The most important lesson anyone working in Africa needs to learn is that it’s all about the people – regardless of what business you’re in.
The people of Africa are its greatest hope and resource so understanding the cultural complexities and norms of all our diverse people is the key to success in Africa. Rhodes can offer this key.
The most important lesson anyone working in Africa needs to learn is that it’s all about the people – regardless of what business you’re in.
The people of Africa are its greatest hope and resource so understanding the cultural complexities and norms of all our diverse people is the key to success in Africa. Rhodes can offer this key.
The unique residence system in combination with a large number of students from the rest of the continent allows students unparalled access to new cultures and points of views, not just in terms of exposure, but in living together too. It’s amazing how much learning and understanding can result from what may start as a complaint over the burning of incense or the playing of a drum while praying!
Beyond the opportunity to meet and live with people different from oneself, Rhodes University has a broad range of extra-mural activities that students can choose to participate in. Unlike many other institutions Rhodes equitably supports all its societies and organisations, as opposed to focusing exclusively on flagship
sports.
This means that no matter what your interests or skills are there is an activity that will interest you, and join up you must! The friendships made, skills learnt and life lessons experienced in the course of a surfing expedition or visiting orphans in hospital cannot be taught in any classroom and denying oneself these opportunities will detract from the academic skills you gain while at university.
Finally but most importantly Rhodes teaches the ability to think critically. One would think that such a skill is taught universally at universities but only a few years in the workplace is needed to realise how special Rhodes is in this regard.
The fact that the classes and tutorial groups are small and the university is housed in a small town results in Rhodes student being identifiable by their analytical skills and independent critical thinking before any touch of purple is visible.
The Rhodes student, having learnt to be critical on an academic level, is able to distinguish the truth from the myth and as such is already closer to success in Africa, whether it be as a business mogul, NGO operator or intellectual.
Tracy Hammond (BA Hons in Human Resource Management, Industrial Sociology and Politics 2003) is the Director at Angus Hammond Africa Demographic Info Research in Kenya.
