My path to DOWA is not the traditional path most students had. I'm two years into my career and navigating a career pivot. I have a passion for Africa and seeing businesses in the ecosystem, and thus our economies, grow. With all my experience being far removed from the African space, I was desperately looking for an experience that'd give me exposure to the work of African businesses and entrepreneurs. DOWA provided a gateway for me.

My internship with HYBR Group was invaluable. I had a manager invested in seeing me grow, and even encouraging me where doubts tried to creep in. And not only that, he is passionate about the African continent too! I got exposure to so much in the ecosystem I didn't know existed, and was given the opportunity to work on projects that were going directly to our clients. The most impactful part of it all was all the research I got to do and was exposed to. It helped me gain more clarity on the types of businesses in the ecosystem that I was interested in.

I remain grateful to DOWA for this opportunity and all its partners

I cherish my internship with DOWA since it was the most worthwhile and educational experience I've ever had. It showed me the importance of workplace communication for smooth business operations. The very first thing i learned was that even though no man is an island, don’t assume you know everything especially when you get to a new place that has its own ways of doing things. I was able to hone my craft through this internship by posing pertinent questions about how I could carry out my tasks more effectively.

As a DOWA intern, I worked as a banking and scouting intern at the HYBR Group in South Africa. I appreciate DOWA for giving me the opportunity to work in that profession despite the fact that I lacked the necessary experience, and I thank them for their trust. One of the things for which I will be grateful to DOWA is that it offers young people the chance to explore their areas of interest in order to aid them in discovering their career pathways and gaining job experience.

As a DOWA intern with HYBR, I was given duties that encouraged me to devote time to learning innovative techniques because I was tasked with finding potential African businesses whose solutions aligned with investors' goals, which required me to advance my research abilities. In order to study African businesses for potential partnerships, I was also permitted to attend meetings with investors like Absa, which required me to have strong communication and public speaking skills, both of which I developed throughout this internship. I improved my ability to perform critical analysis, work in a team, and communicate effectively. I formed connections throughout my internship, and DOWA ought to be appreciated for making this happen. Even though my internship had ended and I had returned to school, the company I had worked with through DOWA offered me part-time work, which I'm doing now until January.