Attaining enviable business success is by no means a simple thing to do. The primary ingredients for triumph, the commonly assumed ones, are access to capital and a thriving market. However, plenty of other equally important factors form part of the play. The most famous successful African entrepreneurs learnt how to work around these factors to emerge victorious.

The African continent is one that thrives with growth potential, both for existing and aspiring businesspeople. Titans of Industry in the continent, from the Nigerian internet entrepreneur Jason Njoku in the west to the Zimbabwean tech entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa down south, all have certain traits in common that many people like to overlook when starting their businesses. These are passion, commitment, the ability to learn from mistakes and an eye for detail.

The story of Jason Njoku is now well known in Africa and beyond. What started as a passion grew into the largest online streaming service in the content. A market that was traditionally the reserve for international conglomerates like the Google owned YouTube now has a respected player.

In his interviews with reputable entrepreneurship magazines, he often credits his success to his inborn passion for making people happy. With this passion, he got to learn what building a streaming service requires and the rest is history. These days, the world knows him as a venture capitalist with a keen interest in sponsoring aspiring businesspeople so as to help them attain their dreams.

As an important trait in entrepreneurship, commitment is what made the likes of Strive Masiyiwa to excel. The Zimbabwean is the founder and chairman of Econet Wireless, an international telecommunications service provider. Like all entrepreneurs in Africa and the rest of the world, Strive started his company from scratch and saw it grow despite resistance from the Zimbabwean government. Grueling legal battles with the government never made him back down. Instead, the level of commitment he had to see his company grow propelled him to heights he never thought he could get to.

The ability to accept failure and learn from it is as important a trait as commitment. When it comes to this, no one beats Gina Din Kariuki, a Kenyan born management consultant who prides herself with immense accolades. Her success, nineteen years in the making, was never devoid of failure.

Before starting the Gina Din Group, she was employed as a PR officer. According to her numerous interviews with top journalists, her failure to observe the climate of the market and what leadership is all about contributed to the long duration she took to break even. After quitting employment, Gina realized she could no longer rely on the support that a regular employee enjoyed from corporate structure.

Suddenly, she was her own boss and that of others. She somehow managed to navigate the murky waters after a slow start and built a brand that is renowned in East Africa and the rest of the continent. These entrepreneurs, among others, should serve as an inspiration to you. If you want your venture to succeed, be sure to follow in their footsteps.