A ‘VUCA’ environment is defined as volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Nowhere encapsulates this more than Afghanistan, which has experienced repeated invasion, war and civil strife over the past three decades, and is currently rebuilding almost every aspect of the country.  

HQ Asia: What prompted you to move back to Afghanistan from Australia after the Taliban were overthrown?

Saad Mohseni: Interestingly, the situation [in 2002] wasn’t as volatile or dangerous as people might remember it to be. The Taliban were routed and there was an enormous sense of optimism about the country. In fact, you could say one of Afghanistan’s safest periods over the past 13 years was from 2002-2004. My family returned with a sense of duty – to contribute to the new Afghanistan – while also seeking a closure of sorts after spending nearly 24 years outside of the country.  

In a previous HQ Asia article, it was argued that today’s business environment is ‘VUCA’: volatile, uncertain complex and ambiguous. How can organisations best prosper in a ‘VUCA’ world?

We’ve come to appreciate the upsides in – as you term it – ‘VUCA’ environments. Markets such as Afghanistan, with what appear to be unassailable obstacles, present high barriers to market entry and offer significant first-mover advantage.

Of course, high growth comes with high risk so, big picture-wise, you aim to diversify. In this way, greater-than-average returns can hopefully cover the one or two inevitable setbacks. MOBY Group has diversified into different industries, from radio to television (with Tolo TV and Lemar TV), and launched our strategic communications firm LAPIS. Geographically, we entered new markets in the Middle East and Iran, and set up our regional headquarters in Dubai in 2011.

We’ve been fortunate in that we haven’t faced any massive catastrophes. Our businesses across the board are experiencing double-digit growth and we remain vigilant in hedging against future problems.

Ganjina is the Afghan version of television game show Deal or No Deal. Broadcasting network Tolo TV has a 45% market share, approximately 10 to 15 million viewers.

In diversifying Moby Group’s risk, you mortgaged your own properties when you launched Tolo TV [currently Afghanistan’s most-watched channel]. How much of a personal risk did you take?

The risk isn’t just what we staked financially. It was everything we built over a lifetime; our reputations and the responsibility and obligations we had to support family and loved ones.

Logistically, there was no security, no infrastructure, sporadic electricity and no expertise in the field. We had to train ourselves how to set up and run a media operation. The ad market was non-existent, with no signs as to when it might grow. And there was the never-ending labour of navigating Afghanistan’s nebulous laws and vague rules for businesses entities. There was also an extraordinary amount of mudslinging in those early years, particularly from the more conservative elements in Afghanistan, which sadly continues to this day.  

People working for you have been arrested, threatened and have even left Afghanistan because of their work. How do you provide your people with leadership in that kind of environment?

You do what you can to protect the people who work for you from a host of dangers, be it warlords, criminals or thugs. We’re incredibly proud of MOBY’s HR department and the support network in place for employees facing crises – but it’s been a learning experience for us. There’s no manual for how to run a media business like ours in a ‘VUCA’ world and there’s no set formula for managing such crises.

As much as we try, Afghanistan is still a warzone.

Some people do end up fleeing the country. It’s understandable, but it’s always sad to see them go, given how much they could have contributed to Afghanistan’s future. There’s no way to guarantee such incidents won’t happen again, but we do our best to reach out to local and international organisations that protect journalists and safeguard human rights.

We embrace the spirit of the company in facing obstacles head on. Our news team, for example, feel they have a duty to serve as the conscience of the country and hold themselves accountable to listeners and viewers. Empowering our journalists, anchors and cameramen is crucial to this sense of mission and dedication. It strengthens their resolve.

You’ve said, “We [the MOBY Group] can’t take our existence for granted.” How do you plan for the future with that existential threat hanging over your organisation?

Our business model is to do the best we can in each market and situation. Our people look to capture and reflect the good that prevails in society, despite thuggery, crime and corruption. Part of our philosophy is having an open and accessible team of senior managers, all the way up to the top. We reinforce this ideal through example, so that even as our employees number into the thousands, our business leadership is always within reach.

You do face a gauntlet of obstacles and challenges, but in the eye of the storm it doesn’t seem as discouraging. You’re buoyed by impressive growth figures and seeing a generation of youth come into their own. Are there times when the negatives get you down? Yes. But we’ve always maintained confidence in our appeal to Afghan viewers.

Still, there are huge risks and it could all end tomorrow. To survive, you exhaust all legal and democratic avenues in order to demonstrate media’s crucial role to lawmakers and stakeholders. You help officials understand the importance of a free media – even if it is a critical voice at times. I think that media has become an important part of Afghanistan, and that gives a certain degree of security and certainty.

To his credit, President Hamid Karzai has been very open to freedom of expression and we hope his successor does the same. It is a right that’s been enshrined in our constitution and should not be taken lightly.  

Looking forward, what’s your vision for Afghanistan’s media landscape?

I think that media – free media – is here to stay. It’s an integral part of post-Taliban Afghanistan and one can hardly imagine the country without it. You could say the media has been a substitute of sorts for the judiciary, in that it holds people and institutions accountable. It is perhaps our greatest success story as a fledgling nation.

The world is opening up to Afghans through countless platforms and connections. Democratic processes that were alien in 2001 are now better understood and implemented because of the role the media has served as a fourth pillar [beside the three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial]. Looking forward, it will be an institution the public demands as it allows us to catch up with the world and keeps us mindful of what remains to be done, especially given how aspirational this generation of Afghans has become.

This article was first published in HQ Asia (Print) Issue 06 (2013)