“I knew I wanted to come back. I just didn’t know how.”

So many stories of return to Africa start with this same sentence.

The desire to move back to the continent — to reconnect with your roots, contribute locally, or find meaning beyond a Western routine — is powerful. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned at Passerelle Africa, it’s this: coming back is not a feeling. It’s a strategy.

A return without a plan is just a change of address

Too often, people jump into “the return” based on frustration (“I’m tired of the cold”), idealism (“I want to give back”), or nostalgia (“I miss home”). These feelings are valid — but they are not a plan.

Africa is not waiting passively for your return. It’s moving fast, and the professional landscape is both rich in opportunity and full of unspoken rules. To come back successfully, you need clarity. You need direction.

Strategy starts with questions

Before booking a flight or quitting your job abroad, ask yourself:

• What country am I targeting — and why?
  
  
• What sectors are growing there, and how does my profile fit?
  
  
• What do I need to unlearn about how things work?
  
  
• Who do I already know in that ecosystem?
  
  
• Do I want to build something — or join something?
  
  

The more honest your answers, the stronger your return will be.

It’s not about finding answers. It’s about finding guidance.

You won’t figure it all out alone — and you don’t have to.

That’s where mentorship comes in. Not as a shortcut or magic solution, but as a structure. A mentor is:

• Someone who challenges your assumptions
  
  
• Someone who understands the unspoken context
  
  
• Someone who’s done it — and can help you do it too
  
  

At Passerelle Africa, every mentee has a different story. But they all have one thing in common: they didn’t just return. They prepared.

The return is not the end. It’s the beginning.

You’re not coming “back.” You’re coming forward — with experience, perspective, and purpose. But all of that only matters if it’s activated.

Coming home is not the final step of your journey. It’s the moment your story in Africa begins again — differently, strategically, and with impact.

Thinking of returning soon?

If you're ready to take action, not just dream, apply to become a mentee. Let us connect you with someone who’s already walked the path.