17 Big Bets for a Better World” launched in Tanzania

Ruge Mutahaba, Co-founder Clouds Media Group (right) speaking during the panel discussion on solutions for ‘off-grid societies’ during the launch of the book ’17 Big Bets for a Better World’. Also in the panel is, Chief Executive Officer of Benjamin Mkapa Foundation, Dr Ellen Mkondya- Senkoro (left) and Executive Director of the Dalberg Group, James Mwangi (middle) moderating the panel discussion

Executive Director of the Dalberg Group, James Mwangi (middle) moderating the panel discussion on solutions for ‘off-grid societies’ during the launch of the book ’17 Big Bets for a Better World’. Also in the panel is, Chief Executive Officer of Benjamin Mkapa Foundation, Dr Ellen Mkondya- Senkoro (left) and Ruge Mutahaba, Co-founder Clouds Media Group.

Guests following the panel discussion on solutions for ‘off-grid societies’ during the launch of the book ’17 Big Bets for a Better World’. 

150+ business leaders engage in panel discussion on solutions for ‘off-grid societies’. 

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Dalberg Group, The Africa List and the CEO Roundtable hosted an Iftar dinner to celebrate Dalberg’s 10 years in Africa by launching the book “17 Big Bets for a Better World”. The purpose of the launch was to kick off a discussion on Tanzania’s future and the role that the private sector plays in building the economy while addressing issues that affect Tanzanians. 

The event was attended by more than 150 business leaders in Tanzania representing a diverse range of sectors including finance and banking, telecoms, agribusiness and manufacturing. Reflecting on the launch in the Tanzanian context, Dalberg Group’s Executive Director - James Mwangi - remarked, “The book presents 17 bold and innovative ideas to reduce global poverty and improve lives. It tackles the types of questions that Dalberg has been addressing in Tanzania and the rest of Africa for the past decade. The private sector is a major driving force in developing our economies and a key partner in the type of work we do – working on the most pressing development challenges.” 

In the book, some of the world’s most renowned thought leaders detail how we collectively can reach the global goals (Sustainable Development Goals) set forth by the UN last year. From a bank president and a Nobel Peace Prize winner to an artist and Michelin-chef, contributors include Amina Mohammed – current Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and a former Minister of Environment of Nigeria, Ashish J. Thakkar – the founder of the Mara Group and Mara Foundation, James Mwangi – Managing Director and CEO of Equity Bank among others. 

The book presents fresh and credible solutions to the challenges humanity faces through 17 transformational ideas for positive change. Reviews of 17 Big Bets Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General, United Nations. 

“The Sustainable Development Goals embody the aspirations of people everywhere for lives of peace, prosperity and dignity on a healthy planet. To uphold our core promise to leave no one behind, we need action from everyone, everywhere. The United Nations looks forward to working with all partners to mobilize the leadership and investments that will turn this transformative vision into tangible progress.” 

Muhammed Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate “What drives the world forward is transformative and game-changing solutions and innovations. Leveraging the big bets of global thinkers, this book is an important contribution to the new Global Goals.” 

To further the discussion on Big Bets in the Tanzanian context, James Mwangi, spoke about a new concept called “off-grid societies” and why solutions must be created for serving them. 

“In the past, “off-grid” has been used to refer to those without energy access, but we need to look beyond that to define off-grid societies as those that do not have access to 20th century infrastructure, such as roads, bank branches, hospitals, and schools. Finding solutions to reach these unconnected populations is extremely important if we are to achieve truly inclusive growth. Creating effective solutions for off-grid societies often requires us to devise new business models and leapfrog technologies that require formal infrastructure, such as phone networks or roads, to function. These are challenges that could unlock a huge amount of growth in Tanzania, but that need the private sector’s leaders to get behind.” 

The off-grid societies discussion focused on five key sectors that were well represented in the audience: Finance, Retail, Energy, Healthcare and Finance. After the main session, participants were invited to engage further in coming up with off-grid solutions and big bet ideas for Tanzania.