Last week, forty-seven MBA Students from IESE Business School in Madrid, Spain, visited Strathmore University Business School (SBS) for the Doing Business in Africa Programme.
The Doing Business in Africa Programme is designed by SBS in partnership with IESE Business School. The Programme aims to expose the IESE MBA students to business operations in Africa and by extension, doing business the African way. The Programme comprises weeklong sessions with faculty members from both Schools and gives MBA students from both Schools a chance to interact and understand the different aspects of business in the continent through case studies and experiential learning.
The Programme kicked off on Monday with our Executive Dean, Dr. George Njenga, taking the students through a session on the African way of business. He also took the visiting students through the opportunities and challenges that Africa presents to business leaders. The visiting students and the MBA students also interacted during the sessions, giving them a chance to understand and appreciate cross-cultural differences in business negotiations.
On top of the class sessions, the students visited various companies to see how businesses are run in Kenya. The first company visit was to Fairview Coffee Estate where they got a chance to see the coffee production process, from growing to processing and packaging. This visit aimed to give the students a unique coffee educational tourism experience. Fairview Coffee Estate, established in 1909, is one of the oldest coffee-growing companies in Kenya.
The students also visited the Human Needs Project, Kibera Town Centre and New Horizon High School, also in Kibera. The Human Needs Project Town Centre aims to empower slum residents against poverty by bringing essential services closer to them. The first centre in this project opened its doors in Kibera in July 2014.
On Friday, which was the last day, the students began with a panel session, discussing some of the organizational challenges when running a business in Africa. The panellists for this session were: Crispin Achola, Managing Director and General Manager – East Africa at British American Tobacco (BAT); Juan de Francisco Rasheed, General Manager of M-Kopa, Uganda and Antony Wahome, Group CEO of AG Group International.
The Programme culminated with a guest speaker session with Hon. Suleiman Shahbal, CEO of the Gulf African Bank who gave the students insights on doing business in Africa.
About the MBA for Executives Programme
Our MBA for Executives Programme is best suited for individuals with at least 2 years of managerial experience and are looking to broaden their knowledge and expertise. This Programme helps them develop their talent and harness competencies necessary for the next level by unlocking their inner potential to discover new horizons.
We offer two modes of learning for the MBA for Executives Programme: evening and modular. Learn about the MBA for Executives Programme here. April 2022 Intake is ongoing! Apply here
Article by Juliet Hinga
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