It is a known fact that when entrepreneurs start their journey, they often end up in a different space to what was originally planned. This was exactly the case at Anglo African as when this adventure started, most of the “Unicorns of Disruption” [iPhone/ AppStore, FaceBook, Google, Amazon, WhatsApp, Uber, AirBnB and others] did not exist on a global commercial scale. During the last few years, it became clear to us that the future would no longer be what we thought it would be!

When we came across the IIRC framework, we immediately saw the value of Integrated Thinking. This led to a strategic review in 2015, where our Vision was to become “the most valuable technology firm in the markets where we operate”. A transformation plan followed whereby we divested from low-value tech operations to invest in high-value ones such as Fintech/RegTech, Smart Cities Tech with relevant technologies such as Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and ensured interrelatedness and connectivity of and to our Capitals.

Despite all the disruption in our industry, our values have remained rock-solid: Integrity, Inclusion and Innovation. These values do not require much thinking: they have been deeply embedded in our DNA. These values have defined our culture and reputation over the years and our people, through their dedication, loyalty and hardwork, have ensured the success that followed.

As we celebrate our 10th Anniversary, the trust and value we have created and will continue to create will be ever so dependent upon how sustainable our development is. Similar to economic growth and job creation, this does not come from global corporations but from the armies of start-ups and entrepreneurs. It is our strong belief that if each of the global SMEs embraces Integrated Thinking and Sustainability Reporting, our planet will have a fighting chance — because for us, there is no other option!

The 4^th Industrial Revolution is already here and while we anticipate even more intense disruption “glocally” in the next 5 years, we remain confident in our future. For when we remember our modest beginnings where we were being discouraged or shut down because of what was deemed “impossible”, we continued to push ahead until we discovered that “Everything is impossible until it isn’t”. As long as our dreams keep us awake, the best is yet to come!