Doyens take birth very infrequently. Yet, during their terrestrial existence, they try to accomplish tasks, which cannot be done for centuries or even millennia. In the popular English vocabulary, their loss or void is referred to as irreparable. Often they live for humanity and beyond their times.
Guyana-born British businessman Bob Collymore, who was lovingly called as “Bubbly Bob” by his close friends and fellow businessmen, had left an indelible mark as a businessman, CEO of par excellence, business commentator and above all a man with an iron will and determination laced with witticism often bordering sardonicism. Beyond the veneer of his affable disposition and the next door gentleman cast, there lay a combination of attributes in him to succeed against all oddities and unfavorable situations that he was upfront with. Despite his two year tryst with cancer, which sapped his energy, he never wanted to yield ground to the fatal disease. His creative mind stood apart and insulated from the pangs of the disease that afflicted him. That emboldened him to maintain equanimity, peace, and tranquility.
Creating a brand is a painstaking task and if that brand has a global appeal and recall, it is another ballgame. Safaricom, which he nurtured through expansion and a series of innovation from a humble beginning, now evokes pride among the Kenyans in particular. All these transformations happened in the course of one decade. Let the figures speak for itself. In 10 years time since he had taken over as the CEO, its user base doubled and profits hit almost four-fold mark. Its business, estimated at US$ 10.8 billion in 2018, is equivalent to 6.5% of the GDP of Kenya and equal to the total asset base of at least a dozen small countries dot the continent.
In today’s benchmark of the longevity of human life, Bob died young at 61, a small span of time. What makes Bob Collymore different from the rest of the world-renowned entrepreneurs? Bob was an African born businessman. Unlike his counterparts in other countries and continents, Bob and people of his ilk, have to fight against a whole lot of things including difficult business environs, almost non –existent fund flows to a beginner in business, possibly racial discrimination outside Africa, handicaps like poor infrastructure including digital and so on.
How the progeny would remember Bob? Safaricom existed even before Bob came in as its CEO in 2010. Yes, he is to Safaricom what Steve Jobs to Apple. Like Apple brought out a mobile revolution in the West, Safaricom engineered a tectonic shift in digital transactions in Kenya to be emulated in other countries of the continent. Safaricom brought millions of Africans into the e- mainstream. Its products helped to spread the concepts e-payments, internet banking, e-commerce and what have you. His innovations and adaptations of technologies were specific to the mindsets of millions of Africans and the motto was to build an inclusive society and to bring people closer to technologies.
Safaricom is there to stay even without Bob like Apple exists without Steve. That, perhaps, is his biggest contribution to the people of Kenya’s and the best way to remember one of the greatest sons of Africa. That also prompted us to write an obituary for him in addition to a story we ran in our news portal a few days back.
