IEE Newsletter No. 33

MADM: Internship

Chenai Tsorayi reports on her internship after the first MADM semester

My Internship Experience with Afrika Verein der deutschen Wirtschaft (The German African Business Association)

I spent 2 fulfilling months (March – April 2021) interning with a German organisation called Afrika Verein der deutschen Wirtschaft (AV) as part of my student experience on the MADM program. For each cohort, the MADM program offers students the opportunity to undertake a voluntary internship with a German organisation for a period of 3 months. Due to the COVID -19 pandemic, the internship period could only be for 2 months for this cohort. Nevertheless, this period still proved to be impactful for my learning and was a critical complementary opportunity of the program.

If I had to summarise my experience in a few words, they be “unexpected and delightful”. My academic background is in economics and my work experience is predominantly from the microfinance and non-profit sectors however AV works within trade and development industry. Working with AV exposed me to new space I had very little knowledge of and this is an aspect that made my experience even more valuable; as it was not only directly relevant to the development themes that are unpacked in the MADM program, but also spoke directly to both my academic and professional interests in relation to the development of African countries.

A little bit about Afrika Verein der deutschen Wirtschaft…

Afrika Verein is an association that works with mainly German, but also European and African companies, institutions, and individuals to promote exchange and engagement in business and political spheres. AV does this through its membership network, organising and facilitating events, cross sector conferences, business talks, and delegation trips targeted African countries and markets. In short, AV’s mission is to highlight Africa as a continent of opportunity and to help German companies penetrate African markets.

Due to Covid-19, I was unable to carry out my internship from the office in Berlin; instead, working from my “home office”. Despite not having the opportunity to physically meet and work with the team, I do not feel that this took away from my learning experience. I met my colleagues during weekly meetings and worked on individual tasks with 25% of the team. Everyone was equally helpful, open, and transparent.

What did I spend my time doing?

The bulk of my activities were research-related. This was very relevant as the crux of the MADM program is to develop competent researchers. I also spent a lot of time attending conferences, writing reports, minute-taking, doing data entry tasks, and proof reading.

My first task was to compile articles for the AV newsletter, which is sent out periodically (every 2-3 weeks) to its membership network, for which I had to research relevant news pieces about selected countries covering Northern, Eastern, and Southern Africa. This set a good foundation for my internship period as it gave me a good outlook on topical issues for our members. I carried out this task continuously throughout my internship period. Other research-related tasks that I carried out during my time included compiling a contact list of media houses and journalists, with a focus on (renewable) energy from selected countries, investigating initiatives carried out by German companies in Africa to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, networking with farmers and organisations for an upcoming farmers alliance network that AV is building, and seeking out potential local partners from Uganda and Tanzania for a German organisation that wanted to introduce its innovative skin burn solution product to their healthcare actors.

When I was not busy with research tasks, I attended meetings and conferences organised either by AV or its partners, which I found very eye-opening and educational. I participated in conferences related to the mining, automotive, energy, and healthcare sectors as well as round table discussions with high profile delegates and ministers of selected countries. The highlight of my interactions was when a Zimbabwean organisation reached out to AV to explore areas for collaboration and I was able to meaningfully contribute to the process by providing on the ground knowledge and feedback on conducting business in Zimbabwe.

Madm Internship Chenai

What did I learn?

It was interesting for me to learn how much activity is happening on the African continent and how country dynamics, such as regulatory frameworks, infrastructure networks, and political parties in power, come into play and influence foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade flow. I gained perspective on the opportunities in Africa over a wide range of sectors as well as the interpersonal skills necessary to facilitate engagement.

I also learned a lot about German development interests for Africa and the German development landscape in general. AV represents 85% of German organisations in Africa and many of them are within the development space (e.g. GIZ and Kfw) as well as the Federal ministry arms (BMWi and BMV). A lot of emphasis is currently on climate change issues and the uptake of renewable energy; more specifically, the production of hydrogen. Another big aspect was that of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA) that came into play in 2020 and how German companies can position themselves to take advantage of the opportunity. In the same vein I also learned about how African countries are positioning themselves to be competitive and achieve economic growth and development for their people. Despite the disruption of the pandemic, I really got to see that efforts are being made and that Africa is rising, albeit slowly. Through the internship I feel more equipped to make an impact on the development of my country and the African continent as a whole.

I really appreciate the time spent at AV and if anything, I feel that my time with the organisation was too short. I would most definitely recommend any students who are interested in foreign trade and development issues related to the African continent specifically to spend a few months with AV You will not regret it.

To find out more about Afrika Verein here: https://www.afrikaverein.de/afrika-verein/ueber-uns/

To sign up for their events: https://www.afrikaverein.de/veranstaltungen/?no_cache=1


TsorayiChenai Tsorayi

MADM Student

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