Looking at the Global Mobility trends depends on the lens from which you are able to view the market changes, so in Africa, would be different to a business looking at the trends from Ukraine or United Kingdom. But possibly, if we look at the global mobility trends as an industry, there are changes which impact us all.
I am from Cape Town, South Africa – for those of you who have not visited, you should come. It’s now voted as the most beautiful city in the World. I am not sure how these ratings change but to become a beautiful city does not happen overnight. Cape Town has been around since 1642 – it is now simply getting the exposure and recognition it deserves as more people are visiting and talking about it, and when they see it – well – it is the most beautiful city in the world.
Africa is a bit like this – an undiscovered diamond. As Eric Ponchaut said last year on the state of the industry at EuRA, “… It’s Africa’s time to rise and be seen” – Africa has the youngest potential talent for the future and an abundance of natural resources. However, when it comes to mobility, we are not a volume-based location compared to other destinations like the US or Europe. But there are many companies discovering the continent and while some feel risks are high – they will also state, the reward is higher.
Our industry is large, and the USA, China, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East are all much bigger than Africa in volumes, but I agree with Eric – Africa’s time is now.
We live in a fast-paced and continually evolving world of work. How many times in a week do you have to update your apps on your phone? Yes, change is consistent and guaranteed, but as Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva – a globally respected sustainability author, educator and business owner known as ‘the reinvention guru’, says, “change is not a once-off project anymore.”
It used to be when times could be described as “business as usual” and when a business strategy for 10 years rarely altered course, and when a CEO was in the seat for 10+ years. Our lens has changed, and today we live in a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.
One of the things we know for sure is that the world thrives on capitalism, but for tomorrow’s capitalism to work, business models must become exponentially more social, lean, integrated, and circular if they want to survive in the capitalist system. We know we live in a state of constant crisis, we need to work and live differently as VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) isn’t going away. Change promises to speed up, not slow down.
To thrive in a world where change is the only constant, leaders need to replace older thinking with new frameworks. So how are we as leaders in the Global Mobility sector looking at our current precarious state of play? More joint ventures and acquisitions, bankruptcy and mergers, liquidations too – do we understand why? Are the shrinking income streams for relocation management companies considered in the new landscape? Has sustainability changed behaviour – such as reduced household goods shipments? Do we allow these changes to scare us and all run for cover? Do we embrace the volatility and become more adaptive and flexible? Do we shy away from the complex or manage to find simplicity and take small bites to manage the complexities, and do we continue to run business on ambiguity or do we seek clarity? These changing times in the Global Mobility sector requires exponential change which requires dynamic leaders.
I recently read a book Green Swan by John Elkington, and he mentions these characteristics of exponential leaders. Firstly, dynamic leaders need the skills of the futurist in “imagining new possibilities boldly and optimistically and understanding they are quite likely to arise sooner than expected.” They need to “get comfortable asking open-ended questions about unspoken assumptions to see new possibilities. They need to be curious about the future and blend imagination practices into strategic foresight, future back-casting, science fiction design, and scenario planning into traditional business planning.”
Secondly, an exponential leader must be innovative— “discovering new ideas through creative ideation and rigorous experimentation. These days, great product ideas can come from a single tweet or a surprising customer interaction and be tested with a working prototype in less than 24 hours. Yet many businesses still focus primarily on getting existing products to market faster while reducing cost and increasing margins.” Rigorous innovators, we are told, iterate over and over to uncover opportunities obscured by the fog of uncertainty.
Thirdly, as innovation accelerates, leaders must understand which technologies will most directly impact their industry and which will disrupt adjacent industries. This means that all of us, to a degree, must become technologists. The latest technology can digitize, manipulate, and replace physical products and services, challenging the status of many existing companies. The best way to understand technological change is not to read about it, we are told, but to experience it firsthand by learning to code, building and manipulating a simple robot, trying new products and services that go beyond what’s familiar and comfortable, and seeking the resources of innovation and experimentation.
In parallel, and crucially, dynamic leaders must grapple with the ethical, moral, and social implications of the technologies they are evolving while importantly aligning them with the usual capitalistic parameters. This brings us to the fourth skill set: that of the humanitarian. Here we are advised, dynamic leaders use the skills and behaviours of futurists, innovators, and technologists to improve the lives of the people they touch and society as a whole. They aim to do well by doing good – not as a separate set of corporate social responsibility activities, but as part of an integrated company mission.
We need to design businesses that don’t become “stranded assets” (no longer relevant in the future), but rather “cockroach stocks”, those businesses which outlast any crisis.
I find the work of people like Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva so inspiring – particularly her recommendation that in order to avoid what she calls the “Titanic syndrome,” (believing you’re unsinkable) we should all now become “chief reinvention officers.” It is tempting and very human to overuse terms like sustainability, disruption, transformation, reinvention, and regeneration without actually sustaining, disrupting, transforming, reinventing, or regenerating anything. But we must now ensure that tomorrow’s capitalism, markets, and businesses – and the relevant politics, governments, and public policy frameworks – genuinely serve the interests of all life. This means embracing exponential migrations drawn into the future by a positive vision, not just rudely shoved along by global warming.
At Relocation Africa, we believe in helping our clients “Embrace the Unknown.” Preparing for a future of constant change and multiple crises requires more than just adaptation – it demands resilience, innovation, and a forward-thinking mindset. With over 32 years of experience, we don’t rest on past successes; instead, we continuously seek new opportunities alongside our talented team, diverse clients, flexible supply partners, and valued stakeholders.
Let’s rethink talent, borders, and growth – not tomorrow, not next year, but today.
