17/03/2021
Case study: The potential of aquaculture to create jobs, improve food security and boost economies in Africa..
__What do YOU see?
I want to share a comment I received today from someone who’s dedicated most of his life to the aquaculture industry and sector in Africa where he's worked about 35 years, he wrote. At first I understood his comment that Africa is "failing to invest in aquaculture as an industry with potential to employ millions, improve food security, and build economies", as written by someone who was pointing out a problem without yet trying to find a solution himself…
Well, I was mistaken! A big to aquaculture entrepreneur David Fincham and the work he does across Africa to try to grow the aquaculture industry.
***
David wrote in response to my reply (edited):
"I have developed a system for small scale farmers and deployed 450 of these Aquaculture Production Units (APU's) to 9 African Countries. We train and skill small scale farmers many of whom sadly cannot access the funding required to set up farming operations.
Please see our latest article in the media. "Tilapia farming: Untapped SA market holds opportunity for growth" in Farmer's Weekly
https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/animals/aquaculture/tilapia-farming-untapped-sa-market-holds-opportunity-for-growth/
I am a fan, supporter of the work you have done and are doing for the continent. I mention you when I engage with entrepreneurs and farmers.
We engage with the City of Johannesburg, the University of Johannesburg and the African Leadership Academy.
..We have worked in 9 African countries sowing the seeds which will grow the sector. Up to now we have been self funded, survived the Eskom issues and lockdowns. We are currently preparing a pitch to raise funding to build a nucleus farm, training center, commercial hatchery and processing facility.
This will make us the single largest operation in South Africa and in SADC. Over 10 years 1000 small scale farmers will be brought into our Aggregator farming program in Gauteng alone. This model will be the one we will deploy in a number of African Countries over the next decade…
We are still as you were a one man band, but with a huge vision and mission to make fresh fish available to every city in Africa. We will start this by developing one farmer at a time until we have the critical mass to lay a foundation for the future”...
***
Wow. There are lessons to be learned here for our young entrepreneurs and for me, too. Thanks to David for his work and words. Local farming across Africa of healthy affordable high protein food is critical now and going forward. Entrepreneurs on this platform, what do you think?
Let's talk.
End.
Image credit: https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/animals/aquaculture/tilapia-farming-untapped-sa-market-holds-opportunity-for-growth/
17/03/2021
: “The home of African Content”
__Yours! Remember it's only as good as you want it to be.
When we conceived of Sasai Watch, I was not sure we would get people to post videos... “Would Africans feel a need for a platform where they can post things African; day to day, current affairs, history, religion, entertainment, movies, etc., like they do on YouTube and TikTok”?
I'm not sure you have been following what is happening on Sasai Watch? There are now more than 30,000 videos! That is insane!
Our AI is busy trying to make it easier for you to find stuff, which is not easy!
Our new political section is gathering momentum. This weekend I saw stuff from Botswana, and also from Tanzania.
I love our section on Faith, but I think we can do better.
We also need much more sport, but music looks great. We want to see really local sports, rather than stuff from international leagues. Post something from your local football team, or kids playing sport!
You know I love comedy. We have amazing comedians already, but we need them all. Please introduce your own favorite comedians from your country!
I also want to see more on the natural world like animals and scenery... please help with this one!
Whilst we have a lot of good material on historical political figures like Kenneth Kaunda, Thomas Sankara, Julius Nyerere, Morgan Tsvangirai, and many more. We really could do with more, and also we want to see non-political stuff.
So here is what I want you to do this week:
__Post something that makes this platform more interesting. Anything, as long as it’s not p**n, violence or intolerable!
Remember it’s only as good as you want it to be.
Our target remains 100,000 videos this year alone!
As part of our marketing campaign, which starts after Sasai Live has been stabilized, is something we call “Watch and Win” [I will talk about it later!]
We are ready to do Marketing, and it will also be highly innovative!
Stay tuned!
To be continued. . .
Image credit: Maputo, Mozambique
(Instagram page)
17/03/2021
!
__To an African poet of hope and heart, writing in hard times
This has been a challenging 12 months for everyone and we all deal with the pandemic’s dramas in different ways. Today I want to give a to one of my FB followers who debuted (newly launched) his first book of poetry on Amazon just about two weeks ago, and wrote to me and our platform about it here yesterday. His poetry collection is called “Poems in the Dark”.
Mohammed B. Abubakar from Nigeria wrote:
***
“I've always admired your willingness to give strength to the hopeless who seem to have strived really hard to turn the wheel in an adventurous world otherwise known as Entrepreneurship.
I get inspiration from business giants like you who believe in leaving a strong impact and legacy on their generation and the generation unborn.
Some are of the opinion that the world can never change for better and as such they feel things should be left the way they are.
But you have always proven them wrong.
Sir, you might not really estimate how much impact you are having on a growing number of youths out there, especially some of us who have chosen to thread the entrepreneurial path.
May God continue to strengthen you with wisdom and all the wherewithal to grow a generation of youths that will bring light to humanity.
I've just published my debut book on poetry - a kind of reflection on the way things are at moment and the need to rekindle hope regardless the circumstances we find ourselves”.
***
According to my team who did a little research before I’m posting this, the poet author is also a social entrepreneur and businessman! (They did research on social media after I saw Mohammed's kind comment. Remember my posts over the years, warning that your on Social Media? You never know who may look you up!)
Mohammed dedicated this book to his parents and siblings, and also to “all those who, against all the odds, are trying to make the best out of every situation that comes their way”. I am sure that includes all of you.
Congratulations on your first book, Mohammed. I am sure it will inspire reflection amongst all on this platform, and I hope it will also inspire everyone during these tough times also to create and post your own on Sasai, which is now the biggest online home of African content. You never know who might discover your ... unless you try.
Some people have recently suggested here that we consider an e-commerce site for African books on Sasai. What do you think?
End.
Image credit: page of Mohammed B. Abubakar. Here he’s presenting a copy of his book to the Vice Chancellor, Al Hikma University of Ilorin.
17/03/2021
Mini-post: Being consistent in the things that matter is key.
__Are you really “walking the walk”, every day?
It’s important to stay the course, and be consistent over a long time, if you are going to benefit from anything. It is now more than 18 months since I first learnt about the Business Wars podcasts. The first thing I did was to spend four weeks going through every single one that had already been broadcast. Once I was up to date, I then made sure that once a week I tuned in to the latest episode of whatever is currently being broadcast.
We are currently on Estée Lauder vs L’Oréal. When I suggested that you should all follow the series, I realized that many of you could not access it because you don’t have iTunes... so I had a Podcast platform built on Sasai, and I had my team negotiate with the producers of these Podcasts to host it with us for free—all for you!
There are lessons in Business Wars, and other entrepreneurship podcasts that are available free on Sasai Podcast, that I can never teach you. If you are new to the platform and haven’t met our amazing Sasai app yet here’s the link to find out more: https://www.sasai.global/podcast/
I have said this before: I believe I am where I am today because I was always prepared to “pay the price” (except a bribe!) to get something done. All I ever wanted in my life was for someone to just point me in the right direction on something, and I would do the rest myself...
__“Run, run, run. Remember, no one owes you a living.”
Think about my as represented by this platform: I do something EVERY single day, come rain or shine. Why? Because I made a commitment to do so.
No entrepreneurs in the history of the world have as many opportunities as you do now to learn from other global entrepreneurs and innovators, and it’s all in the palm of your hand!
Are you walking the walk or talking the talk?
There's a difference.
End.
Image caption: 1984, Astronaut Bruce McCandless, “walking the walk”, the first man walking in space “untethered” without a lifeline to the mother ship. This took decades of training to prepare for... !
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/dec/23/astronaut-bruce-mccandless-the-first-person-to-fly-freely-in-space-dies
17/03/2021
Strive Masiyiwa
Founder & Executive Chairman, Econet Group (Cassava Technologies & Econet Wireless)
03/12/2019
Some way to make how to be a ambassador
