EDITH NJAGE
Edith Njage is a Social and Serial Entrepreneur. She currently serves as Regional Director for The Alpha Group, the CEO of Arielle for Africa and Director of Job Creation Ltd.
Edith has created 50,000 jobs for young people across 12 African markets. She holds a total of 3 MSc degrees in Finance, International Business and Disruptive Innovation.
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4 Aug 2021
What are you passionate about in business?
Social impact would be my key passion in business.
I realised early on as an entrepreneur in the African continent that business that goes beyond self and sustainable business is the solution to the world’s greatest problems.
When we begin to build business that is anchored on social impact and community development, then we begin to build a better world.
Tell us about the importance of creating jobs in the African Continent.
Africa is the wealthiest continent in the world. In terms of the youth population, the resources and the raw materials.
However, we have the highest number of unemployed youth. Further, we also have the lack of meaningful work for the high youth population.
This is a problem that keeps me up at night because even the educated population is still out on the streets searching for jobs.
Africa will never grow to her full potential and take her rightful place on the world stage if we don't create jobs for her youth.
It can no longer be a government or NGO initiative. It needs to be a goal pursued by all business owners and entrepreneurs.
We need to do our part, when we support creation of one job we are supporting an entire household to leave the bottom of the pyramid.
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Why is social entrepreneurship so important?
It is the sweet spot. It is the perfect middle ground of doing good and doing well.
In the past we had two completely different business models, either you were a full blown charity or a private company, however with the social entrepreneurship model you are the best of both worlds.
You build communities and earn revenues to sustain your growth.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I think it depends on the day! (Insert laugh)
Honestly, I have days where I am more Laissez Faire and I allow my teams to make the decisions or build ideas and I will simply give feedback.
Other days I am democratic, pulling together the teams when they disagree on the way forward and finally sometimes I just tell them what to do when we are unable to find the way forward.
I would summarise myself as an agile leader able to read the room.
Best advice to women in business?
Simple, don't be afraid to take up space. Don't try and make yourself small, your ideas or accomplishments small.
Be proud of all that you are and take as much space on the world stage as you can because you deserve it.
How important is sustainability to business goals and vision for women in the developing world?
Understanding that your sustainability encompasses both your growth, profits and revenues as well as the impact you have in your community is how we will develop the developing world.
As women we are blessed with the instinct to nurture and that makes us the answer to a better world.
We can nurture businesses that not only build our economies but also build the lives of those around us. This friends is how women change the world.
How will you use your role as Regional Director for The Alpha Group to support business development in your eco system?
As a Regional Director for the Alpha Group, I am fortunate to carry answers that business owners need. Solutions to help them do that they do better and to double their value.
At the end of the day I know that each business I support to double their value, those are more jobs created, bringing me closer to my mandate of creating 1,000,000 jobs in the continent.