Africa: The Three-letter Word That Changes Everything

Africa made Washington’s red carpet this week and it left quite an impression.

Marriott was honored to be included in the U.S.-Africa Business Forum, which brought together political and business leaders from across the continent and their American counterparts for talks on investment and development. There were also social gatherings, like a White House dinner for the African leaders and CEO’s that I was delighted to attend, and the Bloomberg fete at the Carnegie Library, where the red carpet extended a warm welcome.

Before the forum, I shared why my company is committed to an African “strategy.” After the summit, I have a deeper understanding of how commerce, not aid, will drive the next phase of Africa's re-emergence. It's about JOBs. While there is significant poverty, healthcare and political issues that must be addressed across the continent, the message of African political leaders in Washington was clear:

Jobs are the most lasting solution to poverty.

Another point which came through loud and clear from the African political leaders was one that also addresses some of the comments to my previous blog post on the subject. Americans, it seems, are often unable or unwilling to draw distinctions between and among the 53 separate countries of Africa.

When CBS News Anchor Charlie Rose posed to five African Presidents a question about Ebola, the frustration in the answers were obvious. None of the five Presidents come from a country where the virus has surfaced and, with considerable exasperation, they explained why they thought it unfair to lump all of Africa into an Ebola crisis that is at this point quite limited in its geographic reach.

The same frustration was evident in conversations about security. While some countries are wrestling with significant issues around tribal warfare and terrorism, they are few in number and do not encompass the continent as a whole.

These misconceptions notwithstanding, the conference was a tremendous success. Leaders left with commitments from American companies totaling more than $14 billion, including Bloomberg, Caterpillar, Coca Cola, General Electric, and Marriott, which made a commitment to 150 hotels across 16 African countries by 2020 resulting in 25,000 jobs.

It was, of course, a special treat for me to hear President Obama call out Marriott's investment in the future of Africa with those of other companies as a sign of progress.

One last takeaway from the summit was the energy, and not just the kind that will power up Africa’s development. From the lively dialogue, to the extraordinarily rich culture apparent in so many of these African countries, I loved meeting the King of Swaziland, dressed in his traditional tribal robes for instance. I was also impressed by the zest for life and the optimism for the future that carried into every conversation.

For me, that drove home the point: It is Africa's time.

Photo: Author's Own
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