Filling the gap: Building African managers for Africa

The latest research by the African Management Institution (AMI) shows that the continent is severely lacking in managers with the skills to advance its economy. "Africa is a continent that is going through an economic growth spurt and is brimming with talent but is tragically short of the skills needed to support this," says Director of the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business (GSB), Walter Baets.

The 2012 AMI survey, which drew from 50 in-depth interviews with individuals at 40 organisations across Africa, including employers, educators, thought leaders, training providers and more, showed that in Africa the overall efforts to develop high quality managers are entirely inadequate to meet the opportunities the next few decades will bring. The report states that more young Africans are pursuing higher education, but too often the quality is low.