At the height of the global World Cup finals fever, I found myself immersed in a different kind of championship, one shaping Africa’s future. 

Eunice Ayuma (Impact Brand Storyteller) ready to Learn, Unlearn and Re-learn.

For four transformative days, I joined the 11th Cohort of the Shared Value Sustainability Purpose Playbook Training, facilitated by Shared Value Africa alongside the leaders of the Ghana, Kenya and South Africa Chapters, which led to the CEO Connect Kenya Forum on day five themed: Scaling Competitive Businesses in Kenya Through Shared Value”.  

The visionary leaders behind Shared Value Africa TiekieBarnard and AndrewsAkoto-Oddo (Shared Value Ghana)  explored competitive strategy rooted in real-world impact. First conceptualized by Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer in their seminal 2011 Harvard Business Review article, Creating Shared Value reminds us that business success and societal health are inseparably linked, affirming that businesses create enduring competitive advantage when they create value for society alongside shareholder value. 

The calibre of facilitators distinguished this experience, Shared Value Africa curated a Tier-One faculty who translated world-class frameworks into practical African business realities with remarkable surgical precision. Through dissecting multiple homegrown successful businesses case studies, we explored how bold ideas evolved from a single prototype into businesses creating impact across multiple countries.

I learned that “Your purpose defines the problem you choose to solve, and that problem defines the value you create” .As Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” and after stating our purpose, highlighting strategy and dissecting multiple successful brand stories  in class,  I’d add: culture gives strategy the courage to scale.

Together with three other leaders from the 11th cohort [Amos Njoroge (Sustainable Finance), Grace Thuku (Eco-Dairy) and Kuol Ndeng (Farm to Fork) ], we took the stage during the CEO Connect panel at ALX, The Piano, and unpacked insights from; Keynote Addresses themed: Unlocking Africa’s trade potential by Dr. Julius Kipngetich of Jubilee Holdings Limited who shared his insights on Unlocking Africa’s trade potential: The role of businesses in supporting SMEs and entrepreneurs within intra-Africa trade, and  Anthony Mwangi  of Visible Industries who made a  presentation on Kenya’s Role in Regional Trade and Opportunities for SMEs and Entrepreneurs.

From left, Kuol Deng (Farm to Fork), Eunice Ayuma (Impact Brand Storyteller) Amos Njoroge (Sustainable Finance) Grace Thuku (Eco-Dairy) and Andrews Akoto-Addo, Shared Value Africa (Managing Director, Ghana Chapter)

We also shared our take on regional integration and cross-border expansion and  key lessons from the  Panel Discussion: How Do We Prepare and Equip Our Entrepreneurs for Intra-Africa Trade? Moderated by Andrews Akoto-Addo, Shared Value Africa in conversation with Dr. Norman Gaduga, Senior Director, Women for Women International, Margaret Ngari, Regional Supply Chain Director East Africa Samuel Mue, Programs & Partnerships Manager Sustainable Kenya, and @Anthony Mwangi, Visible Industries

Andrews Akoto-Addo, Shared Value Africa (Managing Director Ghana Chapter)

Equally inspiring was engaging with some of the JamiiTrade research team. Their evidence-based approach to understanding cross-border collaboration and trade barriers is helping build a platform designed around the real needs of African businesses, making the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) more accessible through data-informed innovation.

Representatives from JamiiTrade research team.

As a brand storytelling leader who serves in multiple institutions in various capacities, I left the Shared Value & Sustainability Purpose Playbook boardroom equipped with a renewed conviction that Africa’s greatest competitive advantage lies in businesses that are  profitable, purposeful, and elevate the communities within, around and beyond them. To the institutions  whose impact brand stories I live to tell, with this new set of skills in my arsenal, let’s go!

Edgar Ouko ~ Community Manager, Jamii Trade.

The conversation doesn’t end here. If you’re building for Africa, create your JamiiTrade profile, connect beyond borders, and become part of the next generation of businesses proving that shared value is the future of African growth by driving the continent’s next trade bridge!

That said, the journey #EveningWalkWithEuniceAyuma continues…

#SharedValueAfrica #SharedValue #CEOConnect #JamiiTrade #AfCFTA #Sustainability #PurposeDrivenBusiness #PurposePlaybook #CrossBorderTrade #StorytellingForImpact #EveningWalk 

Key references:

Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2011). Creating Shared Value. – How to reinvent capitalism, and unleash a wave of innovation and growth. Harvard Business Review (Vol. 89, No. 1/2, pp. 62–77, Jan–Feb 2011) – ​Demonstrates how corporate success and social progress are interdependent, establishing shared value as a core competitive strategy rather than peripheral CSR.

Drucker, P. F. Quote: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” – Highlights that no matter how rigorous a business strategy is, its execution depends entirely on organizational culture and aligned institutional purpose.

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement – framework for advancing intra-African trade. – ​Platform Integration: Jamii Trade (Data-driven cross-border trade facilitation)