In November 1995 against a backdrop of a promising professional career, I resigned from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and chose South Africa as my new home.

I arrived in South Africa on 21 November 1995 determined to make a difference in the continent where the majority of the inhabitants look like me. Little did I know then what I now know about the complications and challenges of doing business in Africa?

Post-colonial Africa has experienced its growing pains over the last 52 years and regrettably its political economy continues to exhibit the same exclusive status that the colonial system was credited for.

Even Kenyans could not resist declaring a holiday in celebration of Obama's victory without pausing to think critically of the fact that Obama is a product of an American system that has taken 232 years to evolve and, therefore, it would be absurd to interpret his victory in racial terms given the demography of the country.

Obama's life journey is pregnant with lessons not only for the United States of America (USA) but for the rest of the world on the power that people who may believe that they do not have the power to change their circumstances have.

On Friday, November 7, I was approached by an African American at an Obama victory celebration who proposed that perhaps Africa Heritage Society (AHS), a pan-African member based not-for-profit organization that I chair consider hosting an Obama victory celebration.