african business news february 2011

8/7/2019 African Business News February 2011

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.afabu..za | Fb 2011

The real deal

on african iPos

sPecial

rePorT

uP and coming

african sTarT-uPs

the growth

oF AFricAn Air trAvel

AFricA’stopsmArtphones

exPerTsearch

enginesTraTegies

Cheick Diarra

microsofT’sman in africa

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hIS PRoFESSIoNAl ANd PERSoNAl

joURNEy hAS tAKEN hIm ACRoSS thEgloBE ANd INto AN ExPloRAtIoNoF oUtER SPACE. Now, ChEICKdIARRA hEAdS mICRoSoFt’S AFRICA

oPERAtIoNS whERE hE woRKSto ImPRovE ACCESS totEChNology ACRoSS thE

CoNtINENt

by isAAc hAmzA

Fua 2011

Business Ceebs

Cheick Diarra

microsofT’sman in africa





RecAlling his eArly DAys, cheick Diarra

says: “When I was a young boy, growing up in

Mali, fascinated by the stars, I had never met

an astronomer... What’s more, the chances of

meeting one were minimal to say the least. Yet, had Imet an astronomer, my personal journey to astronomy

may have been different.”

Though he may have not quite made it as an

astronomer, the young boy did not do too bad.

After spending 10 years working for NASA as itsfirst African astrophysicist before joining what can

only be called the defining brand of our generation,

Microsoft.

Dr Diarra, the prefix a result of his PhD in

mechanical and aerospace engineering from HowardUniversity, Washington DC, is a man of many

achievements and one on whom the continent can

rightly take pride.

“I am a son of Africa. I had an African childhood

and education, and like so many Africans, I have

mosot’s

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Business Ceebs





been a farmer, battling the rains and the droughts. I

am also a scientist, one lucky enough to have worked

with some of the greatest minds in the world in my 14

years at NASA.”

As a interplanetary navigator, Diarra has pilotedfive NASA missions to Venus, Jupiter, the poles of the

Sun and Mars. This was followed by the directorship

of NASA’s ‘Mars Exploration Program Education and

Public Outreach’.

In 2006, he took over the challenge of Microsoft

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Fua 2011

A 2006 micrsf leaers Fru, diarra (cenre) i Bi

gaes an Bi Cinn



Africa. Diarra attributes this success to his roots and

approach to both business and life: “I am an African

entrepreneur, a person who, by nature, embraces

initiative and risk and uses available resources in

novel ways.“Entrepreneurs are not daunted, we are excited.

We see what could be and we say ‘why not?’ We bring

people together with the power of ideas, an action

plan, and a lot of ‘can

do’ spirit. Some of us work in business, some

of us in the community,

some in even broader

circles.”

Diarra believes hisnew role with Microsoft

places him in a perfect

position from which to

bring alive his dream for

his beloved continent.

mosot’s

vt u o at www.afauw.o.a

diarra is eai ine ian African cariies aneucaina ranisains

Business Ceebs





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Fua 2011

“My vision for my continent is to see Africa gowell beyond basic IT access, to become a thriving,

competitive, technology and knowledge-based

continent in my lifetime,” he says.

Diarra back many charities and educational

organisations such as the Pathfinder Foundation thatsupports female students achieve scientific education.

“If we invest in the women of Africa and in basic

literacy programmes for them, this will have an

exponential effect in terms of broader literacy and

education,” he says. afr

diarra i suens in Africa

african business news february 2011

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