Big Tech to Telco in pursuit of building a "tech telecom giant" 🤔 , my time at MTN 🇬🇭 thus far. #ManagementMinistry

300 million touchpoints

What would you do if you had front-row seats to the user experience of ~300 million on the African continent?

Leading myMTN App NextGen team to launch our localized version of our flagship myMTN App circa November 2023, MTN House, Independence Avenue, Accra Ghana

After 30 years of “more than just talk” and “everywhere you go” connectivity with MTN; my team and I have spent the last 13+ months together interrogating and poking at this opportunity.

With a myriad of challenges and small wins; there has been an even more intention to bring digital practices into our analogue world:

Personal relationships:

I joined MTN with a wide African network framework primarily focused in three buckets: Africa-innovation-focus, diaspora-connectivity, and with people tech-first approach. My people tech-first approach was first identified when I was at Wits Business School, enforced over the last 5 years as a faculty member with Stellenbosch Business School, and has now metamorphosized into a movement I have affectionately named: We Dey Manage Academy

The first day, my day 1 as an employee at MTN with Group CCO & former Ghana CEO Selorm Adadevoh, Feb 2023

Knowing that MTN, first birthed out of Johnnic was a South African telco with 19 operating countries not only appealed to my excitement and time studying at Wits and teaching at Stellenbosch; but also emphasized my eternal hope that Africa-founded-Africa-funded innovation for us by us is possible.

MTN Ghana 🇬🇭 awarded WECA Regional Excellence OpCo for 2023, with colleagues from Digital, Marketing, Customer & Care Excellence, and Sales & Distribution in Capetown, South Africa

MoMo and ubiquitous use in my home country Ghana, as an example of financial service, was just an example of the potential for homegrown African fintech innovation and economic empowerment opportunities when we get our “product-to-market-fit-right.” When people think of toothpaste, they think of the brand Pepsodent, similarly, when they think of detergent, they mention Omo; as a case in point when everyday people think of sending money in an easy fast, and convenient way, they think of MTN’s Momo.

MTN Platforms Accelerator myMTN, MoMo, Ayoba, Chenosis apps, December 2023

Africa-innovation-focus: What would the next Africa-innovation-focus innovation be? An improved apps-powered, contextualized experience for onboarding SMEs and local entrepreneurs into the shared digital economy?

Joining the Digital team, as a senior manager for our digital channels — apps — PWA and internal digital ecosystem — permits me a front-row seat on the enablers, blockers, and sheer will-power of cultural change to fundamentally move the needle for adoption (digital or otherwise) our continent. It is a tall order, few can articulate if their hands are not on the plow and they are not embedded in the day-to-day go-to-market tactics even with the most well-intentioned strategy, Kwerh!

Starting in 2024 gifting my manager and CDO Dario Bianchi one of his first Khaftans with my team growth manager & 2ic, David Daitey Narh, and coordinator Gloria Senam Afanyibo #DreamTeam #Digital #SparkJoy

Diaspra-connectivity: one of the benefits of being a Googler or Facebooker (Meta) is the global alumni of similar-minded folks who tackled some of the same global challenges at scale and willingness to see our part of the world win. My bet is that similar to pan-African banks & tech start-ups, FMCGs, and some insurance companies, MTN has the best cohort of brilliant Africans working in and on local problems in the world; especially the senior management to general management pool of talent.

Illustration by YebSketch x @itp85 reimagining what today’s workplace requires to meet high-performance

Peopletech-first approach: The digitalization narrative emphasizes products first; a cost-saving narrative and then a people-enabling, profit-generating modus operandi. Peopletech — where the tech or technology adoption first empowers workers is not as sexy a draw; as novel and engaging tech that excites the imagination and propels otherwise mundane (but iteratively improved work practice) with its newness. My father was an emigre in Germany, and what he passed on from his time with German mechanics was not to despise the awesome of consistent (sometimes small) iterative improvements of processes, products, and functions. Looking back, with the many constraints of working in telecom in an African country with arresting inflation, 90% of my creative innovation agency at work is constrained to small consistent iterative actions to meet high-performance targets. The key enabler, for now, is still the people in Peopletech.

Devs, UI UX designers, project managers scrum masters & avengers responsible for myMTN app, circa February 2024

Hiring Building a collaboration-first team: One of my most impactful take-aways from my time at MTN was an empathetic daily check-in cadence during our stand-ups that I call: red gold green. By modifying our check-ins to include prioritize updates by color coding: red for highest priority, green for least priority-but need to know we can have a low effort, high-touch, support/unblocking check-in on WhatsApp almost daily. Grateful my team members adopted and championed check-ins with colleagues “streaking” and getting commended for being consistent.

Spark Joy:

Top of the column at my desk, amidst team culture, mid-future operationalized goals & Ambition 2025 personalized targets… is a deliberate scribble for “fun: onboarding scavenger hunts to pass joy to new hires; and chorale after-week practice” to maintain a beginner’s mindset in learning a new hobby: singing.

Fun, Culture, Future & Ambition 2025, top on my desk at MTN Ghana HQ, Independence Avenue, Accra Ghana

I shared earlier what my team and I have been up to at a Future of Work conference; and on LinkedIn and on reflection, I can only recount these past months with gratitude, and reverence for the titans who braved the constraints in actioning the dreams that have led to our success this far; and to draw my small circle of support even closer as I am now part of the status quo that implements habits for 300 million of our customers across our mobile devices on my favorite continent, Africa. The legacy of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress is ongoing, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.

Future of Work Conference, Univerity of Ghana Legon

Be well, be safe, and be loved.

p.s. If you breathe product dev, conduct team management with respectful finesse, and enjoy working with a high-paced, high-impact team join my team at MTN here. #EveryWhereYouGo #WhatAreYouDoingToday

We are hiring & serendipitously matching here

p.s. At 30 years old, MTN is still one of the most fascinating for Africa by Africa businesses out there. For those who want to, I know you do… you may nerd out on our latest suite of reports: here https://bit.ly/3UOLUo1 and here https://bit.ly/4aUis5z #30yearsofMTN #DoingGoodTogether

Originally published to Unpacking Africa newsletter’s 15,000 + subscribers on May 10th, 2024.

Digital hopes and larger-than-life realities 2023–2024

This time for Africa Ghana: 2023 didn’t usher in the same aplomb that New Year’s celebrations & resolutions usually do, and for an expected post-COVID-19 era, it seems as if we are all managing our expectations on multiple fronts.

December in Ghana has upped a notch with the anticipated increase in tourists and big headlining events, Afrochella now AfroFuture, AfroNation, and the inaugural BlackStar Line Festival, and the entire Dec-Jan line up of events had me and my friends asking ourselves, after the Bamba with big boys then what?

In Accra, the volatile economic climate is palpable, with little to no celebratory spending, and in Sandton, load shedding (Eskom Se Push notifications) is an unwelcome reminder of the challenges to be embraced head-on.

Personally, there were highlights I’m eternally grateful for: including the communities I am passionate about and have served some over the last 12 months, and others over the last 12 years.

Starting with Ahaspora — our Ghanaian professional network’s Aha Y3 De Diaspora Festival where I got to MC, and ask unsuspecting attendees “What does Ghanaian Dream Mean to You?” with mixed, pleasant, and unsuspecting answers as we all cheered on for the good, the need-to-be-worked-on, and the unfailing Ghanian optimism.

2022 edition of Ahaspora’s Diaspora festival, MC: Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor

The venue, TreeHouse owned and run by Ahaspora network members, Kwan Pa a group favorite band that plays indigenous Hi-life or “Palm Wine” music, and the numerous local and diasporan vendors showcasing their products and wares was a heartfelt moment. We had transitioned over the past decade from a group of friends, founding members, community impact champions, and volunteers for mentorship and impact programs to commerce, business supporting ecosystem players that others could tap into for relevance & resources.

2023 Edition of Ahaspora Diaspora Festival 3.0 lead promoter on CalBank’s mobile app: Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor

And then there was Tech Connect 2023, a labor of love engagement that had been started by colleagues of mine at the Google Ghana office, 8 years ago, some of whom I got reconnected to working at the Meta Bryanston office in South Africa from 2021–2022. The first edition, community curated and very much tied to Black@ initiatives at Global Tech firms post George Floyd’s global outrage that black lives, men & women; black dreams and aspirations were being choked out of oxygen and life. At the last minute, with the absence of one of the founding team members due to his not getting Vaccinated for travel (Covid-times chale), I was asked to host/MC and had a genuine blast. The 2023 and 2024 editions were events I supported from a less active role; practicing being an innovation orchestrator without being the lead/point person in seeing new growth, continued engagement, and purposeful tech community and ecosystem advocating.

Tech Connect multi-country team from Google, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft — Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor

Tech Ecosystem, Future of Ghana Panel — World Trade Center, Accra, Ghana

Feb for me has been the commencement of realizing our hopes in the digital community via Heavy Chef, and digital access promise via MTN

The month has been a whirlwind of street insights to find out what sells, what doesn’t, and the murky in-between with valuations, companies in debt, and questioning the true cost of everything….

Fast forward to today, in February 2024, and I’m catching up on belated post entries in my draft and realizing that in as much as we hope for different things, quite a bit remains on challenges, economic strife, and promoting national pride amidst government disappointment the same. I could have written most of what I shared in sentiments this year and it would still hold.

My recipe from Heavy Chef garnered curious stakeholders across the continent, check it out here:

Business in Africa with Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor, on Heavy Chef

It has been a year working for MTN Ghana and relaunching our utility app, MTN Next Gen with local/international colleagues and vendors under my belt, I have learned to “accept what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be, and lead my digital channels team in empathy for what will be.” This year we flourish, more here.

Blackstars at AFCON, official sponsors MTN Ghana

Be well, be safe, and be loved.

p.s. To share the Unpacking Africa love and goodness newsletter updates with friends and loved ones kindly click on this link here 💕

Homecoming, civic engagement, and journalism assemblies

Homecoming is an annual tradition my family has participated in for ages and usually, all roads lead to Africa as my siblings and mother’s siblings troop in from the United States and the UK during the course of the year. This 4th quarter, I have been blessed to come home to another family on the continent, in my other country affectionately called Mzansi — South Africa.

With Angel Jones (CEO of Homecoming Revolution/HomecomingEx) on our first reunion post-COVID; her senior executive’s recruitment company featured me for returning to Ghana during my hunt as YouTube country manager almost a decade ago in 2014.

Since 2014, Homecoming Revolution (rebranded to HomecomingEx) has been an amazing executive search and recruitment opportunity with the company’s CEO, Angel leading the charge to attract and retain Africa’s best and brightest for almost two decades now. It was a privilege to share my updated competencies as an innovation orchestrator, digital strategist, educator, and new media journalist.

Meeting Sally Cruickshanks, and her sister, and learning about the growth of the organization, corporate roles in South Africa to the world & the potential of hosting a Social Media for Professional series collaboration within our collective networks. #Socials4Professionals

Up next was the trio of phenomenal professional indabas (meeting) events #Jamfest #CTIF #AIJC Johannesburg, South Africa.

Our amazing host and acting director of The Wits Centre for Journalism Prof. Dinesh Balliah was the consummate host, Prof Herman Wasserman, Khadijah Patel, and Prof. Iginio Gagliardone with Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor on the panel.

Jamfest 2022, hosted by the University of Witwatersrand School of Journalism was a series of deep distinctive dialogues about the future of journalism by journalism professionals and journalism educators. From the month-long virtual engagement sessions to the culmination of intentional exchanges and my masterclass on Socials for Civic Engagement professionals, I left our sessions challenged about the future of free media and equitable news sharing, inspired by the brilliance of many who push the professional from academic institutions to corporates and civic organizations across Africa.

Socials for Civic Engagement Masterclass by Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor Innovation Orchestrator #Jamfest22 #Unplugged | #Socials4Professionals

In fast order was the Civic Tech Innovation Forum #CTIF22 sister conference hosted by the Civic Technology Innovation Network, also in Johannesburg the following week. After leaving Meta (Facebook) #MetaMates #MetaLayoffs, I shared with one of my lecturers, Dr. Geci at the Wits Business School during my time there for innovation in management program, that the next frontier battlefield for market-share in our industry would be influenced, embroiled in, or enabled by nuanced policy and that conversation led to the bread crumbs that became my participation with the Wits School of Governance’s Tayarisha, Center of Excellence in African Digital Governance.

Emmanuel Gamor, Sekoetlane Phamodi, Geci Kariru-Sebina, #CTIF22 Tshimologong Precinct, 

Emmanuel Gamor, Geci Kariru-Sebina, Sekoetlane Phamodi, Adenike Aloba, Stan Getui, Richard Gevers #CTIF22 Johannesburg, South Africa

The icing on the cake for me was during this year’s 18th African Investigative Journalism conference #AIJC and the final of my trio back-to-back-to-back events at Wits University in Jozi, South Africa. This was a special moment to connect with Ghana’s own Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the award-winning investigative journalist who spoke about the numerous personal and professional risks he and his team have to constantly evaluate when embarking on their much-needed investigative journalism work on the continent. It was eye-opening and the honest conversation of him using his own child as a decoy during a human trafficking incident was alarming, and revealing and spoke to his bravery in ethical dilemmas and personal sacrifice on behalf of his incredibly dangerous professional field.

Anas Aremeyaw Anas, 🇬🇭 Under Cover Journalist — Tiger Eye at 18th African Investigative Journalism conference #AIJC Wits University, Johannesburg, South Africa #Mzansi 🇿🇦

Anas Aremeyaw Anas & Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor, New Media Journalist, Unpacking Africa, at the 18th African Investigative Journalism conference #AIJC Johannesburg, South Africa 🇿🇦 #Mzansi

It’s been a blessing to have my tribe of avengers assemble in the South of the continent with love and learning from each other during this season.

Be well, be safe, and be loved.

p.s. To share the Unpacking Africa love and goodness newsletter updates with friends and loved ones kindly click on this link here 💕

Originally published to Unpacking Africa newsletter’s 15,000 + subscribers on November 23rd, 2022.

 Learning how to grieve, and spark joy amidst sadness

During the anniversary month of the death of my father - Emmanuel Francios Gamor - #GamorLegacy these past couple of weeks I have been pensive, reflective, and conscious of the tools I (may not) have in dealing with grief.

Emmanuel Gamor & Emmanuel Gamor

It hit me recently how silently my family chooses to grieve, after a Facebook post I shared of his funeral almost a decade ago that the loss of the three most important people: first my grandma Rebecca Quartey, my step-baby-brother Jacobus Vanderpuye.

In the case of my brother, not a word has been spoken about him in our family publicly - as if the burden of recollection and loss is our own to bear, individually. From what I have read, this happens especially with young children.

Dedication of my first photo book to my brother, circa 2008

I mention/type out my loved ones’ names in full for the first time publicly; and if you have any insights on dealing with loss and grief, especially after a global pandemic exacerbated by global economic recession do send them my way. I received an outpour of love from the post to which I am not able to express my full gratitude. Sending love and light to any of you experience also experiencing grief for a loved one(s).

—

Dad.

Grieving you has always been painful

Honoring you has been such a lonely journey

And for the heavy personal & professional price just to be with you during those final moments, it is still and always will be worth it.

What I won’t do is to hear you shout “Coco come over here” so I can enthusiastically hop on your lap; or on the latest Kawasaki motorbike (I’m still not telling my mom, or shotgun in one of your Jaguar coupes (the two-door was my fave)!

Remember when you came with the Jeep Wrangler (open top) to Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School so everyone could see you with your boy…

Just me and you. Against the whole wide ewiase (world) #GamorLegacy

Maybe one of these days you will come to visit again, just maybe…

We will talk about the million and one entrepreneurial ideas we have that should work to help other people. Ghana must work.

Uncle Emma, Efo Gamor, Emma Gamor, The Jaguar Man.

Missing you a lot lately. Rest In Peace, rest well. Until we meet again. #RIP

“We commit this body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust” - Book of Common Prayer

Emmanuel Francois Gamor 1947-2013

p.s. If you are a listener of the Unpacking Africa podcast, you would recognize my empathetic listening inspiration from popular Psychology Researcher, author, and Podcaster, Brené Brown.

In a recent interview for her new book, Atlas of the Heart, she shares how our emotions show up and influence our decisions and how long true grief lasts in the heart?: “ As long as it takes,” Brown replied. “We live in a culture where people need us to move through our grief for the sake of their own comfort and grief does not have a timeline. It takes as long as it takes.

p.p.s If any of this resonates with you, and you are especially on the African continent know that you are not alone. Let’s set up a digital coffee time to chat, here.