Youths in business is your business

This week Market Beat managed to catch-up with another promising and aspiring young Gambian Entrepreneur in other than the gentleman with plenty smiles, Mr Safyoung Manneh. One thing I know for sure is in my small life experiences so far, smiles give people a lift and I would only ask him to keep doing that as throughout our interview his composure made us very comfortable.

Mr. Manneh is blessed in his own ways and he is artistically inclined with lot of vigour and energy. I met him at his home in New Jeshwang where he works but has a market outlet at serrekunda Market where he does his marketing.

This gentleman is a seasoned traveller having studied part-time in Canada and been to UK on many occasions. I am more impressed with his belief that working at home (Gambia) is more strategically primed for the big time in business than abroad and no doubt he is what he is by belief and determination.


Pot-shot interview with Mr Sefyoung Manneh

Name of business- African Spice

Sector - Screen Printing and T-shirt Production

Name- Safyoung Manneh

Place of birth- Basse Manneh Kunda

Nationality-Gambian

Age/Date of Birth- 43yrs = 18th. February, 1965

How many years in Business- Since 1989

Best Gambian Business Personality- Aki Allen - Proprietor of Gambia Electrical

What help do you need? - Assist in office space for expansion (Land)

If you are a president for a day what will you change?- Sensitisation and raising national consciousness as to what entrails national interest. Home is better than abroad because you pay taxes here that benefit all including you family. I will try and change the mind set of our youths.

Best friend- Lola pedret (20yrs in the Gambia and was my teacher at school-Canadian)

Best country and why? -Spain and all my business come from Spain, I buy my machines from Spain and I love arts and architecture and design and those three are homed in Spain. Also I love Spain because my master, PABLO PACISSO- Comes from Spain and he is Master of the Arts and I also love the works of Sagarada Familiar who inspired me.

Best moments -Time when I am working artistically

Dream of The Gambia - Gambia moving in the right direction, a centre for the silicon valley of Africa. I implore all not to be racist or tribalist, give dues where they belong, be realistic, no friendship bigger than the national interest as that is all that matters, the president is doing very well.

Annual Turnover- Around 125,000 DALASI

Strength-The quality and timeliness I put into my work.

Weakness- I have to be around all the time as my young support staff are still learning.

What should be done with our relationship with Senegal? - Create a smooth relationship with them so that people and services can flow easily, there is lot of disturbances when you want to get to the other side(Senegalese) with goods. The two governments should sit and discussed as our partnership is well crafted in our past that no president can cast asunder.

African unification or Senegambia Confederation? -Senegambian confederation first as everything starts small and then goes big.

America or England? -England because they were our former colonial masters. I have been to Britain twice and love English culture and the English breakfast. So I stick with Britain despite all the other things in history.

Best team in the world- MANCHESTER UNITED (MAN U)

Number of employees- Daily paid workers 10 people

Number of branches- Outlet at the market produce at home

Married or single- married to one wife with five children

Best Newspaper- Used to be independent now Daily Observer

Do you buy paper everyday? I buy according to how interesting the caption appears.

Business Domicile- New Jeshwang

One word to describe the Gambian Youth- Friendly

Your best quote/proverb- 'not all that glitters is gold'

Your role model/mentor-The president- His Excellency Yaya AJJ Jammeh

Countryside or city- Now the city and when I retire I then go home to the countryside.

Money or knowledge- Knowledge

Why? Knowledge brings money, brings wisdom and we can rely on it to move mountains and also integrating cities that are rivals.

A word for the president- I wish to meet him and when I do I will tell every about myself and how much I like him. I did the Baby Muhammad Jammeh T-shirts and I always dream of meeting and shaking hands with him.

Your plans for 2009 and beyond- Expand and help people and create an avenue for many Gambian youths to benefit and showcase their talents.

One word on Gambian Music- Growing

One word on Gambian Football- Growing

Foreign coach or Home coach- Foreign coach

Groundnut or cashew- Groundnut

Why- Groundnut is popular and support most of our diets and cashews have a side effect as they kill our precious chicken when smell in procession.

Family or friend- Family, as they always around.

What plans for the rural communities if you have your way? - Certainly transform my village far from the

What will you do to solve the groundnut trading impasse in the country if you were given the portfolio and the resources? I believe there is a conspiracy by western countries as they imposed conditions to make the masses suffer. President has initiated a decortications and manufacture of oil and to me that is the way forward. Get the manufacture of oil in this country than trying to get buyers from outside to buy the oil. The president's way will be my way.

About slavery- Is a heinous crime, you do not have to think about the past for revenge but it was sad and bad. It was a crime against humanity.

What is the way forward to solving Africa's food crisis and worries? - Back to the land and make Agriculture very attractive to convince the youth to start an urban-rural exodus.

Among other things that he journeyed through thus:

-Did pre-service course on teaching way back in 1987/88

-Did number plates for car owner in police stations back in the late eighties

-Benefited from a Novo Scotia- Gambia Association gift of 1500 Dollars about 6000 Dalasi in those days to support my business.

- Did travel to Canada in 1992

-Got married in 1993

-Attended Novo-Scotia Art College

-Printed the celebration T-Shirts for AFPRC for their 1st. anniversary and that serve as a great start point for his business turnaround financially and logistically.

- A registered member of the Rotary club- The Gambia

Your last words- I am thankful to Daily Observer for the coverage. Bravo to all those who have supported me over the years. I am very thankful to government for creating an enabling environment to allow the like of GAMCEL, AFRICELL, NEW BANKS to establish here and create chances and opportunities for the people of this beloved nation, including myself.