Stepping into Africa's future

Indeed, the concept has drawn accolades from South African President Thabo Mbeki, and from business gurus like Suze Orman and Tom Peters. CIDA was designated by the Commonwealth Secretariat as a Regional Center of Excellence in Higher Education. And last year, Blecher received a Global Leader for Tomorrow Award from the World Economic Forum for his work to establish the university. Among CIDA students, the desire to learn and succeed has so far proved strong. At least three-quarters of students are passing their coursework. Those enrolled in an advanced special investments and asset management course recently performed three times better than average on a national qualifying exam, Blecher says. Others have won music competitions, cycling races, and soccer championships.

Many students come from illiterate families where nobody has ever held a bank account, let alone a university degree. From the time they arrive in Africa's teeming commercial hub, however, they are expected to step into the roles of young entrepreneurs and executives.

CIDA's campus is a gleaming corporate high-rise in the heart of Johannesburg's reviving downtown, which was donated by Investec Limited. The lecturers are all business experts who volunteer their time. Students spend nine hours each day in class, and as another cost-cutting measure, they are also the ones responsible for running the campus. They sweep floors, answer phones, maintain computer equipment, and staff the canteen.

There are other unique elements to student life at CIDA as well. Students are all taught transcendental meditation to relieve stress and improve focus. Men and women are educated separately. Business attire is mandatory.

It all has to do with creating an environment of professionalism, Blecher says. On Fridays, students unable to afford more formal clothes can rummage through bags of secondhand clothing donated by corporate sponsors. They can also receive driving lessons. To raise extra cash, many have launched small on-campus business, braiding hair, fixing computers, and selling coffee. Administrators are currently planning to convert another recently donated building into an entrepreneurial hub.

Still, many struggle to afford food and housing. In the early days, students sometimes passed out from hunger. Now, about 900 of the neediest students eat free in the canteen. The university has also begun to provide some housing, and recently arranged to make interest-free loans available.

"Students share food, and let each other stay on the floor," Blecher says. "We had one guy who was walking two hours each way to campus. His class put the money together to buy him a good pair of shoes."

This type of community spirit is called "ubuntu" in South Africa, and is another key aspect of life at CIDA. Students are divided into small groups of six people, who help and support one another, academically and otherwise, says Hudson Ngwira. The second-year student sings opera, is passionate about meditation, and wants to start his own business. "We all sit down, and then one of us stands up and says he is having problems about his girlfriend, or even financially, and we all come up with ideas to help sort these things out," Mr. Ngwira says.

Beyond the campus, students have organized soup kitchens for the homeless and mentoring programs for orphans. They have helped street hawkers and garment workers come up with business plans. During holidays, students return to share their skills in their home communities. They go to schools, churches, and community centers to teach courses in banking, microenterprise, and AIDS awareness. The program has reached almost 1 million South Africans so far, Blecher says.

"I taught at my former high school," says Dlamini, the first-year student. "Some of the teachers were having money problems, and said it was very beneficial because they didn't know how to budget."

Mxolisi Msibi, a third-year student from Swaziland, says that it was only when he returned to his village that he realized how far he has come. He was able to help people run small businesses from their homes, he says.

"At CIDA, it's not just ourselves we are concentrating on," he says. "We are totally concerned about the economy of our country. We try to come up with innovations, to bring about more creativity and more intelligence in everything we do."

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