Business Safari--MBA's head to Africa


3 Brand management students travelled to Malawi, Africa for an intensive 10 day study on the business economics of a 3rd world country. With the former Ambassador to the United States, Tony Kandiero, as our guide we were able to meet with the top companies and business leaders in this beautiful southern africa country.
We visited with the Malawian companies: Press Corporation (and many of their subsidiaries), Central East African Railways, Limbe Leaf Tobacco and the Malawi Stock Exchange. The trip was focused on the exchange of information and ideas between the businesses and the MBA candidates. It was an amazing opportunity to hear of the impossible business circumstances that these companies are trying to thrive in: 30% interest rates, landlocked with little to no infrastructure, government corruption, 15% AIDS rates and starvation.
In addition to the business experience we were able to see a bit of the countryside as well, visiting Liwonde National Park, Mua Mission and beautiful Lake Malawi.
The trip culminated in a dinner at the home of the US Ambassador to Malawi, Alan Eastham, for a roundtable discussion on Malawi economics. Guests included the Malawi Minister of Finance, the presidents of Press Corporation and Limbe Leaf, the USAID economic adviser to south central africa and Ambassador Kandiero.