The Diamond Mine Africa is Sitting on

How many cookbooks out there have a sadza recipe in it? The few that have it, how many variations do they have? Lets think about it for a moment. Lets take rice, for instance, It has whole chapters of recipes, there is even fried rice. Umm... fried sadza? I can hear somebody saying "Inin kudya sadza rakafraiwa inini? I don't eat fried sadza!" Well not for you, go sell the recipe in a restaurant in Italy and make a fortune, and come back home to eat normal sadza rawajaira. The Chicken Licken Franchise was founded upon a chicken spice recipe that was bought by a South African entrepreneur for US$5000  from a restaurant in Texas. Now its a multi million dollar business. When that restaurant owner hosted George Sombonos that night, he didn't think his humble spice would lend him $5000.. See, I'm not just talking nonsense.

The diamond mine is in who you are as an African, being true to yourself. It is the vast richness of our culture, the depth of its beauty, its never ending allure. Precious diamonds our fore fathers left for us, our refinement as a people, ndihwo upfumi hwenhaka yedu, they couldn't have left us a better legacy. After you appreciate the value of your culture, trade it, export it and get the much needed foreign currency. I'm not talking crafts here, I'm talking about a full industrial scale business.

Research on Great Zimbabwe stools that the King used to sit on, find a way of standardising the design. Go to Magaba in Mbare and look for a good carpenter, get some good wood, make cool chairs that the world has never seen, sell them all across the world. See. Start a small hotel or lodge based on African hospitality, "mararasei?", "mamukasei?", become famous for that hospitality and the world will be knocking at your doors just to be greeted that way. Everybody likes it when a Japanese host bows in service. While people wouldn't normally rush for an ordinary chair or concierge, they are now rushing for the story and alluring  legend it carries. You are no longer just selling a chair, you are now selling a piece of your history. See. We can make this work.

Heee I need capital. No. You don't need capital, what you need is to make up your mind about what you want to do, and capital will follow you. If you wait for all your ducks to get in a row, you will never start.

Japan and China have successfully exported their culture and it has greatly improved their economies. Italy is famous for its pastas and pizzas to the extent its a tourist attraction. India and China are exporting tonnes and tones of rice every year. Imagine, what would happen if our sadza recipes become popular? Indians with their fabrics are thronging our downtown shops. Everyone is selling a piece of their culture. African Movies from Nigeria, now they have a channel on DSTV! See, we can make this can work. 

But then you think haaa, these other races don't like African stuff, they just like our handcrafts and trinkets. Well, that's because that's all you are offering. Ever wondered why they flock here for HIFA? These guys like us, they love us, they love our Culture! But we just don't get it.

Culture is God given. Crossing cultural barriers is enigmatic, its like getting to know the hidden secrets of the universe. Getting physically and spiritually in touch with the existence of another being, another race is a holy experience. That is why Culture will never fail. Quit searching the internet for American inspiration, draw inspiration from who you are, from where you are. That is the only way you can offer the world something that will get their attention.

Doesn't it make you wonder how Oliver Mtukudzi fills up a venue in Germany yet he is giving them shona music? Deep down there is a communication that transcends language or skin colour. That communication is carried forth through objects like music, stories, movies, furniture, architecture, food, hospitality, fashion, you name it. Be original, be who you are, you will never go wrong. Those who know the value and beauty of these experiences are prepared to pay a good price for it like George Sombonos bought that spice recipe. 

Let me also add that after George Sombonos founded Chicken Licken, he was the first fast food restaurant to serve the black population in Apartheid South Africa, through that move he created unbreakable bonds of loyalty from his customers. Now he rakes in R850 million a year, such love and support from his customers. Such is the power of crossing cultural barriers.

Conclusion

All hope lies with us guys. In the words of Masimba Hwati, speaking on Africa art:

"..my problem is when culture takes in more that it can give...We import more than we export. Even in our culture. We use oil paints, Da Vinci oil paints. We don't know anything about how they are made. Even if we have some raw materials right under our feet and around us. And we use canvas which we don't know the origins of. We buy these these things and then call ourselves African artists?

Our dress is borrowed, our language is borrowed, we have habits that are borrowed, we have got eating habits that are borrowed, our diet...

I think Africa has more to give, I understand and I also think that when you say Africa has given, things have been taken away from us because I don't think there was an even exchange. So I'm talking from an even point of view where we can have respect for each other and share at a the same level. That still has to happen in my own perspective."

I shan't add more to that. Africa is indeed sitting on a diamond mine.

Together we can make this work.

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