By Rebecca Ekpe
“I knew that I was always destined for this region,” CEO of Djembe Consultants, Mitchell Gary Prather, tells GBC’s Editor-in-Chief, Rebecca Ekpe, in an exclusive interview in Accra, Ghana. The continent of Africa, he said, has always had potential.
Mr. Prather said when he read the literature about “Africa Rising”, he thought, “Africa’s rising, yep”.
“So, for me, I read that. I thought that was very patronizing and condescending because Africa’s always been here,” he stated.
“It’s just that you’re waking up to the potential of Africa. And so, for me, and that’s why, like when we do accelerator programs, which is a huge role in incubating ideas really, really early, they say, here’s the problem. Here’s the solution,” Mr. Prather posited.
Being born in the United States of America, having studied in England, and spending time visiting South Africa have perhaps shaped the idiosyncrasies and perceptions of entrepreneur Mitchell Gary Prather, who is deeply convinced of the enormous potential endowed in Africa through its storytelling heritage.
In fact, literature abounds supporting the notion that Africa could be the next global superpower. Available data points to the fact that, out of the top 20 fastest-growing economies in the world, more than half are in Africa.
Obviously fueled by foreign investment, ample resources, policy reforms, and a burgeoning young population, Africa today can boast of endless potential, attracting competition from countries like the United States, China, among others.
African Storytelling and the Future of Djembe
Explaining the importance of building a strong resume through storytelling, Mr. Prather stated that Africa lacks opportunities. That is why programs such as “Accelerate with Djembe” offer a unique opportunity to SMEs and CEOs by bringing together 10–15 scale-ups to address communication challenges that can help them expand their businesses. The program also offers a combination of remote and in-person one-to-one learning sessions, group learning sessions, and sprint projects.
“And so, why we work with our scale-ups is, first, to help them build that story. Build it in a credible manner, build it to where it resonates with all their stakeholders, not just investors. Because there are strategic partnerships, potential employees, customers, and clients,” Mitchell Gary Prather articulated.
