On his first ever visit to Africa, Jack Ma set to visit Kenya

On his first ever visit to Africa, Jack Ma founder of Alibaba Group and UNCTAD special adviser on youth entrepreneurship, will be in Nairobi on 19th July.

The purpose of his visit is to raise awareness about the sustainable development goals. Together with the UNCTAD secretary general, Dr.Mukhisa Kituyi, they will also meet up with young entrepreneurs to find ways in which youth and small businesses can participate in global trade.

Jack Ma is currently the richest person in Asia and the 14th richest in the world, with a net worth of US$41.8 billion, as of June 2017. He has become a global icon in business and entrepreneurship, having gotten over 30 different job rejections. He is also seen as one of the world’s most influential businessmen, and a philanthropist known for expounding his philosophy of business. He was ranked second in Fortune’s 2017 “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” list.

Jack Ma’s three day (July 19-21st) visit to Africa will include a visit to Rwanda where he is a keynote speaker at Youth Connekt Summit. The summit is organised by government of Rwanda, UNCTAD and UNDP.

Youth Connekt is viewed as a convener, both physically and virtually, and as a catalyst of partnerships that seek to unleash the enormous potential in young people of all walks of life. The forum connects young people to role models, resources, knowledge and skills, internships and employment opportunities, enabling them to participate in shaping a better future for themselves, Rwanda and the World at large.

According to the Youth Connekt website some Early Success Stories from the forum include Ndi Umunyarwanda, a national initiative started as a series of YouthConnekt Dialogue involving youth in all Districts and schools. Since its launch in May 2013, more than 40,000 youth in Rwanda and abroad have participated in Ndi Umunyarwanda sessions.

Another success story is the YouthConnekt Hangout, started in September 2013, the program uses Google+ Hangout and other technologies to connect young people with role models, resources, skills and socio-economic opportunities. Even ahead of its official launch, the program has already won the UNDP African Innovation Award.