26 | FORBES AFRICA APRIL 2020 FORBESAFRICA.COM
I wantedto work
relentlessly
toward
contributingto the
development of
Africa.BAKOAMBIANDA,29,CAMEROON
FOUNDER,CHAIRMANANDCEO,LABACORP GROUP OF COMPANIES
INDUSTRY:DIVERSIFIEDHOLDINGSAtonly29,BakoAmbiandais aninternationaldevelopmentexpert,author,
speaker,philanthropistandentrepreneur.
Overtheyears,hehassuccessfullybuiltanempire.Hisbusiness
acumenwasevidentfromhishighschooldays,whenhewouldpick
mangoes,avocados,andbananasfromhisbackyardathomeandsellthem
inhisschool’sdormitoryfora profit.
Afterhighschool,hemovedtotheUSin 2011 tofurtherhisstudies and
begana careerindiplomacyattheMarylandStateHouse.
Whilethere,hestartedhisfirstcompanywithonly$850.
GlobalAttainAdvancementis aneventsorganizationcompany,thefirst
instalment to the Labacorp Group.
Throughthecompany,hewas
exposedtolearningthetricksand
tradesoforganizingeventsandfound
himselfa partoftheorganizingteam
forformerpresident,BarackObama’s
EnergyCongress.
HelaterreturnedtoAfricato
developthebusinessandlaunchother
entities.
“WhenI launchedLabacorpGroup,
I setouta missionthatalloperations
ofthegroupwillberootedinthe‘Afri-
developism’economicconceptthat
I createdbecauseI wantedtowork
relentlesslytowardcontributingto
thedevelopmentofAfricainspiredby
the‘Afri-developism’concept,”hetells
FORBESAFRICA.
Today,theLabacorpgrouphasgrownfromjusthousinganevents
organizingteamtoowningbusinessesacrossmanufacturing,power,
construction,agribusiness,andexhibitionsectorswithoperationsinsix
countrieswith 79 employees,anda footprintinAfrica,MiddleEastand
NorthAmerica.
WiththeofficesheadquarteredinGhana,LabacorpIndustries
Limitedanda SouthKorea-basedcompanyaresettingupa polyethylene
terephthalate(PET)bottlewasterecyclingplantinthecountryto
producehighvalue-addedproductssuchaspolyester,staplefiberand
geotextilefromPETbottlewaste.
HehaswonnumerousawardsincludingtheGlobalBusiness
Disruptor 2018 AwardbyProfessionalAssociationofYoungAfricans
(PAYA)andAfricaBusinessLeadership Excellence Award 2018 by
African Leadership Magazine.GIFTSUKEZ,27,MALAWI
FOUNDERANDDIRECTOR,HDPLUSCREATION COMPANY LIMITED
INDUSTRY:VIDEO PRODUCTIONBobPhondo,a notablebrandmanagerinMalawi’smarketingand
communicationsindustry,recallsa memoryofGiftSukezinthe early
daysofhisbusinessin2013.
Hewasseenwithnothingbuta camera,workingfroma
backroomfocusingonwherehispassionwouldtakehim.
Usingborrowedcameras,lightsandcomputers,Sukezwasableto
saveupenoughtobuyhisownHDCamerawhichcost$300.
Withtheflashofa camera,thepicturebecameclearandHDPlus
CreationCompanyLimitedwasborn,offeringmediaconsultancy
servicesandvideocontentcreation.
“ThepassionI hadforcreativevisualsfueledmetoworkvery
hardeverydayandit eventuallypaidoffin 2016 whenI managed
toregisterthecompanyandwithtime,thedemandformyservices
grew,”SukeztellsFORBESAFRICA.
Today,Sukezownstwoofficesanda videoproductiondepartment
andemploysupto 18 staff.
“ItcouldbearguedthatGiftisthebestatwhathedoesin
Malawi,”saysPhondo.
OneofSukez’smostearlynotableworkwaswhenheworkedwith
Akon,YvonneChakaChaka,JahPrayzahandP-Squaretoproduce
anddirectthemakingofthe 2017 Africanleadersforchangetheme
song,TheSongforAfrica.
Hiscompanyhasalsoproducedcontentfororganizationssuchas
UNMalawi,UNICEFandStandardBank.
Thebiggesthighlightofthebusinesswaswhentheyworkedona
filmdirectedbyMarkSpencertitledWhistleblowershotinAustralia,
JapanandMalawi.
Lastyear,theyalsotookpartinshootingandworkingonsetfor
twoAustralianmovies,TheDrover’sWifeandFallout.
Sukezplanstotakehisknowledgeworkinginternationallyto
producequalitycontentforMalawians.
“Malawilackssomuchintermsoftechnology,asa result,wefail
tohavetherightconnectionsandnetworktohelpboostthebusiness
internationally,butwetrywiththelittlecapacitywehave,”hesays.
“WhenI lookatmyfutureandthecompany,myvisionistoemploy
morethan1,000youngpeopleby 2030 inAfricaandthisincludes
actors,scriptwriters, directors, producers, cameramen, just to
mention a few.”