CHAPTER 5

What Wins

The grass is greener out here, but it’s not for the fainthearted.

Bharat Thakrar, CEO, Scangroup

Winning is hard everywhere, and there are as many paths to winning in Africa as there are individuals seeking to succeed. The business leaders I know succeeding in Africa share these traits:

• They embrace uncertainty

• They get their hands dirty

• They build what they need

• They’re resilient

• They tailor to local culture

None of these attributes is particular to success only in Africa or frontier markets. They do rise above the throng of characteristics associated with successful people everywhere, such as “hard work.” Certainly, hard work is key to success, but no more so in Burundi than the Bronx. The ability to embrace ...

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