How HR is becoming a crucial function across Africa

The workforce across Africa is prepared to become a central force in the global economy, according to Miranda Naiman, Founder of Tanzania-based human capital consulting firm Empower. Speaking to Forbes, Naiman has shared some of the values and challenges that have brought her to where she is.

Naiman is the founder of Empower, a human resources (HR) and capital consultancy based in Dar es Salaam that has grown in profile across Tanzania and the rest of Africa since its establishment in 2009. The firm’s services include training, recruitment and HR consulting, among others.

The firm has gone from strength to strength since its establishment, now boasting high profile global clients including the United Nations and the World Bank. According to Naiman, who is an expert in talent management, it is the values embodied by her organisation that has been a central driver of success.

“If you don’t love being alive, there is no point trying to serve any client. We are dealing with the most precious part of businesses, and that is their people,” she said. Naiman’s people-first approach is increasingly gaining momentum across Africa, where a young workforce is among a number of promising economic indicators for the near future.

In this scenario, HR has become central for many an economy across Africa, where private and public institutions alike are looking for ways to ensure that the vibrant workforce across the continent reaches its potential. Empower is competing with some of the leading HR consultancies from across the globe to support growth in this domain.

As it looks to expand across Africa, Empower will be competing with the likes of Mercer and KPMG, all of which are occupying an increasingly central position in the HR space. Naiman is confident in the response from the workforce across the continent as the economy becomes more vibrant.

“The labor force of Africa has a hunger to succeed and to grow and a resilience to bounce back. That entrepreneurial spirit is on our blood; knocked down 7 times, stand up 8. We’re on the precipice of something really major. We’re ready,” she said.