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New Thinking - New Africa
"A report by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has found that doing business in Africa has become easier thanks to an increase in the pace of reform to encourage business, jobs, and growth and for the first time Africa has made it into the top three among reforming regions."
Evan Pickworth, Mail and Guardian, Johannesburg, SA, 09/06/06
 

SAS’s mission is to be a leading advisor to SMEs in North America and Africa for funding arrangements (grants, debt, factoring, equity and other forms of financing), and on SMEs structures aimed at promoting growth, innovation, improved management, and expansion in their respective communities, countries and international markets.

We understand, and accept, the challenge that business development in African American communities (and other minority communities), and doing business in Africa must be preceded by educating potential participants to the business reality of these respective areas. To this end we are dedicated to dispelling many stereotypes and myths.

SAS promotes the realization that within the African continent business opportunities are comparable and, in many cases, surpass those existing anywhere in the world. The following statistics about African and African American business are noteworthy:

  • In an increasingly adverse global environment, sub-Saharan African growth is expected to slow to about 6 percent in 2008 and 2009, down from 6½ percent in 2007. (IMF's Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, REO).
  • U.S. Census data released last year showed that black-owned businesses grew by 45% between 1997 and 2002, the fastest rate of all minority-owned businesses, which in general are increasing faster than the national average of 10%. (U.S. Census)
  • In 2008 African-American women own 734,664, employ 281,055 people, and have revenues of more than $32 billion. (Minority Business Development Agency)
  • In 2002, black businesses pulled in $92.7 billion, a 30% increase over five years. Receipts for the 94,862 black-owned businesses with paid employees totaled $69.8 billion; the 1.1 million black-owned businesses without paid employees had receipts of $22.9 billion, up 54% from 1997. ( Minority Business Development Agency)

SAS is offering the African and African Diaspora business/development community an opportunity to develop and become key players in each other’s success. To accomplish these goals SAS is dedicated to bridging geographical, language, cultural and any barrier separating African American and African business/development interests.

 
 
Advisory Services
Africa presents viable and vibrant investment opportunities. Sojourn Advisory Services (SAS) is dedicated to bridging all geographical barriers and bring African American and African businesses together. There is a new thinking amongst the continent’s own leaders that is moving away from the old “Blame it on the Colonialist…” to viable continent wide economic frameworks. The tapping of investment opportunities requires continued non-traditional thinking including from the Diaspora.
Business Objectives
  1. To advise on, structure and arrange funding (grants, debt, equity and other forms of financing) for SME businesses expanding in their community and into Africa.
  2. To advise on, structure and arrange funding (grants, debt equity and other forms of financing) for SME businesses expanding in their community and from Africa into the USA.
  3. To advise on, structure and arrange joint venture enterprises amongst SMEs doing business in the U.S. market and in Africa.
  4. To advise on, structure and arrange joint venture enterprises and funding amongst SMEs doing business in the U.S. market.
Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity?
But wait a minute. Should we in Africa join the general wailing and gnashing of teeth? We have been told often enough that Africa is decoupled from the mainstream global economic movement and that the continent is a “special case” demanding special treatment. If this is true and if our wagon is not hitched to the runaway train, need we worry? If we have been left on the sidelines while the global economic train thundered by, should we not thank our lucky stars that our little wagon was not tacked on the back of the runaway locomotive? There are those who say that Africa’s relatively recent shifting of economic polarity away from the West and towards the East has been a stroke of good fortune and that the current economic crisis is a clear indication that we should continue the eastwards migration of our interests…read more at IC Publications.

Georgia Legislature Black Caucus (GLBC)

Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth
Sojourn takes its name from the heroic African American leader Sojourner Truth who played a major role in the liberation of African American slaves and therefore giving them a right and heritage in the new American Republic. Sojourn foremost has as its primary objective the development of African American Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that it sees as the engine of economic growth and equity in the African American community and the wider African Diaspora.
SAS Announcements
Save the Date!
SAS partners with Morehouse College Entrepreneurship Conference 2009

February 19th, 2009
GA International Convention Center
GA Minority Business Awards

May 1st, 2009 9am - 3pm
Leadership Executive Conference Ctr, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA
SAS in partnership with the Morehouse College Entrepreneurship Center is having a conference on doing business in Africa entitled, Africa Welcomes You: Come Do Business with Africa.