The final week of the program was filled with visits that really opened my eyes to the business world of South Africa. After visiting the only Black-owned winery in the country, I was amazed to see the hope that was Instilled in the owner. He was a wine farm worker his entire life but his mother made him study daily which gave him an advantage moving into the future. He had a dream, he followed his dream, and now he is loving it every day. We also visited Veldskoehn, a native South African shoe company. The owner was an absolute marketing genius and he reminded me a lot of the American dream. He had an idea, he did it all right, and now he owns a multi-million dollar business that ships worldwide. The success I saw changed my perspective of the country. They have a long way to they can lower the number of 10 million people in poverty. So many obstacles stand in their way and it will take many years to have a normal working, non-corrupt economy. My initial impressions were pretty accurate, Cape Town literally has it all. Whether that be broken, rich, mountains, sea, or everything in between. This trip has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the people I met, and grew to know, I will cherish forever. South Africa is a place that you want to go back to as soon as you land, so I would highly recommend this trip!
Center for International Business Studies Blog