Startups OP-ED - AI and the rise of the tech solopreneur: hype or reality? AI’s efficiency revolution is reshaping tech entrepreneurship. From US insurtech Jerry’s profit flip to Postman’s automated API tools, Africa’s solopreneurs could thrive with lean, AI-driven models over capital-intensive scaling.
Impact Investing POD - Impact theatre check: Balloon Ventures' contrarian sensibilities to SME financing in East Africa Joshua Bicknell, co-founder of Balloon Ventures, discusses how the financial institution is challenging conventional investor logic by backing "boring businesses" to create sustainable employment in East Africa.
Entrepreneurship OP-ED - Overcoming assumption through immersion: Feyi Olubodun on what it takes to succeed in African markets Navigating African markets requires more than confidence and credentials—it demands deep cultural immersion. Consumer behaviour specialist Feyi Olubodun’s insights challenge our assumptions and redefine what true market understanding looks like.
Venture Capital OP-ED - African Tech’s next big challenge: matching venture capital to realistic outcomes Misaligned funding models are stalling wins in African tech. Venture builder-turned-founder Sona Mahendra offers astute insights on aligning venture capital with scalable, sustainable growth.
Venture Capital #ThrowbackPOD - Maya Horgan Famodu in 2017, before founding Ingressive Capital Catch Maya Horgan Famodu at a pivotal moment—still running investor tours between Silicon Valley and Africa—just before launching her groundbreaking venture capital fund.
This Is Connectivity OP-ED - From couch to connectivity: building a global network on a failed podcast A squawking Hadeda ibis, a faltering TV career and a failed podcast in Johannesburg became unlikely building blocks for global tech ecosystem connections.
Ecosystem OP-ED - WhatsApp's global dominance and Africa's tech evolution—a 2024 reflection From WhatsApp eating the world to Ethiopian developers' quiet brilliance, Andile Masuku reflects on how big global tech and Africa's diverse tech cultures are reshaping our digital future.
Talent #ThrowbackPOD - Revisiting a 2018 chat with Gebeya's Amadou Daffe & AltSchool Africa's Adewale Yusuf A candid throwback exchange unpacking Ethiopia's quiet rise as a tech talent powerhouse against Nigeria's developer compensation evolution.
Ecosystem OP-ED - Systematic strategies and DIY innovation: shaking up market education in Africa’s startup investment scene A new generation of African VC professionals is reshaping ecosystem education through institutional strategy and individual innovation.
Telecoms OP-ED - Emergence over extraction: what Africa’s telco sector teaches us about progress Andile Masuku taps Lanre Kolade's insights on patient collaboration, creative capital and ecosystem alignment behind landing Google's Equiano cable in Togo, sparking transformative regional broadband connectivity.
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.
Venture Building OP-ED - Abderrahmane Chaoui unpacks the challenges of asset-light models in Africa 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.
Climate OP-ED - Rethinking Africa’s climate finance future 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 - A primer on Morocco's startup ecosystem, courtesy of 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.
Impact Investing OP-ED - Can impact investing really achieve both 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.
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.
Infrastructure OP-ED - Leapfrogging? No shortcuts on the road to progress Professor Calestous Juma's legacy challenges oversimplified narratives of African tech progress, urging for substantive infrastructure investment over "leapfrogging" dreams.
$ATRU Introducing the $ATRU social token, "Proof of Play" on the Celo blockchain African Tech Roundup is partnering with Socialstack to launch a social token on the Celo blockchain to drive community engagement.
