Mastering the Art of Exhibition and Pitching Investors – Rosa Malango Remarks

HICGI News Agency

March 1

Former UN Diplomat Rosa Malango has adressed....

HICGI News Agency brings you her full remarks.;

Allow me to begin by thanking the organisers for inviting me to give this keynote address on the topic, "Mastering the Art of Exhibition and Pitching Investors", a topic very dear to my heart.

I am speaking to you today as a global citizen, a Pan-African, and a Ugandan.
I believe in African values of global relevance, I believe that nations cannot achieve transformation without the involvement of their communities, residents, and citizens.
I believe that entrepreneurs and policy makers from the global south like Uganda can influence the new emerging global financial architecture. I believe that we can achieve wealth creation by promoting inclusive processes, protecting the environment, and encouraging innovation.

I also believe that our shared humanity, emerging technology, and environmental
preservation must be at the heart of decisions aimed at improving governance,
promoting inclusive economic growth, and saving lives. In our interconnected world,
we need a new approach to business.
We need to bring to life values such as honesty, empathy, and hard work, and place them at the epicenter of our work. If we as a community of nations are to achieve sustainable development then we must ensure that business practices are inclusive and promote both national and international citizenship.

So today we are talking about mastering the art of creating awareness of our work
and generating the interest of people from around the world in our products.

Key questions

The critical questions we need to address include:
Who are we?
What do we stand for?
What is your vision?
Why should others care for your products?
Why should investors place their hard-earned money in your business?
How ayou creating trust in your brand
Who are we?
It's important to recognize that we are Africans with deeply grounded Pan-African
value systems known as Ubuntu or Obuntubulamu, manifested across the continent.
Ubuntu is about mutual respect – putting people first, protecting the environment,
sharing prosperity within the community, leaders keeping the peace and managing
partnerships between kingdoms. The African values of Ubuntu-Obuntubulamu, call on all of us to recognise our shared humanity and exercise our right to develop as constructive citizens. We are African citizens living in a changing global environment.
Our products, services, and business should reflect our heritage and values. Does your business, product, and packaging reflect our PanAfrican values? Do they reflect the uniqueness of the landscapes of your area of birth, marriage, or residence? If we are not clear about who we are then we cannot communicate clearly about our services and we cannot generate the interest of potential partners and investors. Investors want to invest in concrete people, specific communities, and businesses.

Who are we?

It's important to recognize that we are Africans with deeply grounded Pan-African value systems known as Ubuntu or Obuntubulamu, manifested across the continent.
Ubuntu is about mutual respect – putting people first, protecting the environment,
sharing prosperity within the community, leaders keeping the peace and managing
partnerships between kingdoms. The African values of Ubuntu-Obuntubulamu, call on all of us to recognise our shared humanity and exercise our right to develop as constructive citizens. We are African citizens living in a changing global environment.
Our products, services and business should reflect our heritage and values. Does your business, product, packaging reflect our PanAfrican values? Do they reflect the uniqueness of the landscapes of your area of birth, marriage or residence? If we are not clear about who we are then we cannot communicate clearly about our services and we cannot generate the interest of potential partners and investors. Investors want to invest
in concrete people, specific communities, and businesses

Ancient African kingdoms

At this time, I would like to share with you some information about a few ancient
influential African kingdoms, as I talk about them, I want you to reflect on
whether you had ever heard about them before today:

The Kingdom of Kush, which stood as a regional power in Africa for over a
thousand years. This ancient Nubian empire reached its peak in the second
millennium B.C., when it ruled over a vast territory along the River Nile in
what is now Sudan.
Few African civilizations are as mysterious as the Punt. Historical accounts
of the kingdom date to around 2500 B.C., when it appears in Egyptian records as a "Land of the Gods" rich in ebony, gold, myrrh and exotic animals. The Egyptians used to send huge caravans and flotillas on trade missions to Punt mostly during the 15th century BC

Best known as ancient Rome's rival in the Punic Wars, the kingdom
of Carthage was a North African commercial hub that flourished for
over 500 years. The city-state began in the 8th or 9th century B.C. as a
Phoenician settlement in what is now Tunisia, but later grew into a
sprawling seafaring empire that dominated trade in textiles, gold,
silver and copper. At its peak, its capital city boasted nearly half a
million inhabitants and included a protected harbor with docking bays for 220 ships

During the same period that the Roman Empire rose and fell, the influential
Kingdom of Aksum held sway over parts of what are now Eritrea and
northern Ethiopia. By the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. it was an influential
trading partner whose gold and ivory made it a vital link between ancient
Europe and the Far East. The kingdom had a written script known as
Ge'ez—one of the first to emerge in Africa and it developed a distinctive
architectural style that involved massive stone obelisks, some of which stood over 100feet tall.

Ancient African women leaders
Our African societies have long had systems of trade, governance, and security with accountability and empathy at our core. We have had indigenous ways of solving environmental and food security challenges, living harmoniously with nature, sustaining trade links, and supporting vulnerable people. Over time women and men exercised their
roles equally, allow me to share a few examples of ancient African women leaders:

Queen Aminatu, daughter of Bakwa Turunku, was a great Hausa warrior. She is well known as a warrior princess, having inherited her mother's assertive and precise nature. Her mother built the capital of Zazzau. The city was one of the seven original states of Hausa land in the 16th century.

Ancient African women leaders

Makeda the queen of Sheba is famous for her story with the biblical figure, King
Solomon of Jerusalem. They had a son named Menelik I (or Ebna la-Hakim),
meaning "son of the wise." Their son became the first imperial ruler of Ethiopia and the first of a line of Aksûmite kings.
Queen Nefertiti is a prominent queen from ancient Egypt. Her name means "a beautiful woman has come." She left a legacy of strength, beauty, and power.
Queen Ranavalona I ruled Madagascar from 1788–1861. She was of Merina descent, which is the island's largest ethnic group. During her 33-year reign, she created Madagascar to be an independent state.

Queen Nandi was the mother of Shaka Zulu, one of the Zulu kingdom's greatest kings. The Zulu nation was a superpower in the Southern African region. Queen
Nandi's story is one of resilience as a mother and one of hope against social pressures.
Queen Nzingha Mbande ruled over the Ambundu Kingdoms of Ndongo (1624–1663) and Matamba (1631–1663), located in present-day northern Angola. Born
into the ruling family of Ndongo, Nzinga received military and political training as a child, and she demonstrated an aptitude for defusing political crises as an
ambassador to the Portuguese Empire. She later assumed power over the kingdoms after the death of her father and brother, who both served as kings.

African value system: a new business model
Please raise your hand if you have ever incorporated any of this information when
developing profiles or when trying to share knowledge about you, your product, and your heritage.
In my view, the path to a brighter future for the African continent begins when we
embrace our African identity, knowledge, heritage, and philosophy of our shared
humanity, "I am because you are". It starts when we carry the values of Obuntubulamu and Ubuntu as our foundation. Some of the core values that should always be present
in our business model include a sense of shame; morality; honesty; empathy; civic
engagement; self-reliance; responsibility; transparency and integrity; and cleanliness among
others.

How are these values reflected in your vision? Do your products and services reflect these values?

African business models
I want to bring to your attention an example, the Songhai Model developed in West Africa as an alternative model for climate smart agricultural development that has been replicated in over 15 African countries. Created in the eighties in the Republic of Benin, the Model is based on core values that contributed to the emergence of the Songhai civilization including vision, courage, creativity, sense of community, discipline, and solidarity. This foundation has helped new generations generate a strong foundation for agri-business, community development and manufacturing. The
Songhai Model relies on local knowledge, indigenous technology and science to boost agri-business while protecting the environment. The Songhai Model is also a woman and youth empowerment scheme that can transform communities and economies. Can you imagine having a vision similar to the Songhai model inspired by local knowledge
from your community? How have you incorporated indigenous knowledge and
landmarks into your products and services?

We must work together if we are to witness the re-emergence of African societies where African citizens are instilled with values of mutual respect, integrity, humanity
and empathy.

At TAKC we are committed to working with partners such as UWEAL to share
knowledge and support women entrepreneurs ready to join global export value chains.
Allow me to share a few insights about TAKC and how we market ourselves.

TAKC VISION

TAKC focuses on identifying high net worth partners who provide solutions to
critical challenges in Uganda's road to economic growth and transformation.
We also work with local entrepreneurs, especially small and medium
enterprises led by women and youth to help them develop the skillset to
engage successfully with international partners and join global value chains. We
also undertake light manufacturing of African heritage items to help promote positive African values.

About TAKC AFRICA

TAKC is a fully registered company with the relevant licenses to help high net
worth individuals first develop an interest in Uganda, then commit to the
transfer of knowledge in Uganda and lastly contribute to job creation while
making a good return on investment. Below are some of the licenses we use to
operate efficiently:
1) Registered with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau
2) Trading License to operate in Uganda
3) Public Procurement and Disposal License
4) Data Protection Office License

TAKC PITCH

TAKC is a fully registered company physically headquartered in Uganda with the relevant licenses to help high net worth individuals develop an interest in the Ugandan market, then commit to the transfer of knowledge and lastly contribute to job creation while making a good return on investment. Our licenses enable us to focus on young and women entrepreneurs and work with them to connect to new export markets. We
believe in promoting a values-based approach to business, one in which empathy, honesty, hard work and solidarity inform our actions and partnerships

Uganda is a well-regulated highly liberalized economy in which all sectors are open for investment and there is a free movement of capital to and from the country.
In terms of return on investment, for the first year we expect a revenue of over
$900,000. When you invest with TAKC, you will increase your revenue by up to 20%
every year which is an indication of an effective turnover of investors capital and the quality of our service delivery. We are open to equity shares as well as direct financial investment.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Before I conclude from my unique vantage point, as a former United Nations
official, after almost 30 years of service, and having led the formal establishment of TAKC in Uganda, please allow me to leave with you with
these questions for reflection:

When you hear the word Africa, what comes to mind, which nation state,
which tradition, which achievements?
When you hear the word Uganda, what comes to mind? What are you
doing about creating a link between your products and African heritage?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In your business what do you stand for?
Why should others care for your products and services?
What do you want customers and investors to think about when they think about
your products and services?
Who are your partners and brand ambassadors?
What do you know about the investors you are targeting? What do you know about
the markets?
Why should investors invest their hard-earned money in your business? What is their
return on investment – when will they make their money back?
How are you going to transform the narrative about women entrepreneurs in Uganda and East Africa.

"I am because you are"
I believe that once you master the art of
self-confidence, due diligence, and self
respect, you will master the art of
producing, marketing, and pitching your
business successfully