Our mission :
ENABLING SUSTAINABLE VALUE WITH COMMUNITIES IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.
Bouger et gagner
ensemble, c’est bon!
Our African Drive values
TEAM EMPOWERMENT
LOCAL STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION
OPERATIONAL DISCIPLINE
Our shared vision
“We can all better our lives if the systems we count on for getting things done are reliable, accessible and viable. The reality is some communities in Africa have just been dealt a bad hand. “
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Since it’s foundation in July 2013, the focus of African Drive has been on economic & social impact in countries with poor global infrastructure and little formal economic activities.
Creating new businesses in Africa, starting with Bénin, while enabling social progress, is our African “Drive”. Our shareholders have a track record for business results. We are combining these experiences to build new companies that are economically viable and sustainable.
Our first investment, Baobab Express SA in Bénin, West-Africa, has since 2014 been successful both from an economic perspective as well as from a gross profit point of view. With a team of 120 locals, lead by a young and dynamic entrepreneur, Baobab Express is bringing on average 600 passengers daily to their destinations, at affordable prices, safe and on time. Clients are experiencing this as a new economic reality.
Besides financial results, we are focusing on economic progress and creating regional prosperity in difficult areas. As such we focus on many of the SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals) of the United Nations.
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Luc ALBERT
Chairman of the Board Strategic Planning
Between 1994 and 2019 Luc has held leading positions at Swiss Re in Mexico City, Armonk (NY), Munich and Zurich. He is passionate about sustainable, socially responsible entrepreneurship and is currently engaged as an investor, holding Board mandates in SMEs and start-ups across Europe.
Chris VAN ASSCHE
Executive Board Member CEO
Chris has a 20-year operational experience in executive positions with 3 leading international companies. Since the last 12 years, Chris is dedicating his time to social & entrepreneurial projects in Africa. He’s motivated by projects & actions that become financing independent & profitable, and that enable social progress.
Fried VANCRAEN
Executive Board Member Business Development
Fried is the founder & CEO of Materialise, a world player in 3D-printing. Fried is a visionary in technology, but also in social progress via sustainable economic activities.
Christophe FAUCONNIER
Executive Board Member Marketing
Christophe is a business humanizer, founder and CEO of Innate Motion, a global strategy consultancy upholding the idea that human sense makes business sense. He works with leading businesses and brands across the world to help them position with people, to stand up for purpose, and innovate in ways that translate positioning into shared value.
Pieter VANSTEENWEGEN
Executive Board Member Technical & Logistics
Pieter is professor at the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) and chairman of the KU Leuven Mobility Research Center. He is the secretary of ORBEL (Belgian Society of Operations Research) and a member of the KU Leuven sustainability council. His research focuses on logistic and public transportation planning problems.
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Our 30 shareholders are actively promoting in their own environments social progress through investment. This is what brings them together. We organise annual investor meetings, not only to look at financials and operational details, but also to co-create ideas and opportunities to go “one step further”.
A large group of Stakeholders & Crowdfunders are supportive in many different ways: consulting, networking and knowledge transfer, resulting in active coaching of the young and dynamic Baobab Express team.
The team of coaches is active on-site in Benin and via Skype in the following disciplines:
1. Marketing & branding
Arnaud Tassiaux, shareholder
2. Strategic & financial planning
Luc Albert, shareholder
3. Accounting
Katja De Peuter, shareholder
4. Legal advice
Carla Van Steenbergen, shareholder
5. Team building
Guy Schepers, shareholder
6. Technical advice
Dany Deckers, stakeholder
“Baobab Express has
changed the lives of me,
my family & my community.”
Jules Dangou – Baobab Express Driver
Our awards
Benin Prize for Social Uplifting
2015 | Boabab Express
After only one year of operations Boabab Express received the "Oscar de Merite Sepentrional" Edition 2014 for "meilleur promoteur, faiseur d'emploi bon equipe". Today, Boabab Express is the national leader in intercity transport in Benin and management of the operations is recognised as an example for other companies.
Belgian Social Enterprise Award
2016 | African Drive
African drive was nominated amoungst 12 companies and won the 2-year trophee. We recieved the trophee from Vice Prime Minister Alexanader De Croo, Minister of Development Cooperation. The Trophee was proudly handed over to the management team of Boabab Express.
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IT Coach
Samenwerking met en rapportering aan CEO M/V met 10-15 jaar “hand-on” IT-ervaring. Vrijwilliger met empathie voor de Afrikaanse cultuur.
- Coachen en begeleiden van een jong lokaal IT-team in Bénin
- Opzetten van een efficiënte IT infrastructuur, inclusief een nationaal netwerk
- Opzetten van controlemechanismen
- Opvolgen netwerk stabiliteit en security
CFO
Samenwerking met en rapportering aan CEO en Board of Directors.M/V met 10-15 jaar “hand-on” ervaring in een internationale financiële leidinggevende positie. Empathie voor de Afrikaanse cultuur.
- Opmaken van strategische meerjarenplannen van dochterondernemingen en HQ
- Opmaken en controleren van budgetten en maand- en kwartaalrapporten
- Dochterondernemingen
- HQ/Consolidated
- Controle van de respectievelijke boekhoudingen
- Financiële rapporteringen
- Opvolging van de audit verplichtingen en van de auditrapporten
- Onderhouden van relaties met aandeel- en obligatiehouders
- Onderhandelen met banken en/of financiële fondsen
- Beheren van leningen en andere financiële verplichtingen
- Beheren van de internationale geldstromen
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Queries & Suggestions
We like to hear from you.
