Why African Entrepreneurs Must Stop Winging It and Start Dreaming Big
The Man Who Wants to Go to Mars
There’s a man on this planet Elon Musk who wakes up every day thinking about another planet.
While most of us are praying for fuel in Zimbabwe or electricity in Lagos, this guy is planning how to colonize Mars.
But here’s the funny thing on his way to Mars, he accidentally created Starlink, because he realised, “Wait, I’ll need Wi-Fi on the red planet.”
Then he bought Tesla to make electric cars because, obviously, you can’t drive a fuel car on Mars.
Then The Boring Company, because traffic was delaying his plans here on Earth. He literally said, “Let’s dig tunnels underground.”
Now, while some people are still digging boreholes, Elon is digging highways.
The point? His vision to reach Mars gave birth to a billion-dollar ecosystem by mistake.
Meanwhile in Africa…
Across town, there’s a business owner whose biggest vision is “just to make money.”
Every day he wakes up, sells airtime, shouts “special! special!” and goes home to count coins.
Ask him, “Where do you see your business in 5 years?”
He’ll say, “Ehh… as long as I’m not broke.”
No direction. No purpose. Just vibes.
But here’s the truth: without a vision, your business becomes like a kombi without a destination full of noise, but going nowhere.
Vision vs. Hustle
Many African entrepreneurs are hustling hard but with no compass.
They’re like a chicken running fast after being sprinkled with water busy, loud, but lost.
Vision is what separates a hustler from a builder.
Hustlers chase money.
Builders chase meaning and the money chases them.
Elon isn’t working for cash anymore; he’s working for a cause.
He can sleep on the floor, eat noodles, and still outwork billionaires because he’s following a vision, not a wallet.
The African Dilemma
Most people stop dreaming the moment they get a decent salary, a nice car, and Wi-Fi at home.
That’s why we have brilliant minds selling tomatoes for 20 years with no upgrade not because they lack potential, but because they lost vision.
Your business should have direction.
Ask yourself:
- What problem am I solving?
- What future am I building?
- Who benefits when I win?
If your only answer is “me,” then your business is already dying.
The Power of Seeing Beyond
Vision is what allows you to see things before they exist.
When you have vision, small wins don’t make you proud they make you hungry.
You’ll start seeing opportunities others ignore.
You’ll create solutions before problems explode.
Remember: Elon Musk didn’t find success he built it, one crazy idea at a time.
And that’s what Africa needs more dreamers who are not afraid to look ridiculous for a while, as long as they build something revolutionary.
You don’t need to want to go to Mars.
But you need your own “Mars” something that drives you beyond money, beyond status, beyond fear.
Because when you have no vision, you’ll keep chasing the next quick deal, the next tender, the next handout and wonder why you’re still stuck in the same place.
So, ask yourself today:
What’s my vision?
Because if you don’t know where you’re going… even Google Maps can’t help you.
By The Chartered Vendor
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