The T-shirt/blouse you’re putting on is made in Thailand and you bought it from an Indian, your shoes are by Nike…designed in USA but made in Vietnam, your watch is made in Switzerland and you bought it at a duty free shop in Dubai, your underwear is by Primark in the UK, oh…I’d completely forgotten but that bag you’re carrying is made in Turkey and I’m sure you bought it from a Chinese run shop in the Down-town area. Look…I ain’t hating on Globalisation but when was the last time you supported an African business venture or a locally made African product?
That list could go on but I believe you got my point! We have no faith in our own!
My heart beats A.F.R.I.C.A all the time! Easy to say! But how many of us can confidently portray a lifestyle that upholds a desirable balance between homemade and foreign made products? Between supporting or own or shunning them? Between hiring your own or opting for a foreigner? (Disclaimer: I have nothing against foreigners!)
I did not write this to get you to throw out famous international brands that you dearly love but rather to tickle your conscience into being deliberate in supporting home-grown entrepreneurs and endeavours.
Some of the reasons we give as to why we do not support our own:
- Terrible customer care
- Inaccessible
- Quality not good enough
How do we expect our own African entrepreneurs to get better if we do not give them a chance to serve us and gain experience in being better at what they do? All experts were once beginners at one point! Giving your own a chance to grow gives them the ability to improve their customer care, to expand so that they can open up facilities closer to where you are and like they say ‘practice makes perfect’… serving you repeatedly will definitely get the quality better!
Why you definitely need to start buying African:
This sort of deliberate support of African endeavours creates a stronger community on all fronts.
- It bolsters the economy of your people
- Is a great tool in wealth building and distribution in a community
- Creates jobs in the community
One of Africa’s greatest challenge at the moment is the rising levels of unemployment among the millennials…what better way to combat that than buying African deliberately? And that’s not just for goods…this also expands to include services…Why hire a British headteacher for your African school when there are more than enough well qualified and experienced African teachers?
Go right ahead and do it…You just never know what you might discover when you set out to support you own! It’s up to you to take Africa to new heights!
Control your economy, black people!
one.african.girl 
I love this, Viva Africa. . .
I love love love this.
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Viva Africa!
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“How do we expect our own African entrepreneurs to get better if we do not give them a chance to serve us and gain experience in being better at what they do?”
I think they can already get better even before serving us by looking at what is on the market and delivering the same quality or even better service or goods.
For example The mama maria noodles producer doesn’t need me to first buy her noodles to know that that pack of noodles needs to have chili and seasoning, it should be obvious because that is the line of work they are into. I do agree that we need to buy more African products a
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Yup! It needs to be a conscious effort to support our own!
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Good post, I would say Africans in the US would need to start selling this stuff to other Africans then get other Black Americans to buy. First though, Africans and Black Americans need to build relations so we can develop a trust amongst each other. Coming from a Caribbean background I know many Caribbean people watch Nollywood and I’m aware of Nollywood getting some American actors to star in Nollywood films, this is a start of developing relations.
I like the concept of what you have written. Looking from a regeneration/international development perspective it’s going to be a trendy thing to do if it’s just done online but if as suggested it can be bought over by Africans to sell African made goods then there’s a chance.
Long comment I know, but good discussion point you started.
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And pretty good analysis you put up there! Thanks for reading 🙂
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