Live and Work in Africa-My Story.
Thinking of a Change?
Around 1998-99 I was struggling in the UK. I just was not satisfied with what I had managed to achieve, and I wanted more excitement and challenges in my life.
At the time, I lived in Muswell Hill in North London and owned an English Language School in Leicester Square. The company was running well we had a good base of students, and we were managing to make a go of it. I started the school in 1992 and developed it from one room to a whole building with over twenty classrooms. Most people would have sat on their haunches and admired the work. But for me that has never been the way. I am restless and always need to be stimulated and move forward. This has been good for me over the years and also very bad!
My then partner was from Kenya, East Africa, we had been to visit a few times, and I liked it, especially the vibrance. My four children were also growing up and I didn’t like the city life we were leading. So, a few beers and bottles of wine later my partner and I made a decision. It was one of those decisions you just make and jump.
So, it was Kenya here we come. We all landed in Mombasa in October 2002 with only our suitcases and a smile. I didn’t know it then, but it was the best decision I had ever made.
Kenya is an odd country at the best of times. I found out very quickly that even though everyone speaks English there is a sub-culture that either speaks their local language or Swahili. When I discovered this, it was an eye-opener for me. As soon as I had mastered the basics of Kiswahili my life changed.
Kenya is truly a developing country, when I arrived the oppression of Moi was just about over and the new era of Kibaki was rolling in. To me, as an entrepreneur, it was like a gold mine. Everywhere I looked there were possibilities. My experience and training in business management, IT, and marketing came in very handy. The mobile telephone industry and data were just beginning to show its head above the ground so I was in a position to use my tech skills to develop small companies who were interested in keeping up with the times.
I’m not saying it is easy to just turn up in Kenya and start a profitable business. But in comparison to the competition, I had had to fight in Central London it was a breeze.
The people of Kenya are friendly to a point, but you must bring a lot to the table as a Muzungu, White Man. It is important to speak the language and understand the cultural difference not only between the 49 different tribes but also between a Muzungu and the local people. This was and still is a constant study for me.
I have loved and hated the last twenty years of my life in Kenya. I have learned a hell of a lot about running a business in a developing country and also about myself. Kenya is not for the faint-hearted but more so now than when I arrived it is a place to come for an adventure and also to be able to make a good living in a wonderful place.
I have always lived in Mombasa on the coast as I enjoy the ocean, but the real returns are made in the capital city of Nairobi. However, travel links are very simple with four or five flights leaving Mombasa for Nairobi daily. But this has become more and more of a moot point since Covid as Kenya has a fantastic Fiber Optic network that allows my wife and me to work from home for the majority of the time.
Over the years I have managed and owned several different businesses. From building and contracting to the marine industry, to tech development, and consultancy on oil and gas along the coast. My favorite was a lovely small marina I ran in Mtwappa. This truly was a labour of love. I was in my element during this time fixing and maintaining all manner of boats from the small speed boats that would race up and down the creek with wakeboards and water skiers being dragged behind to large oil research vessels. With so many opportunities, at times at the boat yard we were hard pushed to keep up.
I have since moved on to more of a sedentary line of work helping my wife run her legal firm, writing my books, copywriting and copy design for safari lodges based in Kenya and Tanzania and occasional consultancy with firms wanting to move to East Africa.
But for anyone who wishes to come to Kenya and take the plunge, I would still say to this day; as long as you are willing to roll your sleeves up and learn a completely new way of life for you and your family, then it is a wonderful place to set up camp and start afresh.
In this post-Covid land where we are all looking for our true passion and do not want to sit in a corporate office for the rest of our lives counting the forty hours until the weekend, Kenya should definitely be on the list of possible opportunities.
Steve Braker
www.stevebrakerbooks.com
