Startups POD - Prince Nwadeyi of SAG Ventures: building solutions corporates commission but won't execute themselves Prince Nwadeyi unpacks how aligning incentives across value chains turns corporate muscle and founder execution into profitable innovation, and why Mustard Finance Group's reported 99.9% repayment rate proves the model works.
Impact Investing OP-ED - M-KOPA’s decade of discovery: when patient capital buys time to pivot M-KOPA’s lengthy path to profitability shows how patient capital can buy the time (and permission) to pivot until the real business emerges.
Digital Transformation OP-ED - What can standing in an iPhone 17 queue in Tokyo reveal about digital power and control? Plenty. Scarcity and sovereignty play out differently in Tokyo and Nairobi, but the underlying lessons for Africa’s tech builders are strikingly similar.
Fintech POD - April Long on why chasing 'impact' almost killed her fintech whilst bulk traders quietly transformed Africa-China trade Pyxis CEO April Long reveals how her obsession with serving SMEs blinded her to the aggregators actually moving $286 billion in trade - and why accepting this reality saved her venture.
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.
Banking OP-ED - KCB Group builds on groundwork laid by 'Gov-preneurs' in Ethiopia as banking liberalisation accelerates Following Safaricom's lead, KCB's imminent Ethiopian entry leverages policy frameworks informed by 'Gov-preneurs' who embedded with government to safeguard 'fin-sovereignty'.
Market Intelligence POD - Bridging Africa and Tokyo, Bernard Laurendeau explains why Africa needs strategic global partnerships over patient capital Bernard Laurendeau argues that telling investors to "think long-term" about Africa is the wrong message. The managing partner at Laurendeau & Associates shares how he's building bridges between Japanese corporations and African markets from his new base in Tokyo.
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?
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.
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.
Fintech POD - Inside Verto's fintech strategy for cracking Africa's $286 billion trade puzzle Ola Oyetayo shares how Verto is tackling cross-border payment challenges, exploring stablecoin potential, and scaling a profitable fintech serving businesses across key African markets.
Founders OP-ED - African logistics reality check: Gugulethu Siso shares hard-earned insights on avoiding startup failure Thumeza founder Gugulethu Siso reveals the brutal survival cycle of African logistics startups and shares practical wisdom for navigating relationship-driven markets where technology alone cannot ensure success.
Banking OP-ED - Banking evolution: building digital banks that balance scale and sustainability Global shifts and regional demands are transforming neobanking, as African digital banks redefine success through delivering market-relevant financial services profitably and sustainably.
Fintech POD - Beyond free banking: Chijioke Dozie on Carbon's journey to profitable digital banking in Nigeria Chijioke Dozie, co-founder and CEO of Carbon, shares insights on building a sustainable digital bank in Nigeria and the evolving neobanking landscape across Africa.
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.
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 - Why Ochich Magero traded philosophy for fintech in agro-processing 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.
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.
Fintech OP-ED - Elizabeth Rossiello reflects on a decade in African fintech 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.
Failure OP-ED - Failing forward: translating public setbacks into fresh starts MarketForce's closure underscores the importance of sustainable growth. Co-founder Tesh Mbaabu's openness paves the way for new beginnings.
Fintech OP-ED - Nicole Dunn's founder insights on Africa's fintech landscape amidst global 'funding winter' Fresh from attending FT Partners' Fintech in Africa Event in New York, fintech founder Nicole Dunn offers a handy VC winter weather report.
Unajua UNAJUA S7 EP1: Will blockchain-enabled fintech disrupt the global financial system? feat. Ronit Ghose Blockchain-enabled fintech solutions are on the rise. Citi Group's Ronit Ghose factors in on how the trend towards a more inclusive, decentralised financial services landscape will impact the global financial system.
Unajua UNAJUA S1 EP1: How significant is the opportunity for tech companies in Africa? feat. Derin Adebayo For this Unajua Series opener, Derin Adebayo factors in on the size of the commercial opportunity for tech companies in Africa and offers a take on whether the apparent lack of exits should cause worry.
African Contemplating COVID-19's Impact on Africa's Economic Outlook with Landry Signé and Iginio Gagliardone Landry Signé and Iginio Gagliardone explain why they are optimistic about Africa's socio-economic prospects despite the havoc being wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
