LEAD MAGAZINE | 2019
BILLY SELEKANE
MY VISION FOR AFRICA
by Billy Selekane CSP, SASHoF, EXPY
I grew up in
the darkest
moment in South
Africa, in a very
oppressive era of
an onslaught to
our people by a
ruthless regime.
50
I at first thought that what we were going
through was normal until I was at a reading
age and was able to understand the injustices
against my people. As a young impressionable
youth my curiosity was increased by hearing
of a guy called Nelson Mandela who was jailed
fighting for our liberation and that naturally
drove me to be a young activist to join the war to
remove this ruthless regime.
Fast forward to 1994 our first election, it was
the highlight of my life I knew that eventually we
are going to own our future. In all these years I
had looked into other African countries and was
amazed by almost the same suffering inflicted
by Black leaders to their own people. The
shock in understanding what was happening
in Zimbabwe, DRC, Burundi, Somalia etc was a
shock in my system.
I looked at this newly elected ANC collective and
believed that they have observed all the negative
stuff in their hosts countries and that they would
indeed build a meritocratic society steeped in
very powerful and committable values. Sadly,
it was not to be, corruption became a cancer
that entered this new dispensation. During all of
this time, my work as an Inspirational Speaker,
Facilitator, Business Coach and Author took me
to over 30 countries around the world.
In all these travels I met amazing men and
women who relentlessly fight to fix society, this
inspired me to look into the continent and ask
myself this question, is it “POSSIBLE “rebuild this
broken continent and there was a resounding
YES in my heart.
The multi-billion question was where and how
will this be achieved in my life time or setting
a foundation that could eventually achieve to
re-build a proud continent driven and inspired
by productivity instead of consumerism.
I believe that we transform Africa by looking at
the following aspects:
Education:
Create an entrepreneur driven curriculum
designed and delivered by successful and ethical
entrepreneurs from elementary to tertiary. This
educational system must be driven and inspired
by solving societal issues and creating a very
robust innovative and disruptive technologies.
Mentoring and apprentice should be increased
to ensure that the young have access to
different vocational skills that are highly sought
after. Most Universities should be driven to be
specialist instead of general degrees which are
irrelevant in the market place.