 I just want to know yeah, how do you feel knowing that you're running one of the biggest and the best fast food restaurant in Côte d'Ivoire? The biggest really. I passed here with some ladies and everybody was like, you need to interview her before you go back to Ghana and I'm like, who is she? And they showed me a billboard of you in town, it's like, that's her. It seems you're so big in Côte d'Ivoire. Okay, thank you. You don't know about that? Or you're trying to be modest? No, no, no, I'm not trying. You try to know when I think about all I want to accomplish and I'm not done yet. I cannot seem to myself that I'm big enough or I've made a lot of big things. From now, I cannot say that. I think that answer deserves a round of applause. You know what, I saw you on a billboard. Is it also about your restaurant? It's not about my restaurant. Actually, sometimes some company takes me to make advertisements. Yeah, Brand Influenza too. Maybe, some of them. Which one do you love the most? Brand Influenza being the owner of a restaurant, which is which? No, owner of the restaurant, actually. And this influencer thing and all that, no, not that much. Not that much. Can you tell me something about you that you think I don't know? I ran a woman. I'm from Ivory Coast. I was born here. I studied here. And I did primary school here. High school and college. And two years of university before going to the US, actually to Alana in Georgia. So I was there. I did my master there, MBA. Wow, for how long? I was in the US for three years. And you came back to Kodiwa? After the US, I went to London. I got married. I went to London to live with my husband. And after London, I went to Dubai. I was in Dubai for, I think, three or four years in Dubai. And then I decided to come back in my country. No, let's just go into details. OK. You were in London. You married in London? You got married in London? I got married in Ivory Coast. You came back? I met my husband while I was in the US. He was in London. We met actually through internet, through Facebook. And then? OK, the magic of Facebook, yeah? Yes, yes. OK. So you guys decided to get married in Ivory Coast. So you came back and then went to London? We came back to Ivory Coast to get married. And then we went back to London. How long did you guys stay in London? I stayed actually in London one day, only one day. Because, you know, I didn't like London. Why? London is quite too much gray for me. You know, I like the sun. I like the heart. I like to move. And London was too rainy. The weather was always gray and everything. And actually, when I was in London, I got pregnant. So it wasn't a good time for me to enjoy London. So at what point did you leave London to Dubai? I leave London to Dubai because my husband got moved to Dubai by his company. So we had to go to Dubai to live there. So it was when I got to Dubai that I started business because I was at home. And I was like, I have to do something. I have to do something to help my husband. I have to do something to matter. So I looked around me and I realized that in Dubai, I had many opportunities to do business. So I tried to do business from Dubai in my country, Ivory Coast. Wow. So what were you doing in Dubai? What kind of business were you doing in Dubai and then bringing it back to Ivory Coast? I was selling clothes, actually, yes, because I discovered that there and it wasn't something familiar in Ivory Coast. So when I saw that I was like, okay, this is something ladies in my country can like. So I just bought some pieces. I think maybe five pieces or something like that. I went back home. I took pictures of myself. I put those pictures on the internet and then boom. That's it. Boom. And I was like, okay, maybe that's a big business. That's the power of the internet. That's the power. It seems internet is your favorite thing because you met your husband on the internet. You started your first business on the internet. I think you're so grateful to the internet then. You don't think the youth of Africa needs to take advantage of the internet. Internet actually is a youth gift for young people instead of being there and seeing sometimes. Actually like they've made it in life. Yes, yes, yes. They have to see all the opportunities they have. You know, from internet you can, you can even travel without leaving where you are. I used to sell clothes in Ghana. Wow. I sold a lot of clothing in Ghana. I had an online boutique in Ghana from Dubai. You understand? Through internet. Through internet. So you can see how many things you can do with internet. So you're making money in Ghana even though you were living in Dubai? Yes, in Dubai. I was making money in Ghana, in Ivory Coast, in Nigeria. Even I was living in Dubai. Will you say that business was profitable? Really, really profitable because at that time I didn't have any employee. I was only shipping things to my clients. Wow. I didn't even have a shop. I only had a small office to stock my goods and then I was selling like that. What point did you move back to Côte d'Ivoire? I moved back to Côte d'Ivoire when my husband and I decided to come back because we realized opportunities were in Africa, actually. We realized that making it in life and have it recognized was possible only in Africa, in our countries. Say that again. Say that again. I wanna hear that again. Make it it in life. And have it recognized, wow, was only possible in Africa. Because you're an African yourself? Yes. You lived in USA, London, Dubai, and you think you can only be recognized when you live? When you work and make it in Africa. Does it mean all the life that you spend in those countries, you are not recognized for what you're doing? I'll give you one example. You see, if today you came in every course and people talk to you about me, I don't think if we were in the US with the size of my business, actually, that would be accountable. I don't think so. You got my points. I got your point, and that's an incredible point. When you came back here, what was the business that you started with your husband in here? Here, when I got back here, I started selling clothes. I opened big shops. I even opened one shop in the mall, big shop, 200 square meters in one mall. I had over big shops selling clothes. When my husband here opened a journal, I think journal in English is, my English. It's okay, it's okay. She said something. Like Times magazine. Oh yeah, Geno, Geno, Geno. Yeah, yeah. Newspaper. Okay, I need to learn French, man. Okay. So my husband is a finance assistant. So when he came back, he opened a company in finance and newspaper to promote finance and to give information about financial markets. In Ivory Coast. In Ivory Coast, yes. Are you guys, are you used to running your shop with the clothes? Not now. I stopped a little bit because now I'm focused on my fufu and stuff. Ah, now it's about the next question. So what made you invest in restaurant business in Africa? Okay, so when I came back, I was saying I was in clothing and then COVID-19 came. So things got difficult, actually. Traveling to China was impossible. It's still impossible today. Bringing goods from China got expensive and then it was difficult to continue with the business actually. So I was like, okay, so now what am I doing? I have to find something. And I remember that years ago, we had that idea of making fast foods with local foods. My husband had fast food with local food. Yes. Like only Ivorian food? Ivorian food, but actually African food. Ghanian food, Nigerian food, Kamehounian food. Please don't make Nigerian Jalof here. Only give us Ghanian Jalof, that's okay. We do a good thing. But you know actually, Ivorian Jalof got a prize in front of Ghanian Jalof and Nigerian Jalof. I was surprised myself, you know. They had that. I was not expecting that. They had competition. They had Ghanian Jalof, Nigerian Jalof, Senegalese Jalof and Ivorian Jalof. And who won? Ivorian Jalof. Ivorian Jalof. Do you believe that? Hey, hi. Do you guys have Ivorian Jalof? So Ghanian people and Nigerian people, you have to know that. Now in this Jalof thing, Ivorian are also there. I never knew we got Ivorian Jalof. I'm so sorry about that. But now you've invested in local food, fast food. Which means you got delivery and all of that. Yes. Wow, how's the business like so far? This business is really, really big. Because today, delivery is 40% of our shield affair of the company. Wow. Yes, today. You run the delivery by yourself? We have delivery people, we have our motorcycles. And then we also on platforms that like Uber foods, we have those platforms here. So we are also on those platforms and people order from here. Does it have junior food then? Junior food, global. So how long have you been running the restaurant? I think in two months, it will be two years. And how many restaurants do you have in Abidjan? We have four, soon we have five, five. And then soon with Jean here, we have maybe seven. Wow, you partner with John? Yes. Or something? Tell me something more about you and John collaboration. How did it happen? Chan is someone that one day like you came here for the video. He loved the idea, he loved the business. You know he's a Pan-Africanist. He's promoting everything that is made by Africans in Africa. So he helped us a lot by promoting our business. People today come from all over the world, from the US, from London. And when they come, they say, oh, I saw your business in general video on YouTube. So I came and saw to test. And I was like, wow, this YouTube thing, maybe I'll study talking about it. That's how he starts. And one day he said, okay, you know, I want to be part of this history. Wow. And when we saw everything that he was doing for African people, the way he wanted to empower African people, we said, okay, we want someone like him with this vision that is working in also our vision to be a part of the history and to build this history together. I also want to be part of the history. But I want to take that. No, I want to take the restaurant to Ghana. To Ghana. Fast food. Because I don't know, do we have fast food in Ghana, by the way? I think we can send in Ghana. Not that much. You know, I've been in Ghana many times. Compared to Nigeria, Nigeria are very good. Without, yeah, yeah, yeah. But in Ghana, when you want to eat something fast and everything like local foods, you don't have these fast foods. Yeah. Where you can go? We're making history. Please give me the proposal. And by the way, we need to be John's record. Because how many people have been coming here because of John? I can't count. You can't count, eh? 50% of the revenue. 50% of revenue, so which is, we are going to make it 100% of revenue. Are vorians embracing the business, the food and everything? Are they patronizing it? Really, I was surprised because they really, really, really love the idea. It was like a national thing that came from all over Abidjan, from all over Africa to discover. And today, we have a lot of revenue every day that come and they're starting loving what is made in Africa. Because, you know, we Francophone people, we like paix au chocolat, you know, croissant, French foods, those things. And we are proud to be in a croissantery or in a hot chocolate and take pictures and everything. We are sometimes ashamed of eating fufu. And then, yes, because that's what I think was happening here, really. And today, we are trying to promote that. To promote that our local foods is what we should be pride of. You see. Does it mean that they're not proud to be Africans? I can't say so that they're not pride. I can say that, you know, the colonization. Yes, as it impacts Francophone people, really. And now, we are starting to wake up. And we are seeing change. We are starting to wake up. And we are cooperating things that are old. What has been the major challenge that you face in this whole two years journey in Africa? The major challenge, I can say, has been to find people that have this vision that I have for the business here. People with good qualification. People that are ready to work. People that are not focused on money, but are focused on making things change. That's the real difficulty that I had. Just want to say, like you're an inspiration. You've done an incredible job. How many people have you employed so far here? So, there we are, we are around 150 people in the company. In two years. In two years. How does that make you feel? You know, this thing is not only about money. Today, it's really about the people that are employees in this company. People that got job, because you know how in Africa it's really hard for our people. And you want it to come here and to do something that will impact our society. Really. And to have a business that you can share with our people. See, that comes to my next question. We have a lot of Africans living in the diaspora, especially with the Francophone audience, because this video is for Francophone audience. When the Francophones travel, they don't like coming back to invest in here. That's true. When I go to so many Francophone countries, I see the business is owned by the French people, business owned by the Lebanese, business owned by the Chinese people. You don't think it's about time for Africans that were born here, that left, or even those that were born in the diaspora to come back with their money to invest in their own countries? You don't think so? I think it's time, because you know, we are counting on politics, we are counting on government, but it's our forces that can make the difference. We have to come back to make changes. We have to come back to impact, we have to come back to build our continent. It's important. I don't know why you're making me crap a lot today. And I wanted to add something. You know, if today you see Lebanese coming somewhere, living there, making money, you have to think about that twice. Why do they come in our countries to establish? Because opportunities are there. Do you think there are opportunities for Africans in Africa? Yes, a lot. A lot of opportunities. I like to say that the ground is still empty. So it's the time now to come and establish. When she says that ground is still empty, I would say this, the book is still empty. You see, she said something earlier that when she came now, she's recognized, we need your name in the book. So it's about time you come, because living in France, especially they love living in Paris, by the way. Living in Paris, the book is written. There's nothing that you're gonna write to add it to the book. There's no page. There's no, thank you, my sister. There's no page. There's no page. Here, the page is empty. Come and put your name. It's all about legacy, right? Yes. What legacy are you gonna leave behind? You can be the best engineer in Paris. You can be the best engineer everywhere, but you won't be recognized. You know why? Because I don't think you mean so much to them. But when you come here, you come and impact in the lives of your people here. Wow. You're taking people out of poverty and you become the hero. Let's join our hands and build Africa together. Like, I wanted to cry with the words that you're saying, because this is my job. And when I meet people who say exactly the same thing, I feel so happy that I'm not alone. Wow, I don't know what to say next. If you had a chance to change one thing in Africa, what would it be? If I had a chance to change one thing, I think it would be, you know, like in Dubai, one thing that surprised me in Dubai, to open a business as a foreigner, you have to have one person from Dubai to be an investor or part, to have shares in the company. Small small. It's like that in China too. And this thing is, I think is the thing that empowers Dubai people. But here, people, people, they come, they can open everything, the population is still poor. They have, they give them many, many, how to say that? Advantages and taxes and everything to help them establish. And for the people in the country, it's hard. So it had, if I can change something with that, one business, one Ivorian. Do you regret coming back too? I will never regret coming back. You know, actually, if you give me one million dollars, you say, go live in London, go live in the US, I was saying, no. Does it mean that the restaurant is more profitable than the clothing business? You know, it's not about, even it's not about profitability. It's about the warmth of Africa, you see? Living in my country, wanted to eat my kufu at any time of the day and being able to find it everywhere, having my family, you see, this warmth of Africa is different from the coldness in there. Here, you have a problem. You can knock at the door, talk to your brother and find solutions. So after that, actually, today, the restaurant business is more profitable than the clothing business. Yes, because everything you have here is local. Everything. We take local meat, we take local vegetables, everything is local. You source even the vegetables and everything from the local people? Yes, from the local people. From the women, the farms, from the corporate people and everything. That's incredible. So that's, this is empowering all the chain, you see? I didn't even see you! And people find you. Okay, you can find Dabali Express. Dabali Express is food express in the local language here in Abidjan. You can find us in Abidjan, in André, in Riviera Deux, in Plateau, also in the zone cats. So for the moment, we have four restaurants. Soon, maybe in one, maybe in two months, we have more restaurants opened in Côte d'Ivoire. I want to say thank you so much for talking to me and I really appreciate it. I really enjoyed this interview myself and I will take this business together. I'm waiting for you. Wait for me, give me the proposal.