Develop Your A-Game: The Year of the Horse, and lessons Africa and Asia can take from each other

The arrival of the Year of the Horse in the cycle of the Chinese zodiac invites more than cultural acknowledgment; it invites reflection. Within the traditions surrounding the Chinese New Year, the Horse represents momentum, endurance, strength, and purposeful movement. It is not a symbol of haste or recklessness, but of sustained energy directed toward meaningful progress.

Over the past year, my professional journey has taken me to Hong Kong on several occasions. Those visits were not simply about expanding my professional ADR network or formalising partnerships. They became a sort of first hand education in how serious systems are built, maintained, and respected. Walking through institutions, engaging in discussions on cross-border collaboration, and observing how infrastructure and governance operate in practice forced me to confront some uncomfortable questions about institutional development in Africa.

What does it truly mean for a region to move forward? And perhaps more importantly, are we moving with intention?

In Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, as in neighbouring countries such as Singapore and South Korea, development feels cumulative. Infrastructure is built upon decades of planning. Educational policy appears tightly aligned with economic strategy. Legal frameworks are not merely decorative pronouncements; they are functional and predictable. There is a visible continuity between policy, execution, and long-term national ambition.

Africa, by contrast, possesses extraordinary talent and drive. However, we often interrupt our own momentum. Political and leadership transitions reset priorities. Institutions depend too heavily on individuals. Ambitious programmes are launched before foundational systems have fully matured. Energy is abundant, yet endurance is inconsistent.

The symbolism of the Horse is instructive here. Progress that endures is rarely dramatic. It is disciplined and incremental. It is built on structures that do not collapse when personalities change.

One of the most illuminating aspects of my time in Hong Kong was not the architecture or the skyline, but the seriousness with which legal and commercial systems are treated. Discussions around cross-border Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) highlighted a truth that Africa must take seriously: sustainable trade depends on trusted mechanisms for resolving conflict. Investors and institutions move capital where predictability exists.

Through professional allies with individuals I now consider colleagues from Hong Kong; Alix P, Grace I, Lizzie C, and Nick C — I was able to engage more deeply with conversations around cross-border ADR frameworks , the rise of tech and AI in the legal sectors and how African and Asian institutions might strengthen collaboration in this space. These exchanges went beyond formal meetings. They involved honest knowledge-sharing about regulatory environments, arbitration culture, and the institutional safeguards necessary to support real commercial partnerships.

If Africa seeks deeper economic engagement with Asia, we must strengthen our own dispute resolution ecosystems. The manufacturing strength of China and the technological precision of South Korea did not emerge in isolation; they are supported by legal and regulatory frameworks that create confidence. Without credible systems, even the most promising trade relationship remains fragile.

Yet the exchange between Africa and Asia is not one-directional.

Africa holds advantages that are often underestimated. Our demographic profile is fundamentally different from that of countries such as Japan and South Korea, both of which face significant demographic aging pressures. Africa’s youth population represents not only labour supply, but entrepreneurial energy and adaptive capacity. In cities such as Lagos and Nairobi, innovation frequently emerges in informal spaces and under constrained conditions. That environment produces resilience and creativity.

Asia’s strength lies in structure and long-term coordination. Africa’s strength lies in adaptability and demographic momentum. If these characteristics can be integrated through intentional collaboration, the result could be transformative.

Much of the public discourse around Africa–Asia relations focuses on infrastructure financing or initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative. While infrastructure matters, the more enduring opportunity lies in education partnerships, institutional strengthening, legal harmonisation, and knowledge exchange. My experiences over the past year have reinforced that genuine collaboration requires more than passive accumulation of contacts; it requires meeting like minded people with energy, shared mutual respect and lastly a shared commitment to raising standards.

The Year of the Horse offers a useful metaphor. Strength without direction dissipates. Speed without coordination exhausts. Endurance, however, compounds.

For Africa, I believe the coming decade will be decisive. 

If we align our demographic advantage with serious investment in education, legal infrastructure, and institutional credibility, our growth will not merely be rapid; it will be sustainable. For Asia, continued leadership will depend on openness to reciprocal partnerships rather than hierarchical relationships.

Personally, this period of engagement between Africa and Asia has clarified my own responsibility. Building bridges is not about symbolism; it is about competence. It requires patience, humility, and a willingness to learn as much as to contribute.

If the Year of the Horse represents disciplined movement, then perhaps the most important lesson for both continents is this: momentum must be managed, and progress must be anchored in institutions strong enough to outlast individual ambition.

That is the kind of movement that reshapes decades, not just headlines.

Beverley Agbakoba Onyejianya, aka Ms Maxximum, is a lawyer, arbitrator, mediator, and personal development coach passionate about helping professionals and entrepreneurs elevate their performance and purpose. Head of the Sports, Entertainment and Tech practice at Olisa Agbakoba Legal, and a FIFA mediator, she is also the founder of Develop Your A-Game and a leading voice in sports law, leadership, and mindset development across Africa and beyond.

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