Founders Sona's Field Notes #01: The VC Question That Won't Let Founders in Africa Rest In the debut edition of her monthly email, venture builder-turned-founder Sona Mahendra confronts a common VC question African founders dread.
This Is Connectivity OP-ED: The New Rules of Influence—Ikpeme Neto on leveraging public persona for startup success Doctor-turned-founder Ikpeme Neto is building Wellahealth with substance over hype. His journey highlights the power of strategic visibility, public engagement, and sustainable execution in digital healthcare.
Media POD: Tinashe Mukogo of Money & Moves on building independent media that balances commercial success and public interest Former Deloitte consultant and Siemens executive, Tinashe Mukogo, discusses how his professional experience and corporate background are shaping his live, real-time approach to building a sustainable, independent financial media property.
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.
Market Intelligence OP-ED: Awkward Investment Realities—The case for backing 'boring' business in Africa As African tech investments plateau, Balloon Ventures' $14 million SME portfolio reveals an uncomfortable truth: 'boring' traditional businesses might be outperforming venture-backed startups in real economic impact.
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: From Assumption to 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.
Infrastructure #ThrowbackPOD: Alan Knott-Craig Jr in 2016, riding waves of setbacks and success From inheriting a famous surname to losing Africa's largest social network, Alan Knott-Craig Jr pivoted to revolutionising rural and township internet access.
Entrepreneurship OP-ED: African Tech Needs a New Entrepreneurship Narrative—Moving beyond the 'genius founder' myth Oversimplification is the true enemy as Andile Masuku examines the complexities underlying popular myths in African tech entrepreneurship.
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.
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.
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.
Fintech OP-ED: Reflecting on a decade in African fintech feat. Elizabeth Rossiello Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO of AZA Finance, reflects on her decade-long journey from founding BitPesa to steering a fintech scale-up in Africa, navigating industry changes and strategic growth.
Energy OP-ED: Dangote's refinery fuels his vision for African self-reliance At the Africa CEO Forum's flagship annual gathering, Aliko Dangote and Patrick Pouyanné unveiled a noteworthy fuel supply deal, underscoring Dangote's ambitious vision for Africa's self-reliance and the challenges of regional trade and cooperation.
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.
Fintech OP-ED: Insights on Africa's fintech landscape amidst global 'funding winter' feat. Nicole Dunn Fresh from attending FT Partners' Fintech in Africa Event in New York, fintech founder Nicole Dunn offers a handy VC winter weather report.
Entrepreneurship OP-ED: Reflecting on Naval Ravikant's founder journey to glean lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs Andile Masuku taps the wisdom of Naval Ravikant, the mind behind AngelList, to glean insights on age, failure, and the essence of perseverance in the startup world.
Entrepreneurship OP-ED: Product-market fit is the new black Reflecting on throwback Jessica Livingstone insights, Andile Masuku explores the nuanced journey of product-market fit and the value of curated human gatherings.
Failure OP-ED: The (useful) thing about failure For Andile Masuku, an entrepreneur who's suffered more setbacks than successes, failure is often a go-to source for learning.
