In May 2006 we launched the first issue of ReConnect Africa magazine, along with a website that we hoped would become the ‘go-to’ place for professionals of African origin overseas.

Why?

ReConnect Africa was a personal response to a number of issues that I, along with many other Africans living abroad, have had to contend with.

One such issue was the lack of balanced coverage of Africa and a tendency in the mainstream Western news media to portray a continent that looked nothing like the one I knew. It was a source of incredulity to me that after years of cheap travel, the widespread use of the internet - not to mention a multiplicity of news media - that the tired old image of Africa as a graft ridden, famine stricken and disease infected hell-hole was still doing the rounds.

Even leaving aside the cynical motives of those who sought to portray Africa in this way as a means of raising funds and sustaining an industry of aid and alms, too many people seemed to be programmed to see the African continent as offering absolutely no good news; no buildings made out of anything but mud, no schools that came with windows and doors and no food that wasn’t being airlifted out by the West to starving villagers.

With no evidence on Western televisions of African cities, industry and commerce, with no profiles in magazines of the achievements – or even existence - of middle-class Africans, and no sense of what normal, everyday life is like for millions of people across the continent, a successful African was fast becoming seen as a rare exception to the norm.

ReConnect Africa was a personal response to a number of issues that I, along with many other Africans living abroad, have had to contend with.

To borrow the signature phrase of the late African activist, Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem ‘don’t agonise, organise!’ the answer to this imbalance, it seemed to me, was that, rather than expecting others to change their tune, it was time for us to write a new song.

Another issue that came to the fore in putting together ReConnect Africa was the lack of mainstream visibility for professionals of African origin.

While the world could not ignore Kofi Annan and gave due deference to Madiba, it seemed that, apart from the high profile names in sports and entertainment, our brothers and sisters of African origin who were quietly excelling in their own worlds received little recognition.

Promoting role models for young people of African origin growing up outside Africa was a tough sell; an absurdity, given the multiplicity of talented professionals making an impact in business and across sectors including finance, ICT, oil and gas, medicine and education, to name a few.

As any lawyer will tell you, it’s a lot easier to prove a point when you have evidence. Showcasing the successful professionals from our community and sharing the stories of their challenges and triumphs became an essential part of our mission with ReConnect Africa. Five years on, and with almost sixty '5 Minute Interviews' on record, we have gone some way to achieving that.

Another imperative for us was the need to make the case for investing in Africa – not only to non-Africans but, most importantly, to Africans in the Diaspora subjected to the same negative stories about the lack of opportunity in their continent of origin.

For the past 60 months, our monthly News Round article has highlighted well over 2,000 snippets of business and investment news of relevance and interest to African professionals around the world. News about business growth and successes, mergers and other opportunities has given readers a flavour of the enormous possibilities Africa offers for those who take the time to look.

We have successfully created partnerships with other organisations on a similar mission. Our partnership with the International Marketing Council of South Africa, for example, has enabled us to highlight the many opportunities for investment and business in Africa’s biggest economy, while our partnership with Thomson Reuters has brought our readers 24-hour access to the latest business and investment news emanating from or affecting Africa.

Since our launch, through our monthly Events/Dates for your Diary listings, we have publicised almost 1500 different conferences, forums, networking and other events covering business, investment, the Diaspora, music and the arts.

But perhaps the biggest issue for me personally was the need to bring together opportunity and talent; the opportunities that abound within Africa and the wealth of talent that lives outside and within the continent.

The impact of Africa’s brain drain on the continent can never really be overstated and the opportunity to be part of a movement that is helping to reverse this situation has been deeply rewarding. Over the years we have provided a platform for companies and organisations in Africa to talk about what they do and the skills they need to keep on doing it. Through interviews, case studies and opinion pieces, we have shown the challenges inherent in returning home but also celebrated the benefits that these sought-after skills in the Diaspora can bring, both to the countries involved and to the individuals returning.

We have worked with numerous organisations from private, public and non-governmental sectors to identify and recruit African talent overseas and within the continent and advertised many hundreds of job vacancies.

The focus of ReConnect Africa has always been on Africans in the Diaspora and through the advice and tips provided by our expert career coaches, leadership and management gurus, we have brought invaluable information to those seeking to progress their careers in their countries of residence around the world. The ReConnect Africa Library of Articles continues to provide a free to access wealth of information that includes hundreds of articles and features.

It’s been a fascinating and, at times, exhausting journey but this labour of love has succeeded so far through the support of advertisers, recruiters, media partners and marketing partnerships. It has also kept going through the skills and tireless efforts of a superb web team and, most of all, a loyal and ever-growing readership.

So my sincere thanks to you all for continuing to click on, read and forward articles from ReConnect Africa. Thanks for your comments, your feedback, your compliments and your critiques; all this helps us to do a better job. I hope you will continue to see us through the next five years.

Because, although we’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far, the issues I’ve mentioned are far from resolved. We still have work to do.