TechTides Africa Hijack

A collection of 23 posts

Digital Transformation

OP-ED - Who gets to belong? Narrative, power, and community at Katapult Future Fest 2026

Tayo Akinyemi reports from Katapult Future Fest 2026 on narrative, belonging, and the boundaries of communities seeking to reshape how capital and technology serve people—previewing Capital for Infrastructure, her forthcoming project with Osarumen Osamuyi.

Market Intelligence

OP-ED - What really happens between "send" and "received"

A Nigerian software engineer on currency volatility, rate buffers, and why transparency beats the "zero fees" promise every time.

This Is Connectivity

OP-ED - Video podcasts are just chatshows with visible microphones

Twenty-five years of podcast evolution has come full circle. Adam Wakefield argues audio's so-called limitations are actually its greatest edge in the attention economy.

Sona's Field Notes

Sona's Field Notes #04: Strong Founder or Wrong Founder?

After three Field Notes on external challenges, Sona Mahendra turns inward: exploring founder archetypes, market timing, and the uncomfortable truth about what constitutes winning.

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.

Ecosystem

OP-ED - Edge of the matrix: Bankole Oluwafemi on levelling up in a world of unequal passport access

For Nigerians, global mobility isn't just travel—it's a game rigged at birth. "Full-stack creative" and TechCabal founder Bankole Oluwafemi reveals how to hack the system and rewrite your sovereignty stats.

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.

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.

This Is Connectivity

OP-ED - 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.

Ecosystem

OP-ED - 'If weekend go sweet': Fatu Ogwuche's reading of African Tech's 2024 'Wednesday' signals

Through the lens of a street-smart Nigerian saying, Big Tech This Week founder Fatu Ogwuche unpacks a year of tense realities in African tech and why 2024's closing signals are fueling high hopes for 2025.

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.

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.

Venture Capital

OP-ED - Secha Capital’s operator-investor model: an African VC alternative breaking the tech-first mould

Amid Janngo Capital's oversubscribed final close and Techstars’ abrupt exit from Lagos, Secha Capital champions South Africa’s traditional industries with a slow-burn, hands-on investment model—reshaping venture capital norms.

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.

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.

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.

Mobile

OP-ED - Claire Sibthorpe on Sub-Saharan Africa's mobile gender gap

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.

Cybersecurity

OP-ED - A little less propaganda, a little more cybersecurity science

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 - 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.

Climate

OP-ED - Abraham Augustine on African climate tech money coming in hot

Abraham Augustine, a leading voice in African digital economies, shares insights on climate tech investment signals and trends. Learn from past failures, he advises.

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.

Blockchain

OP-ED - Michael Kimani on lobbying for blockchain legislation in Kenya

Kenya's Blockchain Association advances digital asset regulation, spearheaded by director Michael Kimani. Kimani takes us behind the fray.