Insurtech OP-ED: Britam's Director of Partnerships & Digital on 'Insurable Moments'—Reimagining African healthcare access Andile Masuku weighs Evah Kimani's insights on how Africa's traditional risk-sharing practices shape Britam’s growth strategy, striking a balance between institutional scale and grassroots innovation in insurance delivery.
Infrastructure OP-ED: Inside Safaricom Ethiopia—Overcoming terrain, 5G rollout and regulatory hurdles Andile Masuku distils key insights from Safaricom's $8 billion venture in Ethiopia, highlighting the challenges of building a new network, meeting unexpectedly high demand, and navigating complex regulatory landscapes.
Telecoms POD: Yahya Banafa on tackling challenges in Safaricom Ethiopia's $8 billion telecom bet In this podcast conversation, Yahya Banafa, head of network planning and engineering at Safaricom Ethiopia, discusses what it takes to build a nationwide mobile network in Africa’s second-most populous country.
Digital Transformation OP-ED: Empathy-Driven Innovation—Design with me, not for me feat. Marcus Welby Rance Digital transformation specialist Marcus Welby Rance advocates for African governments to embrace citizen-centric design, emphasising empathy and co-creation to meet genuine needs and foster trust.
Sponsored POD: Future in the Humanities EP 3/3 - The Gig Economy's Hidden Costs Wits University social scientist and researcher Fikile Masikane exposes harsh realities behind promises of entrepreneurial freedom for food delivery drivers in South Africa.
This Is Connectivity OP-ED: AI Meets Its Match—Human connection In the afterglow of the NOVACOM Africa 1-to-1 Telco Summit 2024, Andile Masuku notes that while AI continues to advance, the fundamentals of meaningful human interaction remain essential for long-term success.
Sponsored POD: Future in the Humanities EP 2/3 - Unpacking Social Media Conspiracies in a World of Crisis Wits University media researchers Samuel Olaniran and Iginio Gagliardone come to grips with the societal impact of conspiracy theories in today's social media-led world.
Digital Transformation OP-ED: Patience and Progress—The elephant path to digital transformation Africa’s digital transformation mirrors the patient wisdom of African forest elephants. Andile Masuku unpacks lessons on long-term progress, sustainability and reshaping ecosystems meaningfully.
Sponsored POD: Future in the Humanities EP 1/3 - Exploring the COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on Human Connection Wits University researchers Sahba Besharati and Victoria Williams discuss cultural perceptions of contact, pandemic-induced changes and the long-term effects on social relationships and mental health.
Venture Building OP-ED: Unpacking the challenges of asset-light models in Africa feat. Abderrahmane Chaoui Discover why popular "asset-light" business models, celebrated for their scalability, often falter in Africa's unique landscape, as Abderrahmane Chaoui shares his insightful analysis.
Fintech OP-ED: Is fintech truly advancing financial inclusion—or just reshuffling the deck? Andile Masuku offers a thoughtful critique on oversimplifying financial inclusion, urging deeper exploration of systemic issues beyond fintech innovations and product-driven solutions.
Climate OP-ED: Rethinking Africa’s climate finance future feat. Nchedolisa Akuma Nchedolisa Akuma tackles Africa's climate finance challenges, advocating for more assertive strategies to drive innovation and environmental resilience.
This Is Connectivity OP-ED: Unlocking Innovation—The power of prioritising connectivity in your strategy Africa's innovation hinges on strategic, trust-based connectivity. Andile Masuku advocates for leaders to invest in continuous, intentional network-building.
Venture Building OP-ED: Inside Morocco’s startup ecosystem with Salma Kabbaj Moroccan tech accelerator co-founder and CEO, Salma Kabbaj, offers a glimpse into the evolving startup landscape in Africa's fifth-largest economy.
Health Economics OP-ED: How health economics research is improving breast cancer care in South Africa Actuarial analyst turned health economist Sithabiso Masuku’s data-led research is driving more effective policy-making and the development of more efficient breast cancer care interventions in South Africa.
Impact Investing OP-ED: Impact Investing—Can it really achieve social and financial goals? Industry experts weigh in on whether impact investing can truly bridge social good and commercial returns while avoiding past pitfalls of (foreign) aid.
Fintech OP-ED: Fact, Fiction and Fintech—Behind the hype of Bitcoin and M-PESA Andile Masuku wades into the propaganda and conspiracy theories surrounding the origins of Bitcoin and M-PESA, uncovering how these groundbreaking technologies are influenced by myths, biases and special interests.
Fintech OP-ED: Philosophy to fintech for agro-processors feat. Ochich Magero Ochich Magero shares insights from his journey, evolving from philosopher to fintech founder, with a mission to transform financial inclusion for agro-processors across Africa.
Venture Capital OP-ED: How VC critiques are shaping tech investment in Africa As the continent's tech VC community leans into sustainable growth and impact-driven approaches, GPs face challenges in balancing long-term ambitions with immediate portfolio performance.
Mobile OP-ED: Evaluating Sub-Saharan Africa's mobile gender gap feat. Claire Sibthorpe Claire Sibthorpe unpacks GSMA's latest report, revealing that the mobile internet gender gap in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has decreased to 15%, with over 1.5 billion women now online.
Venture Capital OP-ED: Melvyn Lubega parlays edtech unicorn success into venture capital play Melvyn Lubega, co-founder of edtech unicorn GO1, is now spearheading African innovation through Breega's $75 million fund, aiming to create 100,000 sustainable jobs across the continent.
Artificial Intelligence OP-ED: Adopting AI— beware white-collar pride and prejudice A pioneering fintech founder warns of AI's transformative impact on high-achieving professionals, urging adaptation over pride to navigate the evolving landscape of work and entrepreneurship.
Cybersecurity OP-ED: A little less propaganda, a little more cybersecurity science feat. Tswelopele Moshe The drive of young mathematician Tswelopele Moshe to bridge theory with practical consulting solutions reflects a deeper quest for a more scientific approach to cybersecurity, challenging industry norms.
Fintech OP-ED: Is traction a la TymeBank the new standard for fintechs looking to raise VC? Fintech leaders are facing up to the realities of plummeting global VC funding. TymeBank's trajectory exemplifies the evolving landscape for securing venture capital.
Enterprise OP-ED: Why I can't wait for Canva to IPO Andile Masuku shares how Canva impacted his career, highlighting why its innovative tools and impressive growth make its potential IPO highly anticipated by industry watchers.