Ubuntu in Business starts with a simple truth – I am because we are.
Have you ever heard of the Ubuntu philosophy?
It’s a beautiful word from Southern Africa that means “I am because we are.” It’s about recognising that our wellbeing, our growth, and even our success are deeply tied to the wellbeing, growth, and success of others.
For me, it goes even deeper because I believe our choices and actions connect us. What I do (or don’t do) ripples out to others. And what others do (or don’t do) eventually reaches me.
More than kindness
We might think that Ubuntu is only about being nice. It’s so much more. It’s about understanding that our humanity is shared.
There’s a well-known story of an anthropologist who offered a group of children a basket of fruit. The first one to reach it could keep it all. Instead, they held hands, ran together, and enjoyed the fruit as one. When asked why, they said, “How can one of us be happy if the others are sad?”
That’s Ubuntu.
Ubuntu in business
It might sound like a philosophy for life but it’s also a powerful way to do business. When we focus only on personal gain, the road can be lonely and competitive. But when we adopt the Ubuntu way:
- We collaborate instead of compete because there’s enough success to go around.
- We build community over transactions and networking becomes about connection, not just collecting contacts.
- We create success ripple effects and when our clients and colleagues grow, we grow too.
- We practise mutual accountability when we choose working with people who want us to win just as much as they want to win themselves.
A personal reflection
I see this in my own networking circles. Every time I introduce two people who can help each other, I’m reminded that business doesn’t have to be a solo journey. The connections we nurture today often circle back in ways we couldn’t have planned.
Sometimes the biggest leaps in my business have come from moments when I was focused on helping someone else. That’s Ubuntu at work.
How to bring Ubuntu into your business today
- Ask yourself each morning: “Who can I lift up today?”
- Celebrate others’ wins as if they were your own.
- Make introductions without expecting anything in return.
- Share your knowledge freely and it will come back to you in ways you can’t predict.
For centuries, we were taught to be competitive. We were advised, and still are, not to give anything for free. But what if that was a distraction – something that disconnected us from each other instead of helping us live in unity? I challenge you to be better than that. Pause and seek answers in your heart. And I’m not talking about being a spineless being. I’m talking about being the light for your community.
Explore more
If you’d like to explore Ubuntu further, I recommend reading Everyday Ubuntu by Mungi Ngomane. It’s full of real-life stories and practical lessons that show just how much we can achieve when we focus on our shared humanity.
And if you’re reading this in time, I invite you to join me in person at my upcoming workshop. You’ll learn practical tools and principles to live and work the Ubuntu way – building not just your business, but the community around you. Explore more here.
In the end, business is more than numbers and plans. It’s about people. The relationships we nurture, the trust we build, and the way we lift each other up. When we work the Ubuntu way, our wins become shared wins, and the journey feels richer for everyone.
With love,
Lolita Reid
