NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

The first time I set foot in Africa was in 2017. I was visiting Kenya and Rwanda in my roles as special adviser to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and as an advocate for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, promoting entrepreneurship as a path to economic growth.

I had read quite a bit about Africa and thought I had a sense of what I would encounter. Mostly, I expected to be out of my comfort zone — to feel a sense of being in a foreign place very unlike what I was used to.

To my great surprise, I could not have felt more at home.

Whenever I travel, meeting young people and entrepreneurs is my priority. Speaking with groups of African entrepreneurs, and hearing their stories and dreams, I saw myself 20 years ago, when I was just starting Alibaba.

Photo courtesy of Jürg Stuker.