Elon Musk is an example of how Africa continues to kill dreams
In this file photo Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, speaks during the Satellite 2020 at the Washington Convention Center on March 9, 2020, in Washington, DC.
What you need to know:
- Had he stuck to his roots in South Africa, would he have got the same opportunities he did abroad?
- Would his products have got the same recognition as they did and still do abroad?
Two weeks ago, Elon Musk became the richest man on Earth. The 49-year-old’s net worth hit $186 billion at 10.15am on January 6— making him $1.5 billion richer than Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who had held the top spot since October 2017.
The feat, however, did not last long as Bezos reclaimed his crown days later. But Musks’ stint at the top did not come as a surprise to many. Whispers in Wall Street have it that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO is expected to breeze past basically anyone ahead of him within the year.
His rise to the top is a story worth sharing. Born in South Africa, he is not only a figure of hope to billions of young people on the continent but also a true validation of Lupita Nyong’o’s famous quote that “your dreams are valid irrespective of where you come from”.
Like many African youths, Musk spent his childhood and pursued his primary and secondary education in South Africa. But constant bullying in school and his poor relationship with his father — a man he once described as “a terrible human being...” — made him opt to go to college in the US.
He knew it would be easier to enter the US from Canada and thus applied for a Canadian passport through his Canadian-born mother. His Wikipedia profile lists his nationality as American, South African and Canadian, in that order.
Bullied out of Africa
We literally bullied him out of the continent. Had he stuck to his roots in South Africa, would he have got the same opportunities he did abroad? Would his products have got the same recognition as they did and still do abroad? Would Africa boast of being home to the richest man on Earth?
It is high time discussions of youth empowerment and promotion of local industries was tabled by our governments. It is time governments made the most of the unexploited potential in their youths.
And, as young people, we ought to take the initiative to create our own future like Musk did. We need to be proactive in realising our dreams. Share your ideas. Start off with the little capital you have. Market your dreams.
Remember, faith without action is dead.
Edmond Mwita, 18, is a student at Kwoyo Oyugis School.
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