#Reflection: An interesting conversation with “Father Zimbabwe," Joshua Nkomo
Strive Masiyiwa
To say that Joshua Nkomo loved me would be an understatement of the century [if I may humbly say]. His wife once said that if he was being grumpy and insufferable, they would call me, and it would magically cheer him up.
His relationship with me was more like that between a grandfather and grandson than between a father and son, something which I have only really begun to appreciate as I now interact with my own baby granddaughter, often an object of total curiosity.
“Big Josh,” as I liked to call him, would often ask me questions to try to understand how young people [to him] thought about things.
Here's one thing:
“Strive, why do you want to run a telephone network? Surely those kinds of things should be done by governments? I mean, there are things for governments to do, and there are things for private business, no?”
“No, Baba. In America, the telephones, the railways, the airports, even the water services: almost all private.”
“What? I don’t believe you!”
“It’s true, Baba! I will prepare a report.”
A few days later I returned with a report. [Tough in those days because there was no Internet].
When we next met, he was pensive. “There's so much I don’t know about business,“ he said quietly.
“I had no idea that private business people could be trusted to do these things," he explained. "The President would never accept such things as he is a Marxist. I’m not, but even for me the idea of a private company owning a railway or airport... that’s hard. Now I understand why you think you can provide telephone services.”
Time went by, then one day he asked me:
“Strive, do you really think private business people should build things like railways and power stations?”
“Yes, Baba, I do. I think it will allow governments to direct their resources to other things if they can allow private business to do some of these things. Why should our business people build only supermarkets.”
“You have very radical ideas, and I think you should stop talking about some of these things until the time is right," he counselled. "People are really scared by what you say. This telephone thing has many people calling you a spy.”
He paused for a long time, then said: “Maybe one day you can be allowed to build the water pipeline from the Zambezi River to the rest of the country.”
“Whether it is me or anyone else for that matter, I believe it can be done quite easily," I replied.
“You are crazy!” he laughed. We both laughed.
That was about 30 years ago.
I wondered to myself what he would have thought today if he heard what Aliko Dangote has been doing. Or the huge power businesses being built by Nigerian entrepreneurs like Tony Elumelu and his associates.
I wondered to myself what he would have said if I told him that private business people eventually provided the people of Africa with telephone services that governments could not do, and that there are African countries that do not even have state-owned telephone companies now.
What I loved about him though was that a man who was then in his late seventies and early eighties was so willing to have an open mind and learn new things that were so different from what he had previously believed.
What about you? What have YOU learnt recently that has shifted a previously held viewpoint?
It can be about anything, because if that is not happening to you, maybe you have not opened your mind to other possibilities.
3 Key Business Lessons
Cultivating an open mindset is crucial for both personal growth and business innovation. The willingness to challenge long-held beliefs allows leaders to adapt to new realities and seize opportunities others may overlook. Entrepreneurs should continuously seek diverse perspectives and be receptive to learning, as this can lead to new insights that drive their business forward.
Understanding the role of private enterprise in sectors traditionally dominated by governments can unlock significant opportunities. Entrepreneurs should explore areas where they can fill gaps left by government inefficiencies, such as telecommunications, infrastructure, and essential services. By demonstrating that private businesses can effectively manage these sectors, leaders can champion innovative solutions that propel economic development.
Fostering relationships with mentors and industry veterans can provide invaluable insights and guidance. Engaging in meaningful dialogues with experienced individuals can challenge one's perspectives and inspire fresh ideas. Entrepreneurs should actively seek mentorship, as the wisdom of seasoned leaders can help navigate complex challenges and refine business strategies in an ever-evolving market.
Afterthoughts
"Don't think outside the box, think like there is no box." - T.D. Jakes
As Joshua Nkomo came to the end of his life, he was being treated in a private ward at Harare Hospital. One day his wife called me and asked me to accompany her to that day’s hospital visit. As I entered the room he recognised me immediately and smiled through the pain.
Later she said something I will never forget: “He is beginning to forget people, but you he never forgets. You make him smile.”
When Joshua Nkomo died on 1 July 1999 at the age of 82, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to honour his name. I reached out to his family and proposed that I set up an annual scholarship for the 100 brightest students across the country.
“The scholarship programme will be separate from our programme for orphans," I advised. "This is to ensure that the smartest, the geniuses, get to acquire the skills to develop the country. Each of our 10 provinces will get 10 places. Girls will get 50%. No limitations on race or tribe. Everyone is eligible.”
Now 20 years old, the program has produced doctors, PhDs, and Rhodes Scholars. Our “Joshualites” are working globally in some of the biggest companies in the world. We even have political leaders and of course many entrepreneurs.”
This year I ordered our people to double the intake.
There is no project too big for private entrepreneurs to do. Just think of SpaceX, the company owned by Elon Musk. They build space rockets that used to be built by NASA. Today NASA does not really build space rockets; they contract private entrepreneurs to do it for them.
I once dreamed of building an African Space Company or rocket-launching business. I even went to see people like Airbus to discuss launching our own satellites. Being an engineer, I had no problems understanding this kind of business. I have done more difficult things than that.
My team and I did a lot of research and even identified the perfect locations for such facilities in Africa.
I was so serious that I sent a delegation to engage one of the countries. But... they were not ready then for an African entrepreneur to do it. I respected that and left it as a vision whose time had not yet come. On my side, it was the viability of my business plan that stopped me as I could not get customers.
Never stop dreaming!
We are planning to build an Industrial Park on a 1,000-acre site outside Harare Airport. It will eventually house more than 300 businesses. For me this is a #Fast-follow, after seeing a similar project in Nigeria, called Eko Atlantic. We actually located our Nigerian data centre there. If my dream is fulfilled, it will be the largest industrial hub in the country... much bigger than anything there today.
My team is developing a similar but smaller hub in Victoria Falls on land that we have already acquired, but it will be for the tourist sector.
“Why can’t landlocked countries have ports?” [This was a pitch someone once said to me].
“Because they don’t have coastlines,” I replied.
“What has that got to do with it?” the entrepreneur replied.
Before I could show my annoyance, he quickly showed me examples of ports around the world in places with no coastline.
“You mean you can create a port through policy?” I finally asked.
“It’s a matter of imagination, that is all.”
It reminded me of a guy who tried to sell me a shipping line with real ships when I lived in Zimbabwe.
“But I’m from Zimbabwe!”
“What has that got to do with it?” he laughed.
“Nothing, I guess.“
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