Collected by 100Africa.com
The late Dr. Reginald Abraham Mengi was more than a business tycoon—he was a visionary, philanthropist, and mentor to many across Africa. Through his life and speeches, he left behind a treasury of timeless wisdom. These carefully curated quotes, collected from various speeches and interviews, capture his spirit of entrepreneurship, integrity, humility, and hope for Africa’s transformation.He left behind a treasury of timeless wisdom through his life and speeches
🧠 On Vision and Opportunity
“One must have eyes that see opportunity – because not many people see opportunity even when it stares right at them in the face.”
— Dr. Mengi
“Don’t fear to fail — be prepared to take calculated risks, because risk is a part of life.”
— Dr. Mengi
“Big money is made during bad times – during shortages. I made a lot of money.”
— Dr. Mengi
“Sometimes there are complex problems for which the solutions are the simplest.”
— Dr. Mengi
“It is necessary to have a big dream, but one must always start small.”
— Dr. Mengi
🛠️ On Success and Discipline
“There is no shortcut to success; the only route is hard work.”
— Dr. Mengi
“An intelligent person is one who knows how little he or she knows — and then learns.”
— Dr. Mengi
“The failure to manage time is an African curse, as exemplified by the saying ‘there is no hurry in Africa.’”
— Dr. Mengi
💡 On Entrepreneurship and Leadership
“A true entrepreneur is a bad manager because they become bored quickly.”
— Dr. Mengi
“When chasing opportunities, it is important for one to know when to stop and move on to something else.”
— Dr. Mengi
“One cannot half delegate… delegation is about fully trusting the person to whom you are delegating.”
— Dr. Mengi
🙏 On Integrity and Humility
“Humility is strength and power. Be humble and avoid arrogance.”
— Dr. Mengi
“Your word must be your honour — and this must become part of your ethos and capital.”
— Dr. Mengi
“Be wary of people who tell you that they are behind you. Too often, you will turn around to discover that they are not there.”
— Dr. Mengi
💖 On Purpose and Society
“Happiness is not individual — it is collective. One cannot be happy if those around them are unhappy and miserable.”
— Dr. Mengi
“Blessed wealth is wealth which you have obtained ethically and use to address societal problems. It is not just for yourself and your family, but also for the needy.”
— Dr. Mengi
“Experience has shown me that self-made millionaires who made their monies ethically and lawfully are very humble — because they remember where they come from and know it’s thanks to the grace of God they are where they are.”
— Dr. Mengi
🌍 On Africa and Its Future
“We need to accept that it is our responsibility to fight poverty, and not that of the government alone.”
— Dr. Mengi
“We need to have enough confidence to say that we can… we need to change and rediscover our confidence in changing Africa.”
— Dr. Mengi
“It is possible to solve energy problems in rural areas through investment in small projects such as hydro and solar power.”
— Dr. Mengi
Curated by: 100Africa – Connecting Ideas. Building Africa.