Digital Transformation OP-ED - Lessons from 25 Years of Africa’s internet story: a preview of Russell Southwood’s reflections Drawing from an upcoming African Tech Roundup podcast, this op-ed unpacks Russell Southwood’s reflections on lessons, blind spots and enduring questions.
Market Intelligence OP-ED - Who controls the narrative? First-party data, truth and power in Africa’s digital economy As powerful actors spin persuasive stories, the challenge is documenting reality with first-party evidence, resisting myths, and shaping narratives that serve more than self-interest.
Fintech OP-ED - The education of April Long: a Chinese entrepreneur's humbling lessons building for Africa's $286 billion trade gap After a decade in East Africa, fintech founder April Long reflects on the tough pivots, misread assumptions, and modest wins behind building Pyxis for Africa-China trade.
Digital Transformation OP-ED - Namibia’s telecom network disruptor wants your customers, whoever you are Paratus Namibia is tearing up telecom playbooks, eyeing 5G mobile markets and crossing industry lines. In a game of territory and tech, no customer is off-limits.
Digital Transformation OP-ED - Zero human error? What AI’s financial wins might be hiding AI promises fewer mistakes, leaner teams and more cost efficient businesses. But do these wins blind us to deeper ethical, societal, and economic trade-offs we must confront?
Artificial Intelligence OP-ED - The end of SEO as we know it? AI search and the future of discovery With AI reshaping how we find answers online, the rules of engagement are shifting. Here's what creators, founders, and strategists need to understand now.
Market Intelligence OP-ED - How routine township shopping in South Africa now buys you 'invisible' funeral cover through embedded insurance SAG Ventures’ Purchase Pal, underwritten by Sanlam, tucks funeral insurance into everyday grocery purchases. No forms, no intermediaries, no premiums. Prince Nwadeyi shows what happens when deep consumer research drives product design.
Career POD - Wabo Majavu on early AI, strategic foresight, and digital activism South African strategist Wabo Majavu traces her technical roots at CSIR, MTN, and Intelsat to reveal how they've informed her executive strategy work—balancing digital inclusion, AI innovation, and commercial success.
Fintech OP-ED - Stablecoins promise efficiency for Africa's fintech future, but at what cost? As stablecoins promise fast, cheap transfers, African businesses must weigh efficiency against surveillance risks and shifting gatekeepers in a new digital financial order.
Digital Transformation OP-ED - Can fibre optic manufacturing joint ventures like YOA Cable drive Africa’s next industrial wave? Pieter E. Viljoen, a physicist-turned-optic cable manufacturing boss, is betting that rethinking fibre from first principles could help restart Africa’s stalled industrial ambitions.
Ecosystem OP-ED - Alesimo Mwanga on why strategic partnerships are the secret to scaling African innovation beyond funding Ecosystem strategist Alesimo Mwanga explains how strategic partnerships unlock cross-border venture growth where funding alone falls short.
Artificial Intelligence OP-ED - Claude, deepfakes, and the death of 'real' As AI blurs the line between truth and fiction, our collective indifference to reality could prove more dangerous than the technologies reshaping our world.
Artificial Intelligence OP-ED - Meta’s AI strategy: smart investment or reckless high-stakes gamble? Following the Meta-verse misfire, will Meta’s AI ambitions prove to be a masterstroke or another costly detour? Tinashe Mukogo slides the abacus beads and analyses what they mean for Africa.
Infrastructure POD - Carrier neutrality: Rob Bergman on Unicorn Factory's vision for digital infrastructure investment Dutch investor Rob Bergman and his partners at Unicorn Factory are driving a carrier-neutral strategy to deploy capital and scale digital infrastructure across Africa.
Digital Transformation POD - Ten minutes on Nigeria's digital infrastructure: BCN's Ochuko Ogra shares strategic vision for growth Executive strategist Ochuko Ogra explains why Backbone Connectivity Network (BCN) favours collaboration over competition in driving commercial success.
Digital Transformation OP-ED - Cameron John Walker asks, is Checkers sacrificing CX for efficiency? In Checkers’ aisles, online fulfilment staff hustle, but at what cost? Cameron John Walker unpacks South African retail’s commercial optimisation vs. customer experience dilemma.
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 - "Design with me, not for me": Marcus Welby Rance on empathy-driven innovation 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.
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.
Telecoms POD: Digital Economy Pulse Check—Refiloe Mpakanyane mines the fringes of Africa Digital Transformation Strategy Summit 2023 Our Associate Producer, Refiloe Mpakanyane, curates a digital transformation immersion featuring insights from C-suite leaders from Africa's telecommunications industry.
