African Leadership University’s School of Business(ALUSB) has launched a cutting-edge, flagship accredited Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, designed to help future leaders navigate Africa’s business challenges and opportunities. It is the only MBA program to focus on the African business scene, with each course bringing together African case studies and thought leaders to educate the students on the region’s untapped intellectual wealth and economic potential.
Twenty-five current and aspiring entrepreneurs, each bringing diverse experiences from Africa and beyond, have been selected to undertake the postgraduate degree. While the curriculum offers training in more traditional core skills such as accounting and finance, it also delivers expert teaching in rising industries, such as agribusiness, data science, and artificial intelligence. The modules are all uniquely tailored around driving ethical business, employment, and development in Africa.
The demand for business education has grown exponentially in Africa. According to Brookings, Africa boasts the world’s highest rates of entrepreneurship – over 20% of the population have started a new business, and more than 75% of young Africans are planning to start one within five years.
The 20-month part-time program kicked off with a week-long in-person intensive in Kigali, Rwanda. Hailing from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Benin, Mauritius, the US, and Japan, the students engaged in workshops and masterclasses led by expert faculty and top African business leaders. These included:
- Yves Irakunda, Permanent Secretary for Rwanda’s Ministry of Innovation and ICT, who is at the forefront of driving the country’s ICT and innovation agenda;
- Israël Bimpe, CEO of Irembo, which designs and builds digital products for public and private institutions. This includes the e-government platform IremboGov, which facilitates millions of applications and payments for over 100 public services online in Rwanda;
- Richard Vigne, Executive Director of ALU’s prestigious School of Wildlife Conservation, who has spearheaded numerous impactful initiatives, including launching the first-ever Wildlife Economy Investment Index.
The next intensive will take place in late August in Pamplemousses, Mauritius.
Alongside the in-person sessions, the students receive access to interactive, online courses from world-leading business schools including McKinsey Academy, Harvard University Business School, and the Drucker Institute, which educate on the fundamentals of marketing, economics, and finance. To reflect the realities of doing business in a world impacted by rapid technological developments and political and economic uncertainties, the MBA also delivers cutting-edge modules in agribusiness, data science and AI, the healthcare market, and Africa’s wildlife economies.
Africa is the second fastest growing region in the world, and by 2030, a third of people entering the workforce will live in Africa. However, with between 8 million and 11 million African youth entering the labour market every year, according to the World Economic Forum, and only around 3 million new jobs created annually, providing quality employment remains a major concern.
Martin Masiya from Malawi, Founder and CEO of Sollys Energy and MBA student at ALUSB, said:
“I came to this program looking to learn how I can increase the effectiveness of my business, and how I, as a leader, can drive the purpose of my company, its people, and its processes. The intensive was full of learning and growth. We’ve heard from a variety of experts in energy, climate, and conservation, about how best we can increase our leadership potential. I’m looking forward to learning more about finance, accounting, modelling, and also how to boost my overall leadership effectiveness.”
Momar Dieng, PhD, Dean at ALUSB, said:
“We take a holistic approach to leadership education, combining experiential learning with real-life case studies and traditional classroom experiences. ALUSB provides an inspiring environment, and I am thrilled to see our students drive innovation and develop solutions to the continent’s most pressing challenges while leveraging its unique opportunities.”
At the end of the program, the students are expected to design a solution for their company or launch a business as their final capstone project.
ALU, which has a state-of-the-art campus in Kigali, Rwanda, and a college in Pamplemousses, Mauritius, is helping train Africa’s leaders and visionaries of tomorrow, through a mix of mission-led study and work experience. It aims to develop 3 million ethical and entrepreneurial African leaders by 2035.Across ALU, so far more than a quarter of their alumni have started 140 unique ventures, created more than 44,000 jobs, and raised almost US$6 million.
