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False msafiri make you rich. That is the secret of success. Now go out there. Africa desperately needs entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs create wealth. Be a wealth creator. Decide in your mind that BUSINESS 124 some indispensable qualities without which you cannot succeed in this line. And these are? Determination. Plenty of energy. Sharp observation. Passion. A very good sense of humour. Willingness to take calculated risks. An ability to analyse situations and weigh up people. A lot of common sense and a clear idea about how business works. But that’s the problem – I don’t have a clear idea about how business works! Yes you do! You have been engaged in it all your life. Every time you buy something or sell something, you are engaged in business. You may not think of it as business, but it is business. Remember always that business is part of the flow of life. Everything we do in business is about enhancing life for someone else and thereby enhancing your own life. Business is service to others for which you receive a payment, but the aim is always to enhance life. Whether you sell maize flour to a hard- pressed housewife or an expensive necklace to a rich lady, you are enhancing life. If they are better off for coming to your business, you will succeed. If they are worse off, you will fail. How do I know which area of business to enter into? First, ask yourself what you will most enjoy doing and what you are best at. Can you make things? Can you sell things? Can you provide a service? Ask yourself where in the business flow of your town or nation you would like to situate yourself. Then think how you can improve on what is already happening. The history of business is the history of innovation – whether it is a better product, a better way to do something or a cheaper, more convenient way to do things. How can you enhance life in your chosen area? If you come up with ideas, there is a businessperson inside you just waiting to get out. We complain about all sorts of things – shoddy goods, bad food items, clothes that tear too quickly, items that are too expensive, shops that are too far away, rude assistants, counterfeit parts and so on. As a businessperson, you don’t complain – because you know nothing will come out of it – you see it as an opportunity to do better. Business is about serving the community to the best of your ability. If you do that, the community will AFRICAN BILLONAIRES Six Africans on Forbes magazine’s 2008 rich list T he Sawiris brOS EGYPT Business Numerous, including construction and telecoms Estimated worth US$ 35.7 billion Ni cky Openheimer SOUTH AFRICA Business De Beer diamonds Estimated worth US$ 5.7 billion JOHANN RUPERT SOUTH AFRICA Business R ichemont, luxury goods group Estimated worth US$ 3.8 billion Aliko Dangote NIGERIA Business Cement, sugar, flour, manufacturing, finance and transport. Estimated worth US$ 3.3 billion ( but could be double that) Pa trice Motsepe SOUTH AFRICA Business M ining, insurance and industry Estimated worth US$ 2.4 billion D onald Gordon SOUTH AFRICA Business Insurance and retail Estimated worth US$ 2 billion today is the day. That is the first and most important step you will take as a new businessperson. Everything else will follow. Next issue: How to turn those ideas into concrete business projects