16/12/2016
AFRIKA KOMMT! – Voith is part of the Initiative of German Industry for Future Leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa
Some of Germany's leading companies (Voith, SAP or Bosch among others) in their sector recognized the potential of Africa and set up the initiative AFRIKA KOMMT!, in which they train young African executives in their companies by giving them an insight into their work processes and management methods at the highest level. The State Office North Rhine-Westphalia of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is organizing and steering the capacity development program on behalf of the companies. Voith is part of the Project.
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- Zur Großansicht
Beneficial for both sides
In 2008, leading German companies set up a joint initiative – AFRIKA KOMMT! – to train young executives from selected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The companies recognized that Africa has a great future and hope to harness the potential at an early stage. Young, well-qualified experts with leadership potential spend around eight months in one of the mentor companies, during which time they are involved in the company's work processes.
Beside an increase of knowledge and expertise, the participants are given the opportunity to build and establish important contacts. Brice Donald Azambou is currently working for Voith GmbH. He describes his aims for taking part in the program as follows:
„Before you become an executive, success depends on personal growth. When you become an executive, success is the growth of others. I hope to become an executive after participating in this program."
The companies, in turn, benefit from the technical expertise of the participants as well as the cultural knowledge of their home countries; they thus invest in their cooperation with Africa.
Building bridges for sustainable business partnerships
The selection of the African program participants is a demanding process in itself. For the fifth set of participants, taking part in the program from 2015 to 2017, 120 candidates from a total of 3.332 applicants were invited to a comprehensive Assessment Center in Africa. During the selection process great importance is attached to the close cooperation with the participating companies. Before the 30 selected candidates leave Africa, the young professionals acquire a basic knowledge of German. Once they arrive in Germany, they spend another three months building on these language skills. At the same time, management courses run by GIZ prepare participants for their work in the firms and continue to support them during their stay in Germany and in the companies. After eight months in their partner companies, the future managers become part of GIZ's alumni network in their home countries. Networking in the partner countries in particular plays a key role in participants' private and professional life. By sharing their positive experience of German culture and German companies, program alumni can shape Germany's image in their home countries. The alumni are also important for German companies as they provide useful points of contact in their home countries. Thus the AFRIKA KOMMT! initiative builds bridges for sustainable partnerships between German and African businesses.
Success through experience
GIZ is implementing the program on behalf of the corporate initiative. GIZ has had many years of experience in implementing a whole range of programs for managers; this experience and GIZ’s infrastructure in Germany and Africa make it an ideal partner for the initiative. Regular evaluations guarantee quality and company satisfaction. The fact that various companies have decided to take several candidates since the third program round underlines the success of the program.
The program receives active support from the German Federal Foreign Office and the German embassies in Sub-Saharan Africa. The German Federal President Joachim Gauck supports the initiative AFRIKA KOMMT! as a patron.
Further information: www.afrika-kommt.de
