It is rising, but the pilots are not African. Irrespective of all the challenges, as the old post-slavery Baptist preacher once acknowledged: “Lord we ain’t what we should be and we ain’t what we gonna be, but thank God Almighty, we ain’t what we was.” There’s never been a better time to be an African in Africa.

Youth unemployment Youth between 15 and 25 who represent 60% of the population and 45% of the total labour force (projected to be 75% in 2015) also represent 50% of the unemployed or inactive.

Thebe Ikalafeng is a pre-eminent global African brand architect, advisor and author. He is a Director of Brand South Africa, SA Tourism, WWF and founder of Brand Africa.

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Lord we ain’t what we should be and we ain’t what we gonna be, but thank God Almighty, we ain’t what we was

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Go green, Africa

From upcycling to eco-tourism Africa is upping her green credentials. Words by Nana Ocran

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hichever way you choose to define the term green economy, the elements attached to it have often been spoken about without much thought for Africa. For many off the continent, images of choking generators, the chaos of fume-laden traffic jams, and a general lack of ecofriendly marketing speak are some of the images and notions attached to Africa. However, before recycling (or upcycling) became a trendy buzzword in the West, Africa proved itself time and again to be persistently resourceful, typically through the re-use of reclaimed and

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natural materials in ways that are creating a new language of innovation – going hand in hand with inventions in science, education and culture. It seems that in terms of the many components of the green ecosystem, from the use of renewable energy to refashioning scrap metal, Africa’s green credentials are on the rise. Much of the sustainable activity that exists on the continent has come from the younger generations. At the tender age of 9, Richard Turere from Nairobi, developed Lion Lights to successfully scare the Kenyan predators away from his family’s cattle. LED

lights placed around a cowshed were powered by car batteries, which were in turn charged by a solar panel. Self-taught engineer Kelvin Doe was only 13 when he built his own Sierra Leonean-based radio station using scrap metals for transmitters, batteries and generators, while Malawian William Kamkwamba was 15 when he used bicycle parts, scrap materials and gum trees to build a windmill for powering electrical appliances. There’s also the much talked about (and also varyingly contested) Nigerian Maker Project in which a group of schoolgirls created a urine powered generator. Workable

The Maker Project - schoolgirls invent a urine powered generator

or not, if successfully developed it’s a venture that could have positive implications about the future treatment of waste to develop electricity. It’s Africa’s natural resources that are obviously key to harnessing new ideas and addressing specific environmental challenges, many of which have global connectivity at the heart of them. The Hello World project in Nigeria is one program with education and global connectivity at its core. Not unlike Samsung’s solar-powered schools, Hello World provides solar-powered computers for adults and children in outdoor hubs in Suleja, Niger State. Set up

under the umbrella of Projects for All by founder and CEO Katrin Macmillan, the project’s green status comes from the fact that local engineering and community teams are trained to a level in which international teams don’t have to be repeatedly flown in, and when the Projects for All team visits the area, they stay with the host community rather than opting for hotels or guest houses. A second Nigerian hub is in the pipeline, as well as plans to establish the project in the Democratic Republic of Congo and India. Perhaps a tenuous link can be made with other initiatives that are more closely linked with tourism.

Through the re-use of reclaimed and natural materials Africa is creating a new language of innovation

William Kamkwamba's windmill

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Radio station inventor, Kelvin Doe

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William Kamkwamba at work

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Richard Turere created Lion Lights

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The Jaekel House in the Ebute Metta suburb of Lagos

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The Hello World project

Bicycle parts, scrap materials and gum trees build a windmill Hello World Images by Tom Saater

for powering electrical appliances

In Lagos, the Legacy Project, an historic environmental interest group campaigned tirelessly to preserve the eco-friendly Jaekel House and its surroundings in an old railway compound in Ebute Metta. Now fully restored as a museum, the colonial building with natural, non air conditioned features has a carbon footprint that the majority of energy-guzzling properties in the country can’t match. There’s been a long relationship between Legacy and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation whose vital projects include the Lekki Conservation Centre, which protects the wildlife that gets caught up in the urban sprawl of Nigeria’s

southwest coastal areas. Lastly, the politics of eco awareness or environmentalism is seeping into the language of more and more African governments, with parties including the Green Party of Ghana campaigning for ‘natural and human capital balance for present and future sustainability,’ and the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda which calls for the ‘fair distribution of national resources and the protection of the environment’ as part of its sizeable mission statement. www.projectsforall.org Nigerian Conservation Foundation www.ncfnigeria.org S 1 4

The Hello World project, photographed by Tom Saater

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Ghana Gold de Money Series, 2009 By George Osodi

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The Square Kilometre Array Project The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is an international effort to build a radio telescope with a square kilometre of collecting area. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

1,collecting 000, 000aream

Deploying thousands of radio telescopes, astronomers will be able to survey the sky thousands of time faster than before. In 2012 the notfor-profit SKA Organisation made the decision to co-site the telescopes in the deserts of

SOUTH AFRICA

AND AUSTRALIA MeerKAT In the Karoo desert, is being developed as the precursor to SKA. The first 7 dishes, KAT-7, are installed and have already produced its first pictures.

OVER 500 proposals from

INTERNATIONAL A S T RONOMERS have already been received to utilise MeerKAT once it is completed in 2014.

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Building the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest telescope:

The Square Kilometre Array

Human Capacity Development Programme The SKA SA Project invests in developing skills for MeerKAT and SKA through its dedicated Human Capacity Development Programme.

Âą 600 PEOPLE ranging from artisans to postgrads

& postdoctoral fellows have already received bursuries and grants for studies in astronomy.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES will be created by the building of and support services to MeerKAT and SKA for at least

10 YEARS and the running and maintenance of the SKA will create jobs for the next

50 YEARS Fun facts

24 hours of data collected by the SKA would take

2, 000, 000 years to playback on an iPod. The SKA will utilise the power of

100 million PCs and use enough optic fibre cable to wrap around the earth

Twice

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The museum of innovations As a worldwide leader in innovation, Samsung is not only dedicated to ground-breaking advances in technology but also respects and honours the inventions that make up the world that we live in today.

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a fitting and entertaining way to show consumers how far we have come over the last century, and just how incredible the journey to the future will be

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n celebration of Samsung’s 45th anniversary, the Samsung Innovation Museum Showcase opened in April 2014 in Suwon, Korea. Spread out over a massive 11,000 m² the five storey museum has three exhibition halls showcasing the past, the present and the future of electronic innovation. The first two halls have over 150 specialist historical items. In the First Hall, original models such as the first General Electric refrigerator (1929), Thomas Edison’s first light bulb (1900s) and the first Wireless Telegraph are on display. Company histories of Siemens (established 1847), AT&T (1885), Philips (1891) and GE (1892) are explained in videos and installations. The second Hall tracks The Age of Industry Expectation and features landmark moments such as the invention of the transistor, the development of integrated circuits and the history of the semiconductor. Visitors can also see the world’s first mobile phone and smartphone. In Hall Three, the Age of Creation

installation shows the best of future technology. The Product Gallery showcases leading innovations and the products that will change your life, from B2B solutions to the latest world-class products such as the Curved TV and the next generation of Smart Home services. While at the Museum, visitors can also learn about the history of Samsung, from humble beginnings as an exporter of dried Korean fish and fruit, to its status as the fourth most powerful company in the world (Forbes, 2013). The multimedia Museum experience is a fitting and entertaining way to show consumers how far we have come over the last century, and just how incredible the journey to the future will be. “The Samsung Innovation Museum brings together some of the true historical masterpieces of electronics innovation,” said CEO Kwon Oh-hyun. “These inventions laid the technological foundation that allowed us to develop and refine products that enhance lives today.” S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 5 9

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Team Galaxy 1 Take the world's top eleven soccer players and challenge them to save the planet in a game of football against aliens. Welcome to the new Samsung Galaxy 11 campaign.

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We are thrilled to provide fans with new and exciting ways to participate in the Galaxy 11 campaign throughout the football season

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ast becoming one of the most viewed advertising campaigns in recent history, the ad features players like Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, as the team battles alien domination in a “winner takes earth” match on a virtual football pitch. In the latest instalment, fans can watch as the team undergo training in a futuristic setting of hypo-charged footballs and cyborg goalies. Incorporated into their regime, the Galaxy S5, Gear 2 and Fit are used to enhance their capabilities. Features like heart rate monitoring, water-resistant functionality, faster auto-focus and other dedicated fitness tools provide enhanced mobile technologies that enable the team to perform at their very best.

As part of the campaign, Samsung has also released a variety of Galaxy 11-themed mobile games. “The Match: Striker Soccer Galaxy 11”, available to Galaxy S5 and all Android users, gives fans the chance to play as a member of the Galaxy 11 team. The player takes on the alien team and can win weekly prizes. Three other new games, Galaxy11 “Cannon Shooter,” “Soccer Wars,” “Shooting Soccer”, are available on all Galaxy devices. Fans can also play against the Samsung Galaxy 11 team as part of a special partnership with the mobile game EA SPORTS FIFA 14. From April to July the Galaxy 11 World Tour Studio will be travelling around the world, stopping in England, Italy, the UAE, China, Nigeria, Argentina and Brazil. Using

the featured Samsung devices – Galaxy S5, Gear 2 and Fit – this interactive studio session allows football enthusiasts to train and play like the Galaxy 11 team. Each city tour will be hosted by one of the Galaxy 11 players. “We are thrilled to provide fans with new and exciting ways to participate in the Galaxy 11 campaign throughout the football season,” said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, IT& Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. As the fever pitch for the FIFA World Cup reaches its peak and subsides, the Samsung Galaxy 11 team will still be hard at work - gearing up for the next round of the campaign: the battle against the aliens for the earth. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 6 3

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Sing when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re winning

While three-time African Footballer of the Year, Yaya Touré was preparing for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Phiona Okumu wondered wether it would be his last.

owadays the mark of a real star is in the memes created about you. You have not fully arrived until the internet says you are worthy to be parodied, or have songs written in your honour. By these standards a star is among us in the form of Ivorian footballer Gnégnéri Yaya Touré. In a bizarre display of football frenzied affection the city of Newcastle came to a standstill when fans in tribute to the sport’s famous brothers Yaya and Kolo Touré, kicked off a street party with chants made famous by Manchester City supporters to the tune of 90’s hit No Limit by 2 Unlimited. The same thing has since happened in Magaluf, Madrid and Sligo in Ireland. That anthem was composed when the siblings both still played for the club (Kolo has now moved to Liverpool). It must be this kind of fansourced affirmation that Yaya alludes to when he recently said: “To be honest, proper recognition has only come from the fans. I don’t want to be hard and I don’t want to be negative, but I want to be honest.” The Manchester City midfielder was actually echoing the sentiment of his teammate Samir Nasri who in an interview said that African players like Touré (and the likes of Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o) would have received more plaudits were they from

another region. It’s not the only time the $20 million-a-year player has experienced underestimation. Had Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger signed Yaya in 2003 when he had the chance, he might have been able to turn his ailing club’s fortunes around. Wenger admits regret at that decision but also adds that the Ivorian national’s passport issues at the time prevented

scouted from a youth academy in Ivory Coast at the age of 18. Now considered one of the finest midfielders in the game, the three-time African footballer of the year has played in Ukraine, Spain, Barcelona, France and now England. He has also been a regular member of the Ivorian national team since his debut in 2004. As the focus falls on Brazil where he will represent Ivory Coast,

Yaya, who turned 31 in April, recognizes this will likely be his last World Cup

him from closing the deal to secure Yaya alongside brother Kolo, who was already at the club. Touré’s version of events is that Wenger showed no confidence in the young player who had tried out at Arsenal and had dreams of literally filling in the shoes of former club captain and stellar midfielder Patrick Viera. The Gunners manager insisted he was better suited as a striker. Touré first met Wenger when the Sekoura Bouaké-born player was making a name for himself at the start of his career in Belgium, having been

Yaya, who turned 31 in April, recognizes this will likely be his last World Cup and is determined to make it to a win. “It [the fact it’s likely to be his last world cup] gives me extra motivation,” he said in an interview with Sport 360. “Why? Because with this generation we are all the same age and as we have gone all along we have played together. Since it could be the last time for some of us I think it’s worth it to put in the effort. I think we are more serious and more competitive and that’s what we are bringing to the game.”

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Open for business Local and international brands thrive as Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retail sector embraces new luxury. Omoyemi Akerele unpacks a growing industry.

igeria, with a population of approximately 178 million people, is the single largest market in Sub-Saharan Africa. The market as a whole, with an estimated consumer spending of $100 billion a year, holds endless potential for retail expansion and as such is being positioned as a key contributor for the Nigerian economy, attracting over $1.3 billion in investment. Selfridges, Matches, Louisa Via Roma, River Island and

ASOS are global retailers that currently ship to the West African country. Offline, the retail environment is gradually maturing from its informal, open air structure with little or no defined shopping districts, to purpose built enterprises focused on creating better shopping experiences. The result is an increase in demand for high quality retail space. Persianas Group, the retail property developer of The Palms Shopping Mall in Lekki, owns four of the major malls

in Nigeria. Located in Lagos, Enugu, Kwara and Ibadan the group has further plans to roll out more internationally specâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d shopping meccas throughout the country. Brands like MAC, Puma, Mango and Hugo Boss have made The Palms home even though thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constant debate around the lack of appeal that shopping malls currently have for housing luxury brands. The Ermenegildo Zegna franchise in Nigeria opted for a stand-alone space situated S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 6 7

on Victoria Island’s Akin Adesola. Vogue’s International Fashion Editor Suzy Menkes predicts this will be the luxury retail hub in Lagos and Ermenegildo Zegna Franchise Director, Tope Edu agrees. “Location is key for retail and even more so for a global luxury mono brand store like Zegna,” she says. “The Zegna customer is sophisticated, well-travelled and accustomed to shopping on the world’s most exclusive streets.” Ayo Amusan, Director, Persianas Retail (a subsidiary of Perisanas Group), which holds franchises for Hugo Boss and Puma, is convinced that in this market shopping malls provide the best opportunity to drive luxury retail business forward as locally there isn’t a culture akin to the European high street. Beyond location, infrastructure and the existence of customers for S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 6 8

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Can Nigerians give up the satisfaction they derive from their shopping therapy across Europe, America and Dubai?

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the luxury goods industry in Nigeria, a recurring question is wether Nigerians will shop in Nigeria on a scale that will make luxury retail brands thrive? Can Nigerians give up the satisfaction they derive from their shopping therapy

across Europe, America and Dubai for a somewhat similar experience at home? The answer is yes. Nigerians are consciously beginning to promote and support all things Nigerian. Retail is surviving in other sectors like automobile, fine wines and champagne, so why not fashion? Existing franchises Hugo Boss, Ermenegildo Zegna and L’Oreal, value the importance of research on the potential of the market to deliver. They understand the taste and spending patterns of their potential customers in a dynamic market like Nigeria and are willing to customise their product offerings to suit local buying habits. The gradual increase in the number of Nigerian owned retail concept stores further buttresses the point that Nigerians can and will get their retail fix from stores within the country. These include Grey

Velvet and L’espace, boutiques that currently stock Nigerian brands, and e-commerce sites like SMEMarket Hub, Jumia and Konga. Luxury destinations Temple Muse and the much anticipated Alara and StorAfrica are dedicated to creating an experience that’s beyond fashion. Alara will house a medley of culinary treats and carefully curated art collections. The Belgian co-owned StorAfrica was founded by former Rolex executive Philippe De Baets and is poised for continent wide expansion, stocking both African and global high-end retail brands. There is no doubt that the economic pace in Nigeria has accelerated, infusing the country with a new commercial vibrancy – an inimitable sign of progress. As Nigerians join consumers from other parts of the world in spending their income on non-food items, the fashion retail industry in general, stands a significant chance to benefit from this growth. An increase in spend will create more job opportunities, expand

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Nigerians are consciously beginning to promote and support all things Nigerian

global retail and strengthen the presence of both luxury and high street brands. Both local and global retail brands can benefit from the sudden surge of growth in the sector. It’s evident the current appreciation of national brands will not necessarily affect consumer consumption and appetite for global luxury brands, and vice versa. There is space in the market for them to co-exist and thrive, in traditional and entirely new retail concepts. “We chose to develop a brand like Alara because in terms of content, not one of the brands currently existing would have been able to give us what we wished for,” says Reni Folawiyo, the visionary behind the David

Adjaye-designed multi-store. “Our circumstances here in Nigeria are quite unique and we wanted to share and celebrate that. We are the continent that’s always been regarded romantically as full of promise but fatally constrained by all sorts of factors. But that’s not how we live, and that’s not how we see ourselves. I wanted to show the world how we live today, that we are able to balance our history and culture with our unique brand of sophistication and derive from that an appetite and appreciation for products of high quality. No one else can do that for us because our experiences and influences are unique to us.”

Mo dan store projected design

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The Grey Velvet store in Nigeria, www.greyvelvetstores.com

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Temple Muse store

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Something to say No longer the preserve of gangs and criminals, festivals in Ghana and Senegal take tagging off the wall. Words Nana Ocran

till relatively young, the graffiti scene in Africa might be standing on the shoulders of the Hip Hop giants of 1970’s New York, but it’s a growing movement. South Africa seems to have the edge in terms of its influence around the continent, and a big draw is the Graffiti South Africa website, set up by artist and musician Cale Waddacor, who holds the biggest archive on African graffiti. Highlighting the work of graffiti artists from

over 30 countries, Waddacor also has a book due for US publication later this year, the content of which will be “a complete historical account of South Africa’s graffiti scene”. In the meantime, his links with key festivals include Senegal’s annual Festigraff showcase in Dakar, which has brought young guns of the art form such as Mad Zoo, King Mow and the rest of the Radical Bomb Shots (R.B.S) collective into the spotlight. S 1 4 Q 0 2

Gambian graffiti by Chesnot Jérôme

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Theme-based, last year’s festival explored the concept of Jamestown as a space station providing a ‘portal to different realities’

One of the pieces at Festigraff

A part of a mural by Know Hope, Tel Aviv,

Mural by Mymo from Berlin, Germany

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A collaboration of tags and stencil

Israel in Woodstock, Cape Town.

in Woodstock, Cape Town.

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between Sager Genesis and Bark Design

Image by Daniel Lobo

Rich in love by Andrew Breitenberg

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in Woodstock, Cape Town.

www.selahmade.com

Festigraff was created by the Doxandem Squad, an association of writers and activists, and is led by Senegal Docta, one of the country’s pioneers of graffiti writing and Hip Hop. A Pan African flavour has been added to the event with the appearance of other big artistic players including Windhoek (Namibia), SMI (Togo) and Senceelor (Burkina Faso) who all sit on the tip of a huge graphic iceberg. Over in Ghana, the annual Chale Wote festival is steadily evolving from a street art celebration into a hub for graffiti art. Set up by the cultural network Accra [dot] Alt, graffiti team-ups between Ghanaian and international artists from Germany, South Africa, Brazil and

Sweden have produced over 50 artworks over the past three years. Theme-based, last year’s festival explored the concept of Afrofuturism and Jamestown – Accra’s oldest district – as a space station providing a ‘portal to different realities’. Named after Ghana’s most leveling acquisition, the humble “chale wote” flip flop, the term translates as “Man, let’s go” in Accra’s lingua franca Ga language, something that the festival organisers see as ‘a rallying call mobilizing people through a unique art experience’. www.graffitisouthafrica.com www.festigraff.com accradotalttours.wordpress.com

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Graffiti in Korea Individuality, self image, free trade, gender equality, oil, honour, shame, nuclear power ... These are just some of the themes – dark and light – that can be found within the street and graffiti art that’s dotted throughout South Korea’s capital city, Seoul. Over 100 full colour photos have been captured by US writer, photographer, philanthropist and techie, A. Tarantino who stuck within the city limits of Gangnam, Insadong, Itaewon, Sinsa and Hongdae to imbibe the visual culture of a 25 million-strong

metropolis. Seoul has its own unique visual influences but aside from the manga inspired murals and drawings that spring up, there’s often a nod to the tagging scene of New York that also crop up on suitable wall spaces. Here the Hangul alphabet of South Korea is the foundation of many colourful curved and linear symbols that are etched on more and more concrete canvases, often with the prerequisite spray-canned bling of any self-respecting street or graffiti artist. www.seoulstreetart.com

A series of photographs from the book Seoul Street Art by A. Tarantino

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Lagos city guide Founder of Africa’s top fashion portal, Haute Fashion Africa, Wadami Amolegbe guides S14 through her home town.

Southern Sun The Southern Sun Ikoyi is in Lagos’s business district and close to the government offices. Without a doubt the chicest hotel in Lagos, the Southern Sun carries a special charm for visitors and locals alike. On Sundays the hotel offers an incredible buffet brunch with limitless champagne and orange juice. As it

is close to one of Lagos’ most popular churches, some of the most powerful people in the congregation – from magazine editors to managing directors – come after Sunday worship for the great ambiance and good local and international eats. 47 Alfred Rewane Rd, Ikoyi www.southernsunikoyi.com

Main images by George Osodi

agos, like New York City, hosts individuals from all cultures and walks of life, in the city with one goal – to achieve their desired dream. And now, a growing influx of returning diaspora mean the city is taking shape with ownership of its heritage with a good mix of western influences and home grown culture. Nicknamed the ‘city of excellence’, Lagosians take pride that there is something for everyone, every day of the week, every minute of the day and night.

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The Palms Mall The mall, which opened in late 2005 is Nigeria’s largest and was the first first-class shopping destination in Lagos. It has 69 top-brand stores, including some of my favourites: Hugo Boss, Puma, Lacoste, Swatch, Mango and Max Fashion, to name a few. There is also a modern six screen cinema and in 2013 an amusement park opened – giving the mall something for everyone: young and old. BIS Way, Lekki, Lagos www.thepalmsshopping.com

reincarnation – his youngest son, Seun Kuti, plays the last Saturday of each month. Seun also leads Fela’s former band, Egypt 80. Whether you’re a Fela Kuti fan or an afrobeat fundi, the club is legendary and will provide memories that will last forever. 1 Nerdc Road, Agindigbi, Ikeja. www.newafricashrine. blogspot.com

Nike Art Gallery

The New Afrika Shrine The New Afrika Shrine is a club operated by Femi and Yeni Kuti, the eldest children of Nigerian cultural icon and afrobeat master, Fela Kuti. The Shrine was originally built by their father, Fela, but was burnt down by his aggressors in the seventies. The New Afrika Shrine, which is built in his memory hosts Femi Kuti on Thursday and Sunday nights. Fela’s most approximate

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The name may imply affiliation with a sports brand, but this four storey building filled with wall-to-wall art by world renowned Nigerian artists, is privately owned by Chief Mrs Nike Okundaye. A textile artist and women’s leader, Madame Nike has worked hard to make the gallery the largest and best in Nigeria. There are reported to be over 500 sculptures, 8,000 paintings, and thousands of indigenous and hand designed fabrics in the collection. If you’re lucky the evereffervescent proprietress is present, and she’ll welcome you with open arms as she shares her joy with the collection on a personal tour of the building - no appointment needed! No. 2, Elegushi Road, 2nd Round About, Epe Expressway, Ikate Cross Road, Lekki, Lagos Phase 1 Peninsula www.nikeart.com

L’espace Tuesday is my personal prep day, and I’m a bit of a hair fanatic. I get mine done in two places: for perms and treatments for my natural hair no one comes close to Aislynn Adewale, head hairstylist at the Bnatural spa in Victoria Island (www.bnaturalmedspa.com). For extensions, be it braids or a weave I go to Sarah at the Blow dry Bar, upstairs at one of Lagos’ most exciting concept stores, L’espace. Home to many of the best Nigerian fashion brands, L’espace is also a one stop makeover place as Franca does my nails, I can shop for clothes and make up and grab a quick bite before heading out for the night. 19a Olosa Street, Off Karimu Kotun, Victoria Island, Lagos. www.lovelespace.tumblr.com

Quilox For those-in-the-know, Thursday night is the best night to party, and my personal favourite event is We Own The Night (WOTN) with Peju Adewusi & ABK at Quilox. Considered the first real club experience in Lagos, Quilox has three floors, and dance lights to shake what your momma gave ya! WOTN is a themed clubbing experience with celebrity guest stars. The club also has a great outdoor bamboo section and VIP shisha bars. Both offer an alternative way to relax and enjoy some good music and food away from the dance floor. 873 Ozumba Mbadiwe Way, Victoria Island, Lagos. www.clubquilox.com

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Lagos, like New York City, hosts individuals from all cultures and

Freedom Park Freedom Park is a great place to relax and take in the beauty of downtown Lagos. Built on the site of Her Majesty’s Broad Street Prisons, the center was constructed to preserve the history and cultural heritage of the Nigerian People. Freedom Park is a national memorial, a historical landmark, a cultural site and an arts and recreation center. Additionally the project commemorated the 50th anniversary independence celebration in October 2010 in remembrance of the fathers for their patriotism which ultimately led to the nation’s independence from colonial masters. Freedom Park is now a peaceful place for individual and collective contemplation and interaction. It has also hosted live performances from eclectic artists such as Ade Bantu and Keziah Jones. Old Prison Ground, Broad Street, Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria. www.lagosfreedompark.com

Lekki Conservation Center The Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC) is one of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation’s foremost conservation project sites. Located on the renowned Lekki Peninsula, the LCC covers a land area of 78 hectares and is committed to preserving and protecting Nigeria’s wildlife found on the southwest coastal environment. Trusted to protect the environment against the development of urban sprawl and poachers, the LCC is divided into two parts. The education and resource centre attracts many international visitors and school tours, while the 2km trail through the nature reserve is a unique attraction for Lagosians and tourists. Km 19, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lekki, Lagos State. www.ncfnigeria.org/projects/ lekki-conservation-centre

walks of life

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Ruling commercial and private airspace Bombardier Aerospace is changing the rhythm of African-focused air travel, Nana Ocran investigates as country consumers continue to grow.

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y parents wanted me to become a priest, and although I did well at the seminary, I never stopped thinking about my machines,” said Joseph Armand Bombardier, revolutionary inventor, businessman and founder of Canada’s multinational transport organisation, Bombardier Aerospace. L’Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée was the original name of the company – which was initially titled in reference to its most famous invention – the snowmobile. A revolutionary vehicle, Joseph-Armand had first fashioned the motorized ice sled at the tender age of 15, using the shell of an old Model T-Ford. His initial aim was to gift his fellow Quebecians with winter transportation, although it took until 1937 for him to get the seven-passenger snow car off the ground. It took another two decades for Bombardier to manufacture the world famous one-person SkiDoo. After his death in the mid 1960s, Bombardier’s son-in-law Laurent Beaudoin became president of the company and took what was already a financially healthy organisation onwards to become one that successfully diversified into locomotive production by the mid 1970s.

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The transport company has already invested a hefty $200 million to open a transition facility near Casablanca, Morocco

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During the 1980s, a $1billion US contract to supply subway cars for the New York City put Bombardier firmly on the map of rolling stock production, and by the late 1980s, the company had entered the airline industry. Bombardier Aerospace has subsequently become the third largest manufacturer of civil aircraft (after Boeing and Airbus) although it has an edge on its competitors, as it’s the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. The company’s locomotive credentials that were forged

in the 1970s took on a greater resonance with Bombardier’s manufacture of 15 cars for South Africa’s Gautrain, the rapid transport railway system that links Johannesburg, Pretoria and the O.R Tambo International Airport. This was a perfect breakthrough into the African market by land, but it’s the airborne activities that are redefining the company’s geographic focus. The ‘Africa Rising’ story that’s exciting global companies in terms of their investment plans has a huge influence on the aviation industry. As a continent, Africa’s figures have traditionally been low in terms of global air traffic, mainly because of the minimal numbers for tourism, high fuel prices and often inadequate infrastructure at many of the continent’s airports. With just 3 per cent of the global air traffic and 20 per cent of intercontinental connections, the continent is on the back foot of air travel. However, the huge growth in the oil, gas and other industries across Africa is creating long-term thinking for various international organisations, and Bombardier is well positioned to help create better connections to, from and within the continent. The transport company has already invested a hefty $200 million to S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 8 1

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open a transition facility near Casablanca, Morocco. Due to open in late 2014, the North African site will operate as a hub for training and aircraft maintenance and will have a manufacturing capacity that will create hundreds of jobs over the next couple of decades. Low shipping, manufacturing and transportation costs, plus the country’s close proximity to Europe make Morocco a perfect gateway for Bombardier to gain commercial access to the rest of the continent. North African orders are already streaming in for Bombardier’s narrow-bodied, twin-engine CSeries airliners – Morocco put in an order for 201. Even Libya, post its revolution, has seen a rise in leisure and business travel, and subsequently, Libyan Airlines S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 8 2

decided to swap eight 90-seat capacity CRJ900s for a mix of CS100 and CS300 planes, with the company’s sister carrier Afriqiyah Airways going for 10 Bombardier replacement planes. Bombardier takes its crusading campaign to get the word out about its new or established planes seriously. Tactile tours for potential customers to get up close to specific Bombardier models took place in 2012 with over 20 African destinations across West, Southern and Eastern Africa, as well as swift test flights of the Q400 turboprop. Known for its extreme short take off and landing, Bombardier already had a total of 13 orders for this model in the bag between Bluebird of Kenya and Ethiopian Airlines,

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Nigeria is said to be the fastest growing aviation market in the world after China; since 2007 over N1 trillion was spent on private jets

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with one of the models being used as a flight simulator for pilot training at the Aviation Academy at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport. Bombardier’s African tour went on to seek consumers in Accra, Maputo in Mozambique, Gaborone in Botswana, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and Rwanda’s largest city, Kigali. As a result, RwandAir stumped up $33 million for a Q400, for its five times a week Accra route. This is in addition to the airline’s flights to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa and Nigeria, with two Bombardier CRJ900 models making up the fleet for those routes. Of all the regions on the continent, Nigeria stands out as the biggest consumer of Bombardier’s planes. When it was touted as Africa’s second

largest economy Nigeria was well known for snapping up private jets at a pretty furious rate, causing observers such as Captain Akin George, the former MD of the country’s local Aerocontractors Airline to comment on the increasing number of private jets parked in Nigeria’s airports. Over the last few years, Nigeria has witnessed more and more public statements of jet ownership, and perhaps not surprisingly, construction magnate Aliko Dangote – currently ranked the richest man in Africa, and the 23rd richest man in the world – is a proud owner. He acquired a spanking new 12-seater Bombardier business jet worth $45 million for his 53rd birthday in 2011. He’s joined by business tycoon Mike Adenuga who owns a

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slightly less pricey Bombardier Challenger at $30 million although both men are said to have more than one jet in their collections. There’s also Nigerian fashion designer and oil magnate Folorunsho Alakija. Pegged as the richest black woman in the world, she owns a Bombardier jet along with a large collection of lucrative real estate in London and Nigeria.But aside from private jets being very much a part of Africa’s upper middle class luxury narrative, there are other causes and effects that might be driving the trend for individual ownership. The rolling effect of the tragic 2012 Dana Air crash in Lagos, caused the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to suspend Dana’s licence. A matter of months S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 8 3

later, debt burdens forced the larger Nigeria Air to fold, leaving Arik Airline (a Bombardier carrier) to exploit the gap in the market for airlines offering much wanted seats on the LagosAbuja route as well as the route to the oil-rich Port Harcourt. With Arik having carte blanche to adjust its network-wide fares upwards by 50%, the private jet industry swung into action, offering more fleets and routes ¬ to the legions of multinational companies drilling for oil in remote parts of the country. Although very much a Nigerian story, the ability to do slick, high profile, Pan-African and global business while in the possession of a jet aircraft seems to be the prerequisite of the continent’s commercial players. Well-known business figures such as South Africa’s Tokyo Sexwale and Shoprite CEO, S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 8 4

Whitey Basson both have their own airborne timetables. But there is a second level business here. Owning a private plane offers opportunities for jets to be chartered out when not in use, to the tune of thousands of dollars an hour. For example a one way trip from Lagos to Dakar in a Bombardier Challenger is somewhere around $37,000. This is a stupendous figure when compared to the average $1,000 for a regular business class ticket to fly the same route. Besides the convenience of traveling at one’s own time and having VIP security and in some instances jet-side parking, it is the on board amenities that attract potential flyers. Seating 10-12 comfortably, the Challenger is the widest and quietest luxury jet. Of course there is a full range of entertainment options, as well as large reclining seats, an on board shower and full galley.

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The ability to do slick, high profile, Pan-African and global business while in the possession of a jet aircraft seems to be the prerequisite of the continent’s commercial players

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One shot

Unsafe injections are the ninth biggest killer in the world. One man is on a mission to change that, and Samsung is joining the fight. Words by Mwanabibi Sikamo S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 8 8

ccording to the World Health Organisation 7 billion of the 17 billion injections given in the developing world each year are unsafe, that’s a staggering 40%. Incorrect use of syringes contributes to the spread of HIV and Hepatitis. It has been reported that up to 23 million cases of Hepatitis B, 2 million of Hepatitis C and 260,000 of HIV infections a year can be attributed to unsafe syringes. How much more harrowing are those statistics when you consider that a syringe is supposed to make people better? A relatively inexpensive piece of equipment that when used effectively and distributed widely can save millions of lives across the globe. In 1984, at just 23 and “without a sense of purpose” Marc Koska (OBE) read a newspaper article predicting the spread of HIV through the reuse of syringes. Immediately he set out to find a solution to this medical catastrophe. Through hard work and applied learning he created a syringe that cannot physically be re-used. The Auto Disable (AD) syringe, known as the K1, is globally affordable, easily manufactured and used in a similar way to a normal syringe. Licensed to 14 manufacturers, 4 billion K1 syringes have been sold to date. It is the most widely manufactured syringe currently on the market and Marc dreams to go even further. “We would like to

open-license the syringe so that anyone in the world can make our syringe if they wish to without the penalty of having to pay a royalty,” he says. As is typical of social entrepreneurs, Marc recognised that in order to effectively tackle the scourge of unsafe injections he had to make this about more than just selling his own product. In 2006 he set up a charity called The SafePoint Trust as a means of advocating injection safety. SafePoint conducts LifeSaver Safe Injection Campaigns that are designed to promote AD syringe use in line with the WHO policy. This year the WHO has set up a Global Safety Initiative calling for the exclusive use of AD syringes in all countries by 2017. The LifeSaver campaigns target governments, NGO’s, doctors, nurses, mothers and children. They seek to unite policy makers, funders, manufacturers and healthcare workers in the quest to save lives. And now the SafePoint Trust has teamed up with Samsung to distribute information about the LifeSaver Campaign on the SmartHealth App which is available for free on all Samsung devices sold in Africa. “We’re using the mantra going from analogue to digital” says Marc. “From using simple posters at health centres to placing information on devices that are readily and economically available to millions. We’re looking to use the magic of the digital platform and Samsung equipment to really showcase what these

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Marc Koska immediately set out to find a solution to this medical catastrophe

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phones can do.” The information in the app is invaluable to healthcare workers but Marc has even more ambitious ideas. He envisions a situation whereby the technology can be used in a more vivacious, interactive manner, traversing the limitations of locality by allowing healthcare workers to make orders and file reports in real time. So what is Marc’s vision for his organisation? In a word, limitless. He would like to really test the ability of technology, to drive his campaign forward, bridge the gap between information and access to injections. “We’re going to make this open, transparent, real time and of true benefit to the patient,” he says. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 8 9

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Feet first

Ghana's only bespoke shoe manufacturer has dressed presidents and footballers, but it's their empowering work with new startups that continues to move the brand forward. Words by Kate White

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A handmade bespoke shoe line

Images courtesy of Heel the World

is almost as rare as a dinosaur In 2011 Fred Deegbe and Vijay Manu joined forces to create a luxury mens shoe brand and together with Jeffery Manu, who joined in 2012, the trio founded Heel The World. “In a world where everything is happening so fast,” says CEO Deegbe, “a handmade bespoke shoe line is almost as rare as a dinosaur. All our soles are customized with an Adinkra Symbol (local Ghanaian symbol) and the customers names as well. But what makes Heel The World so much more interesting than your average shoe company is that the range of eclectic and timeless shoes and accessories are crafted in my garage. My greatest joy is being able to showcase and sell them globally which goes to counter the large belief that 'worldclass' or high-end products cannot come from Africa.” Named after the trio's ambition to literally 'heel the world', the business also works with and empowers other Ghanaian startup companies, especially in the fashion and luxury goods industry. By offering advice on brand development, funding and strategic partnerships, they aim to give young businesses the tools to follow in their footsteps and create a high-end luxury product. From ultra-chic brogues for the man who “who knows what he wants and exactly how he wants it” to vibrant dress slippers, retrostyled loafers and prim Oxfords, the range rivals global offerings in execution and style. As part of their upliftment programme, they also sell Empowerment Beads. Handmade from glass and brass, the bracelets represent a journey: the black beads stand for hard work, while the single brass bead in the centre is a reminder of the rewards that success brings. htwshoes.com

Banking on the arts

Making a global investment in the creative industries, Guaranty Trust Bank leads Africa in support of the arts. Words by Tolu Ogunlesi

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he founders of the bank were and are really into the [visual] arts,” says Lola Odedina, Guaranty Trust Bank’s Head of Communications and External Affairs. “They are all bigtime collectors.” Today, she says, the bank’s headquarters is home to a thousand pieces of African art – including all the Nigerian masters. That devotion to African art has since crossed the Atlantic, and found expression in the United Kingdom, where GTBank has a fullfledged office and is listed on the Stock Exchange.

In May 2010 the bank sponsored the exhibition of British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare’s Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle installation atop the Fourth Plinth at London’s Trafalgar Square. In 2011 the bank struck up a collaboration with Tate Modern, to endow a ‘Curator, International Art’ role (currently occupied by Elvira Dyangani Ose), as well as a fund for the acquisition of African art. “Tate [Modern] is one of the most renowned art galleries in the world,” enthuses Odedina. “The eyeballs will start to focus on African art.”

We think African art will show the world a part of Africa that people don’t normally see

Yinka Shonibare’s ‘Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle’ installation atop the Fourth Plinth at London’s Trafalgar Square Ndani pop-up shop at Selfridges

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The bank’s support is not limited to the visual arts; fashion is another passion

‘Across the Board’, a fourcity series of events held over two years, and involving artists, academics and curators, is one of the products of that important collaboration. The final event in the series took place in Lagos in April. Nigeria has a vibrant tradition of visual art, dating back several centuries. The terracotta works of the Nok civilization and the bronze heads of the Benin Empire are to be found in the most prestigious art collections in the world. Contemporary Nigerian art has also consistently captured global imagination. Ben Enwonwu’s 1955 bronze sculpture Anyanwu sits in the lobby of the United Nations headquarters in New York. In 1957 Enwonwu received a commission to produce a bronze sculpture of Queen Elizabeth, for which sittings took place at Buckingham Palace.

“We think [African art] will show the world a part of Africa that people don’t normally see,” GTBank Managing Director Segun Agbaje said in 2011, when the Tate Modern partnership kicked off. GTBank’s arts focus is local as well; it funds exhibitions and partners with organisations like Terrakulture, a Lagosbased arts center. And the bank’s support is not limited to the visual arts; fashion is another passion. It sponsored a collaboration between Nigerian creative arts agency Style House Files and UK department store Selfridges, which resulted in a pop-up store displaying work from established and emerging Nigerian designers, at Selfridges Oxford Street branch, between December 2012 and January 2013. GTBank is also the headline sponsor of the annual Lagos Fashion and Design Week.

From Odio Mimonet’s collection

From Tsemaye Binitie’s collection

at Lagos Fashion and Design Week

From Bridget Awosika’s collection

From Re Bahia’s collection at Lagos

at Lagos Fashion and Design Week

Fashion and Design Week

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The bank’s interests extend well beyond the arts, and more generally into creativity and innovation as guiding themes for life and business

Odedina insists that the bank’s interests extend well beyond the arts, and more generally into creativity and innovation as guiding themes for life and business. The unique facades of GTBank’s branches are both an iconic signature and an unmistakable sign of its obsession with creativity and with self-definition. The new branch within the grounds of the University of Lagos was designed to evoke a chameleon, and includes a “graffiti wall.”

Architect James George, who designed the branch in Lawanson, a crowded Lagos suburb, said in a 2009 interview: “The building already existed as a shop. The question was how to take a boring shop design into a future that has no such buildings.” The result is a “twist cube” that can be unsettling in the way it hints at a suspended state of collapse, but never fails to catch the eye and imagination. There’s also the bank’s strong youth focus which

manifests in Ndani (‘Inside’ in Swahili), an online platform that encompasses a pan-African TV channel, a blog, and an e-commerce site where small businesses can advertise and sell their products. Odedina says there are a number of new projects in the works, which can for now only be hinted at. One of them is a Tate-like collaboration with “one of the most prestigious art galleries on another continent.” “It’s quite exciting,” she adds.

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From A to Z TIZEN

Not all operating systems are created equal. Over the last two decades, technology innovators have scrambled to outdo each other. The results have been varied. Now Samsung has taken a bold new step in choosing to create a mobile phone with Tizen, one of the newest operating systems around. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 9 8

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The Tizen-based Samsung Z offers a faster start-up time and immediate multi-tasking capabilities

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o what exactly is Tizen? Pronounced tiezin, literally ties in, it’s an open-source software system that can be used and synched across different technology platforms. Because of its built-in flexiblity Tizen empowers operators, OEMs and developers to create applications, services and business models that enhance their brands. Using this operating system is all about creating a broad, industry-supported system that allows everyone to contribute. In 2013 Samsung tested Tizen on a number of products. Cameras NX2000 and NX3000 use a source code based on Tizen, and in 2014 the updated Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo featured Tizen instead of the Android system used in the original Gear. Samsung has also created a prototype Tizen based Smart TV that is still in testing and development. This year sees the launch of a world-first. The

first Tizen based smartphone, the Samsung Z SM-Z910F, will be released in Russia in the second half of the year before it’s brought to new markets. The Tizen-based Samsung Z offers a faster start-up time and immediate multitasking capabilities. It has improved memory management and fully supports superb 2D and 3D graphic qualities, smoother scrolling and an improved rendering performance for web browsing. Users will also be able to enjoy safe and secure privacy protection using the built-in fingerprint sensor. Taking on industry heavyweights OS and Android is no easy battle. Over the next few years, we’ll see be able to see just how an opensource enabled software operates. And, most importantly, whether it is picked up and used by the next generation of product developers. It’s a visionary move that might just change the very nature of the commercial world we live in. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 9 9

BUSINESS LEADER:

Eric Osiakwan

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One of the most dynamic people in the African and global internet industry, Eric Osiakwan founded the African Internet Services Providers Association (AfrISPA) and was part of the team that laid the revolutionary TEAMS submarine cable in East Africa. He is Director of the West Africa Backhaul Company, Visiting Fellow at Harvard and a TED Global fellow. He also recently co-founded the Angel Africa List with Andile Ncgaba.

Age: I am 36 What do you do? During the day I invest in technology start-ups, and by night I create my own companies. I wake up in the middle of the night with some idea, then I find a co-founder. I am not your BIG money guy: I’m the guy who has the resources to help get it started.

Image by Chris Saunders

Do you consider yourself successful? That’s a billion dollar question [laughs]. People measure success differently: I think I’m successful in the sense that I am living the life I enjoy. When I go to bed I sleep very well. What does success mean for you? It means having a good night’s sleep, helping my neighbour and being able to help a person who is starting out. At the end, I want to be known as one of the guys who built technology businesses in Africa.

If you didn’t do what you do, what would you do? I feel good about what I do and I so feel that this is me, this is what I do. Is there a skill to doing business in Africa? You need a lot more patience, you need to be more trusting, you have to give people a second chance, and you have to do a little bit more... In Africa you don’t have a global structure and if you don’t have patience it’s easy to give up. Don’t give up. What is the African edge? It’s a high-risk environment and in a world of returns, risk and return have interplay. But that’s the real opportunity for business. What advice would you give an individual starting out in business? Make New Mistakes. We have a society that doesn’t tolerate failure or mistakes. But in a world of success, failure is

very important. You must fail a couple of times. If you don’t fail you won’t know how something doesn’t work. When you know how it doesn’t work you have a better understanding of how it does work. What advice would you give a new business looking at entering the African space? What if we change the question to: what does it take to create a business that will go to the rest of the world? Then the answer is simple: the method is persistence. Do you have fun? I do have a lot of fun. I have fun in a different way – working for me is fun. Fun and work: for me I sort of roll them together. How do you celebrate a big deal? I am spontaneous: I like to follow the flow, wherever it may take me.

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Magic medium

A super-hero material has become a commercially viable option for the electronics industry

magine a material one atom thick with one hundred times more electron mobility than silicon and more durability, higher heat conductibility and more flexibility than steel? It sounds too good to be true, but in April 2014 the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) and Sungkyunkwan University School of Advanced Materials and Science announced a breakthrough in the use of graphene, a wonder material that is ideally

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suited as a conductor and is often used in electronic goods. However, it has always been difficult to process. Engineers around the world have invested heavily in research for the commercialisation of graphene, but have faced many obstacles due to the challenges. After many years, Samsung and the University have discovered a revolutionary scientific method that will speed up the commercialisation of graphene.

In the past, researchers have found that multi-crystal synthesis â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the process of synthesising small graphene particles to produce large-area graphene â&#x20AC;&#x201C; deteriorated the electric and mechanical properties of the material, limiting its application range and making it difficult to commercialise. Now that this stumbling block has been passed, consumers can expect to see an increase

in products made with graphene, as well as new products in the world of flexible displays and other next generation electronic devices. Because of its flexibility, it is also the perfect material for use in wearable tech. As a world-first development in the materials and tech industry, this discovery is expected to facilitate the next generation of product innovation. S 1 4

Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Graphene-based transistors

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Money lines Grabbing global headlines, Nigeria’s GDP overtakes South Africa, making it the largest economy on the continent. Tolu Ogunlesi asks does the rebasing really make a difference to everyday Nigerians?

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n April 2014 Nigeria made a momentous discovery. We realized that an economy we had valued at about $270bn was actually worth almost double that – $510bn. In that instant we overtook South Africa to become Africa’s largest economy, and the 26th largest in the world. The discovery wasn't happenstance, however, it took plenty of hard work, over three years – looking into dark corners and beneath dusty carpets, and thumbing at lots of calculators.

This is what really happened In economics terms, that time consuming and painstaking act of hunting around and wielding calculators is called a ‘rebasing’. In simple English it refers to the process by which the economic data that helps determine the size of a country’s economy is made upto-date. For almost a quarter of a century Nigeria had failed to update her data, in disregard of United Nations recommendations that countries update their economic data every five years.

This meant that the calculations – based on 1990 data – had failed to reflect all the sectors of the economy that have either emerged newly, or expanded greatly, in the last two decades. Nollywood, Nigeria’s now well-known movie industry, is a good example. In 1990 it was just getting ready to take off. It was still a long way from catching the attention of the world. The music industry is another. Many of the leading lights of today’s Africaconquering hip-hop boom – today a multimillion-dollar industry of big concerts, endorsement deals and digital

revenues – were not even in their teens in 1990. And then the telecommunications sector. In 1990, no one had mobile phones in Nigeria. In fact, until 2001, only a handful of mobiles existed, targeted at the richest in the population. Everyone else had to struggle for landlines that were too expensive for the majority of people, and too unreliable to be depended upon as a means of communication. A little over a decade later, there are more than 120 million of those mobiles in Nigeria. Everyone I know has now got a phone, almost regardless of how poor or illiterate they are. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 1 0 5

Because of the failure to update data, we were ignoring the emerging reality of all these vibrant sectors of the economy.

So is it worth celebrating? Will a rebased GDP pay for a celebration dinner? Well, yes and no. Yes because having a more accurate picture of our economy will help us plan better. If we were shooting in the dark before now we now have a bit more light to see by. No because GDP is not more money in the bank; not for Nigeria, and not for Nigerians. It’s not like suddenly finding a forgotten one-thousand-naira note in your back pocket. “No, we haven’t ‘arrived yet!” journalist Simon Kolawole warned in his newspaper column. And Nigerian economist Bismarck Rewane told the BBC: "The Nigerian population is not better off tomorrow because of that announcement. It doesn't put more money in the bank, more food in their stomach. It changes nothing," Nothing has changed for any of the 170 million of us who call Nigeria home. Not for the 15,700 Nigerians – amounting to 0.0001% of the population – who reportedly account for a third of the country’s total wealth. And certainly not for the seventy percent struggling to keep their heads above water. To make things worse Nigeria is one of the most populous countries in the world. So that even when you share S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 1 0 6

that rebased GDP across all 170 million of us – economists call it ‘GDP per capita’ – it doesn’t add up to a lot of money. Which means even though we’re a much bigger economy than South Africa, on a per capita basis they’re still a lot richer, because they’ve only got a third of our population.

So exactly how wealthy is Nigeria? It’s complicated. Going the ‘GDP versus GDP-per-capita’ route, Nigeria is richer than South Africa but South Africans are richer than Nigerians. Which somehow makes sense. We could also go the oil route, and come to another interesting conclusion. Every year Nigeria earns a fortune from crude oil and gas, courtesy of its place as one of the world’s top ten producers and exporters of gas. Not many countries in the world are allowed to expect an $80 billion paycheck every year just for pumping a thick, dark liquid that flows beneath the ground. But then you consider that between sixty and seventy percent of Nigeria’s population – we’re talking of more than a hundred million people – live in what the World Bank describes as ‘extreme poverty’. It’s an odd scenario – so much oil wealth existing alongside so much poverty. Cynics sum up the situation this way: Nigeria is a rich country of poor people. Which also kind of makes a lot of sense.

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Very few people indeed truly understand how the regularly published GDP figures are constructed – this excludes many of the economists who comment on GDP

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– Diane Coyle

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A day in the life of Steve Han S14 uncovers the everyday workings of Vice President & Managing Director SA In the week I wake up at 5.30am and I either read a book or I go to the gym. I go to sleep at 11pm, but it all depends on when I go home. On average my days are busy and fast. I get to the office, check my emails and attend meetings and interviews. I have a tight schedule and there are always issues to handle. I have been in South Africa for seven months but already it feels like a year. I check my emails frequently. The power of technology is incredible: you have the world in your hands and can communicate at any given time regardless of different time zones. S 1 4 Q 0 2 P 1 0 8

I constantly communicate with business leaders and Korean experts and of course my family. I do not use much social media. I only use WhatsApp to communicate with my family and for business. My go-to apps are news apps such as The Wall Street Journal or The Korea Times newspaper. The S5 has a heart rate monitoring app which I use when I exercise â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which is often. My job is rewarding because Samsung is the leading electronics brand in Africa and globally, and is the number one aspirational brand in all

categories. It is so rewarding working for a brand that inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, giving people power to discover new experiences and express their vision. Apart from that I also have the opportunity to work in a beautiful country such as South Africa. Describe your job in 3 words: Fast, innovative and challenging. When I was younger I wanted to be a soccer player. I relax by going to church.

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