‘Africa Is The Last Frontier’: ESCA Morocco Dean Thami Ghorfi On The Urgent Mission To Transform Business Education

Thami Ghorfi has spent his career building bridges — across sectors, across continents, and across generations. As dean of ESCA Ecole de Management, one of Africa’s top business schools, and now the first Moroccan ever appointed to the Board of Directors of AACSB, he believes business education must serve a greater purpose than credentialing future executives.

“The next five to ten years will determine everything,” says Ghorfi. “Africa is the last frontier for sustainable global growth. But without education that empowers ethical leaders, entrepreneurs, and change-makers, that opportunity will slip through our fingers.”

From his base in Casablanca, at the heart of Morocco’s financial district, Ghorfi is urging African business schools to act urgently, collaboratively, and with ambition scaled to the continent’s enormous challenges. And he wants the rest of the world to take notice.

A MOMENT OF TRUTH FOR AFRICA: ‘DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDEND OR DEMOGRAPHIC DISASTER’

Africa’s promise, Ghorfi emphasizes, is also its pressure point. A continent of 54 countries and thousands of languages, it faces overwhelming demographic, economic, and ecological challenges — but also possesses unmatched potential.

“We have the fastest-growing youth population in the world,” he says. “We have rapid urbanization. And we have climate disruption affecting millions. This is a moment of either a demographic dividend or a demographic disaster.”

Ghorfi notes that while Africa contributes just 3% to 4% of global carbon emissions, it suffers disproportionately from the effects of climate change. More than 40 million people have already been displaced. Meanwhile, intra-African trade remains at a dismal 15% to 18%, compared to over 50% in North America and over 65% in the EU.

“Business schools have a critical role to play,” says Ghorfi. “We must lead on entrepreneurship, ethical governance, sustainable innovation — and we must do it together.”

EDUCATING FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP

One of Ghorfi’s most urgent calls: the need for entrepreneurial education at scale. Africa’s public sector cannot absorb the surge of young people entering the job market each year. The solution, he says, lies in creating an ecosystem of small, agile entrepreneurs.

“We need 100 to 120 million new entrepreneurs — not all unicorns, but micro and SME founders who are embedded in their communities, who create jobs and act as role models,” he explains. “Business education must enable that mindset shift.”

Ghorfi has written extensively on this subject. His co-authored works emphasize the need for context-specific innovation — particularly in regions like the MENA where youth unemployment remains high.

BUILDING AFRICAN CONSORTIA

To respond at the right scale, African business schools are forming strong new alliances. Ghorfi helped launch the Business Schools for Climate Leadership Africa (BS4CL Africa) — a consortium of leading institutions in Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa working on joint research, executive education, and thought leadership in sustainability.

By sharing data, comparing policy environments, and pooling faculty expertise, these schools are building the “critical mass of knowledge” needed to influence business and government.

“It’s about moving faster on the learning curve together,” Ghorfi says. “No one school, no one country can do it alone.”

DIGITAL & HYBRID MODELS FOR INCLUSIVE IMPACT

Ghorfi sees digital and hybrid education as essential tools in scaling access and equipping underserved communities.

“If we want to reach leaders, entrepreneurs, and citizens in remote or underserved areas, we can’t rely on traditional formats,” he says. “Hybrid models allow scale — but we also need face-to-face dialogue. In Africa, being around the table still matters.”

ESCA is already pioneering hybrid executive programs and cross-border modules. The school is also a key partner in a forthcoming leadership initiative for the healthcare sector, alongside CEIBS in Accra, Ghana.

LEARNING WITH AFRICA, NOT JUST ABOUT IT

ESCA is deeply embedded in African systems, but it’s also a growing hub for international collaboration. The school has hosted students from NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, Georgia State, and other U.S. and European institutions for global immersion programs.

“Students come here expecting to study a ‘developing’ region,” Ghorfi says. “What they find is innovation, complexity, and a chance to rethink business itself.”

One standout case: Moroccan fintech company HPS, headquartered in Casablanca, whose payment technologies are now used by hundreds of banks in more than 100 countries — including in the United States.

“Seeing African technology at global scale is eye-opening,” Ghorfi says. “This continent is not just the future. It’s already shaping the present.”

AACSB, GLOBAL VISIBILITY & AFRICA’S VOICE

In June 2024, Ghorfi was appointed to the Board of Directors of AACSB International, the world’s leading accreditation body for business schools. It was a historic appointment: He is the first Moroccan to hold a board seat in the organization’s 108-year history.

Ghorfi previously chaired the AACSB MENA Council (2018–2021) and continues to serve on committees with EFMD and the Global Business School Network.

“The AACSB system gives African schools international visibility — but more importantly, it helps us improve,” he says. “And we have something to contribute back. Innovation isn’t the sole property of the West. Africa brings fresh solutions born from constraint and creativity.”

RESEARCH ROOTED IN CONTEXT

Ghorfi sees major opportunities for region-specific research in Africa — especially in areas like digital finance, informal economies, family-owned enterprises, and sustainable development.

“African family businesses are expanding from domestic to regional to multinational markets. But we need to study how they succeed so others can follow,” he says. “Research must be grounded in local context, but shared globally.”

He also wants to see business schools become labs for governance and ethical leadership — areas where he believes corporate practice can influence society at large.

“Companies are made of citizens. If governance works in the firm, it can spread to civil institutions. It’s one of our biggest levers for change.”

A CRITICAL WINDOW, A CALL TO ACTION

Throughout his conversation with Poets&Quants, Ghorfi returned to a single idea: this is a narrow but pivotal moment.

“We’re optimistic — because when change happens in Africa, it can scale fast. But we must act now. And business schools must lead.”

He hopes more global students and institutions will come to Africa — to study, to teach, and to listen.

“This continent is not only a destination for aid or investment. It’s a source of knowledge, talent, and innovation,” he says. “If you want to understand the future of business, come see it in Africa.”

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