AfricaX Podcast

Meet Blessing Achu, the founder of 360 Creative Hub in Lagos Nigeria.

With her business she provides a co-working space for fashion designers, aka a co-sewing space, she brings together young designers with professionals in the field and she runs a fashion design accelerator that helps young designers understand the business of fashion, how they can grow a sustainable fashion venture and how technology can impact their business.

In the interview we speak about how she came up with the idea, how she transitioned from her lucrative job in IT to launch 360 creative hub, her biggest learnings from the launch and how she is making an impact for young designers in Lagos.

We also speak about the challenges of the startup phase of her business, what keeps her going when things get tough and what her advice for young Nigerian entrepreneurs is.

There are a lot of things to be learned from Blessing and so we hope you stick around for the full interview.

And now, without further ado, enter Blessing Achu.

_

You can also find the full interview with Blessing Achu on video through the AfricaX Blog.

_______________________

YOU LIKE THE AFRICAX PROJECT?

Here is how you can learn more and support...:

👉🏾 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africaxproject/

👉🏾 Check out our Blog: https://www.africax.org/blog to listen to all of the episodes as a podcast and watch the videos

👉🏾 Donate and help us empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs and changemakers in Africa through https://www.yesfoundersfoundation.org with as little as 10 USD

👉🏾 Or last but not least GET THE AFRICAX BOOK HERE... and follow the epic adventure of Dulcie Mativo and Thomas Jakel as they travel the African continent overland with an electric motorbike, to interview over 100 inspiring changemakers in 20 countries, from Morocco and Mauritania to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and many more... Get access to the the charge map for the electric motorbike, the interviews with 100 changemakers, entrepreneurs and social innovators and our 10 'secrets' to travelling the African continent electric.

Here some of the 5 Star reviews of the book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Now this adventure and story telling is something else!!! I’m now in Ghana. Completely grateful for Abo as well. Liberia was the epic best disaster." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Such an amazing read. Probably the first book I’ve read in a year - since 2020 I’ve mostly been doing audio books ; but this is so worth it. It’s made me crave a good read again, thank you." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A wild and captivating read that combines both a unique adventure as well as inspiring accounts about Africa's young leaders and social entrepreneurs. If you are into travel and inspiration, this book is for you. Thumbs up."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I started reading into this book without high expectations but then got really pulled into the story. So much so, that I found it hard to put the book down. It is a wild mix of pure adventure, fun storytelling that has you on the floor laughing, the inspirational vibe with all the interviews with African entrepreneurs and then the zen attitude this couple gives off, even when they are stuck in the mud between borders or lose their support vehicle. Great read. Can only recommend."

In this interview meet Simon Mokgotlhoa & Lesego Ndlovu, the founders of BallTalent, an online application that showcases young talents in sports and let’s international scouts and clubs, get information like videos and stats on local players. 

The two of them came up with the idea when they saw many young talented people in their neighbourhood but observed, that none of them got discovered and drafted into pro-leagues. Thinking that this could change if they gave their neigborhood talent more exposure, they set out to create BallTalent. 

In the interview we talk about

• how they set out to create the app, starting from scratch with no funding,
• how they managed to get the first scouts and players onto the platform and
• how a partnership helped them with getting the matches of the players recorded with professional cameras and drones

We also chat about mental hygiene and the belief systems that the two have adopted in tackling their vision, how family support has played a role in them following and trusting their own path and how books have played a major role in their entrepreneurial journey. 

There is a lot of gold in this interview.

So I hope you stick around. And now, without further ado, enter Simon and Lesego.

You can also watch the full interview with the founders of BallTalent on Youtube.

_______________________

YOU LIKE THE AFRICAX PROJECT?

Here is how you can learn more and support...:

👉🏾 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africaxproject/

👉🏾 Check out our Blog: https://www.africax.org/blog to listen to all of the episodes as a podcast and watch the videos

👉🏾 Donate and help us empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs and changemakers in Africa through https://www.yesfoundersfoundation.org with as little as 10 USD

👉🏾 Or last but not least GET THE AFRICAX BOOK HERE... and follow the epic adventure of Dulcie Mativo and Thomas Jakel as they travel the African continent overland with an electric motorbike, to interview over 100 inspiring changemakers in 20 countries, from Morocco and Mauritania to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and many more... Get access to the the charge map for the electric motorbike, the interviews with 100 changemakers, entrepreneurs and social innovators and our 10 'secrets' to travelling the African continent electric.

Here some of the 5 Star reviews of the book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Now this adventure and story telling is something else!!! I’m now in Ghana. Completely grateful for Abo as well. Liberia was the epic best disaster." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Such an amazing read. Probably the first book I’ve read in a year - since 2020 I’ve mostly been doing audio books ; but this is so worth it. It’s made me crave a good read again, thank you." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A wild and captivating read that combines both a unique adventure as well as inspiring accounts about Africa's young leaders and social entrepreneurs. If you are into travel and inspiration, this book is for you. Thumbs up."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I started reading into this book without high expectations but then got really pulled into the story. So much so, that I found it hard to put the book down. It is a wild mix of pure adventure, fun storytelling that has you on the floor laughing, the inspirational vibe with all the interviews with African entrepreneurs and then the zen attitude this couple gives off, even when they are stuck in the mud between borders or lose their support vehicle. Great read. Can only recommend."

Meet Kamal Yakub, co-founder of TROTRO Tractor, sometimes called the 'Uber for tractors' in Africa.

TROTRO Tractor is an agricultural technology company that makes it possible for smallholder farmers to access agricultural machinery services ranging from tractors to combined harvesters, planters etc. as well as post harvest machinery, like shellers and treshers.

Why that is a huge deal?

According to Kamal, the average smallholder farmer in Ghana has about three acres of land and thus far getting access to agricultural machinery for land preparation and other services has been difficult to impossible for smallholder farmers in Ghana, which make up the majority of farmers in the country.

Through TROTRO Tractor, the very smallholder farmers, that were mostly left out from mechanized farming now have the option to order mechanized farm services via USSD short codes from their phones, a service that has meet a real need. At the time of the interview in August 2019 TROTRO Tractor already had about 21.000 farmers signed up on their platform.

But not just that, digitizing the payment processes with mobile money and upgrading the tractors and the agricultural machinery with IoT capabilities, such as geo fencing, gathering data on the agricultural machinery as well as the payment history for the services supplied, becomes possible, allowing the tractor owners to access financial services such as loans and insurances with more ease, according to Kamal.

In the interview we speak about:

★ How Kamal and his team came up with the idea

★ How they tested their idea with no money down

★ What the bottlenecks are, how the right partnerships could make a huge impact for the advancement of mechanized farming in Ghana

★ What his advice is for young entrepreneurs on the continent

and so much more...

__

Also here the Interview with Kamal Yakub co-founder of TROTRO Tractor on the AfricaX Blog.

_______________________

YOU LIKE THE AFRICAX PROJECT?

Here is how you can learn more and support...:

👉🏾 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africaxproject/

👉🏾 Check out our Blog: https://www.africax.org/blog to listen to all of the episodes as a podcast and watch the videos

👉🏾 Donate and help us empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs and changemakers in Africa through https://www.yesfoundersfoundation.org with as little as 10 USD

👉🏾 Or last but not least GET THE AFRICAX BOOK HERE... and follow the epic adventure of Dulcie Mativo and Thomas Jakel as they travel the African continent overland with an electric motorbike, to interview over 100 inspiring changemakers in 20 countries, from Morocco and Mauritania to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and many more... Get access to the the charge map for the electric motorbike, the interviews with 100 changemakers, entrepreneurs and social innovators and our 10 'secrets' to travelling the African continent electric.

Here some of the 5 Star reviews of the book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Now this adventure and story telling is something else!!! I’m now in Ghana. Completely grateful for Abo as well. Liberia was the epic best disaster." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Such an amazing read. Probably the first book I’ve read in a year - since 2020 I’ve mostly been doing audio books ; but this is so worth it. It’s made me crave a good read again, thank you." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A wild and captivating read that combines both a unique adventure as well as inspiring accounts about Africa's young leaders and social entrepreneurs. If you are into travel and inspiration, this book is for you. Thumbs up."

Meet Sinenhlanhla Ndlela, foodpreneur and founder of Yococo, an artisanal vegan ice cream brand in South Africa with the mission of serving love in scoops, all the while doing their best to be good guests to planet earth. 

After quitting her job, realising that the 9 to 5 grind, that barely allowed her to cover her rent was not how she wanted to spend her life Sine entered an incubator program, that pushed her to get her idea out of her head and into the world within just two weeks. 

Testing her ice cream innovations on unassuming strangers that she caught at the elevator in the apartment building she lived in, she managed to create a product that has become her way of contributing and serving people love. 

In the interview with Sine we speak about:

• How she came up with the idea
• How she launched her business out of her apartment within days
• Her guiding principles in business and why being authentic to herself means a different growth journey than the one usually taught in business schools

and so much more.

There is a ton of gold in this interview, whether you are an entrepreneur just starting out or whether you are already way into your professional journey and would like some inspiration for your own path from a truly mission driven entrepreneur from the food industry with a clear sense of purpose.

You can also find the interview with Sinenhlanhla Ndlela on Youtube as well as on our AfricaX Blog.

_______________________

YOU LIKE THE AFRICAX PROJECT?

Here is how you can learn more and support...:

👉🏾 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africaxproject/

👉🏾 Check out our Blog: https://www.africax.org/blog to listen to all of the episodes as a podcast and watch the videos

👉🏾 Donate and help us empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs and changemakers in Africa through https://www.yesfoundersfoundation.org with as little as 10 USD

👉🏾 Or last but not least GET THE AFRICAX BOOK HERE... and follow the epic adventure of Dulcie Mativo and Thomas Jakel as they travel the African continent overland with an electric motorbike, to interview over 100 inspiring changemakers in 20 countries, from Morocco and Mauritania to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and many more... Get access to the the charge map for the electric motorbike, the interviews with 100 changemakers, entrepreneurs and social innovators and our 10 'secrets' to travelling the African continent electric.

Here some of the 5 Star reviews of the book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Now this adventure and story telling is something else!!! I’m now in Ghana. Completely grateful for Abo as well. Liberia was the epic best disaster." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Such an amazing read. Probably the first book I’ve read in a year - since 2020 I’ve mostly been doing audio books ; but this is so worth it. It’s made me crave a good read again, thank you." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A wild and captivating read that combines both a unique adventure as well as inspiring accounts about Africa's young leaders and social entrepreneurs. If you are into travel and inspiration, this book is for you. Thumbs up."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I started reading into this book without high expectations but then got really pulled into the story. So much so, that I found it hard to put the book down. It is a wild mix of pure adventure, fun storytelling that has you on the floor laughing, the inspirational vibe with all the interviews with African entrepreneurs and then the zen attitude this couple gives off, even when they are stuck in the mud between borders or lose their support vehicle. Great read. Can only recommend."

In this episode, meet Ifeanyi Umejei, co-founder of ICE Commercial Power in Lagos, Nigeria.

He and his co-founders are on a mission to solve the power problem in Nigeria through solar micro grids. By creating these grids for SME's, small and medium enterprise clusters, they are able to provide power for businesses, saving them money, allowing them to hire more people, creating more jobs, allowing them to produce more products that they can sell and ultimately helping to drive economic activity.

But not just that, they are also working on solving two additional challenges that, once solved, could lead to much better access of electricity in Nigeria. 

And just to give you some context, of how big this problem that Ifeanyi and his team are tackling is, let me use his words: 

Nigeria as a whole has 200 million people and has less electricity than Edinburgh, Scotland which has about half a million people. So the country just doesn't produce that much electricity and it is powered essentially by generators. And 83% of businesses in Nigeria say that access to electricity is their single biggest obstacle. 

So this is a huge issue. 

In the interview with Ifeanyi we talk about

• How he got into the energy sector
• What made him give up a cushy and well paid job to enter the entrepreneurial roller coaster
• What their big picture strategy is, to hopefully solve the energy problem in Nigeria once and for all
• What their first steps were in launching their company

and so much more...

There are tons of gold in this interview and we learned heaps from talking with Ifeanyi.

So we really hope that you enjoy this interview as well. And now without further ado, enter Ifeanyi....

--

You can also watch the full interview with Ifeanyi Umejei, co-founder of ICE Commercial Power in Lagos, Nigeria on Youtube.

_______________________

YOU LIKE THE AFRICAX PROJECT?

Here is how you can learn more and support...:

👉🏾 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africaxproject/

👉🏾 Check out our Blog: https://www.africax.org/blog to listen to all of the episodes as a podcast and watch the videos

👉🏾 Donate and help us empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs and changemakers in Africa through https://www.yesfoundersfoundation.org with as little as 10 USD

👉🏾 Or last but not least GET THE AFRICAX BOOK HERE... and follow the epic adventure of Dulcie Mativo and Thomas Jakel as they travel the African continent overland with an electric motorbike, to interview over 100 inspiring changemakers in 20 countries, from Morocco and Mauritania to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and many more... Get access to the the charge map for the electric motorbike, the interviews with 100 changemakers, entrepreneurs and social innovators and our 10 'secrets' to travelling the African continent electric.

Here some of the 5 Star reviews of the book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Now this adventure and story telling is something else!!! I’m now in Ghana. Completely grateful for Abo as well. Liberia was the epic best disaster." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Such an amazing read. Probably the first book I’ve read in a year - since 2020 I’ve mostly been doing audio books ; but this is so worth it. It’s made me crave a good read again, thank you." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A wild and captivating read that combines both a unique adventure as well as inspiring accounts about Africa's young leaders and social entrepreneurs. If you are into travel and inspiration, this book is for you. Thumbs up."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I started reading into this book without high expectations but then got really pulled into the story. So much so, that I found it hard to put the book down. It is a wild mix of pure adventure, fun storytelling that has you on the floor laughing, the inspirational vibe with all the interviews with African entrepreneurs and then the zen attitude this couple gives off, even when they are stuck in the mud between borders or lose their support vehicle. Great read. Can only recommend."

★★★ Meet Sename Koffi Agbodjinou founder of Woelab in Lomé, Togo and Ashoka Fellow. Before you jump into the full interview, let us just say, that Sename is working on one of the biggest visions we have heard of so far. He himself calls it a utopia. And yet, while some of the ideas he has remain utopian, there are some very tangible results that were already achieved.

So the idea of WoeLabs is to have a network of innovation spaces covering Lomé and potentially other West African cities. So you’d have one innovation space in each neighbourhood in Lomé and use that network of WoeLabs to train a big number of smart citizens, that can then tackle challenges in the neighbourhood through entrepreneurial solutions.

The labs are open to everybody, free of charge and anyone can get trained on technology. Each lab is working on and launching projects that can make a change in the immediate environment of 1 square kilometre. So a network of spaces like this all over the city would represent a new approach to what a smart city could be. It is an invitation to think smart cities differently. Not as what we usually picture as futuristic cities but as cities that empower and enhance the capacities of citizens that can then tackle urban challenges with ‘homegrown’ solutions, through technology and entrepreneurial thinking, challenges such as waste management, food production, mobility etc.

The results so far are tangible: In 2013 WoeLabs had built the first "Made in Africa" 3D printer from e-waste and in 2016 WoeLabs had already spun off 11 startups and provided numerous opportunities for young people in its community.

At the moment of the interview with Sename, there were two WoeLab’s in Lomé with the 3rd one in the making.

His long-term vision: 1000 Labs in Lomé that work as an innovation space grid that can serve as infrastructure to quickly roll out projects that work in one lab to the entire network, including the the usage of their own means of exchange for products and services.

We'll hope you enjoy this interview, enter Sename.

_

You can also use this link to watch the interview with Sename on Youtube.

And here the link to the interview on the AfricaX Blog.

_______________________

YOU LIKE THE AFRICAX PROJECT?

Here is how you can learn more and support...:

👉🏾 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africaxproject/

👉🏾 Check out our Blog: https://www.africax.org/blog to listen to all of the episodes as a podcast and watch the videos

👉🏾 Donate and help us empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs and changemakers in Africa through https://www.yesfoundersfoundation.org with as little as 10 USD

👉🏾 Or last but not least GET THE AFRICAX BOOK HERE... and follow the epic adventure of Dulcie Mativo and Thomas Jakel as they travel the African continent overland with an electric motorbike, to interview over 100 inspiring changemakers in 20 countries, from Morocco and Mauritania to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and many more... Get access to the the charge map for the electric motorbike, the interviews with 100 changemakers, entrepreneurs and social innovators and our 10 'secrets' to travelling the African continent electric.

Here some of the 5 Star reviews of the book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Now this adventure and story telling is something else!!! I’m now in Ghana. Completely grateful for Abo as well. Liberia was the epic best disaster." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Such an amazing read. Probably the first book I’ve read in a year - since 2020 I’ve mostly been doing audio books ; but this is so worth it. It’s made me crave a good read again, thank you." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A wild and captivating read that combines both a unique adventure as well as inspiring accounts about Africa's young leaders and social entrepreneurs. If you are into travel and inspiration, this book is for you. Thumbs up."

Meet Mamoudou Touré, agricultural engineer by training, who with his friend and business partner, turns the plant Typha into a material for construction with their business HABIDEM in Mauritania.

In the south of Mauritania there is a lot of Typha and it presents a challenge as it is spreading rapidly and blocking irrigation channels for the fields. 

Mamoudou came across this problem himself when he worked as a project manager in the south of Mauritania. He relates, that they used to spent a lot of money to fight against the Typha so that the water could reach the fields.

So when his friend working in the construction sector told Mamoudou about the idea to use Typha as a material for construction, he saw, that this presented an opportunity to turn a problem into a solution that could create job opportunities for young people in Mauritania as well as further the use of sustainable construction materials and make construction in Mauritania more affordable. 

One of their breakthroughs came when they won a startup competition organised by Hadina RIMTIC (another business we interviewed with AfricaX) and the World Bank Group.

In the interview with Mamoudou we speak about how they started HABIDEM, how the reaction of his direct environment was, to him wanting to start a business, how they go about the replication of their innovative idea for other regions and how they launched their business while working full-time jobs.

There is a lot of gold and inspiring stuff in this interview. So without further ado, enter Mamoudou Touré.

_

You can also find the interview with Mamoudou Touré, co-founder of HABIDEM on our AfricaX Blog as well as on the AfricaX Youtube Channel.

_______________________

YOU LIKE THE AFRICAX PROJECT?

Here is how you can learn more and support...:

👉🏾 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africaxproject/

👉🏾 Check out our Blog: https://www.africax.org/blog to listen to all of the episodes as a podcast and watch the videos

👉🏾 Donate and help us empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs and changemakers in Africa through https://www.yesfoundersfoundation.org with as little as 10 USD

👉🏾 Or last but not least GET THE AFRICAX BOOK HERE... and follow the epic adventure of Dulcie Mativo and Thomas Jakel as they travel the African continent overland with an electric motorbike, to interview over 100 inspiring changemakers in 20 countries, from Morocco and Mauritania to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and many more... Get access to the the charge map for the electric motorbike, the interviews with 100 changemakers, entrepreneurs and social innovators and our 10 'secrets' to travelling the African continent electric.

Here some of the 5 Star reviews of the book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Now this adventure and story telling is something else!!! I’m now in Ghana. Completely grateful for Abo as well. Liberia was the epic best disaster." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Such an amazing read. Probably the first book I’ve read in a year - since 2020 I’ve mostly been doing audio books ; but this is so worth it. It’s made me crave a good read again, thank you." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A wild and captivating read that combines both a unique adventure as well as inspiring accounts about Africa's young leaders and social entrepreneurs. If you are into travel and inspiration, this book is for you. Thumbs up."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I started reading into this book without high expectations but then got really pulled into the story. So much so, that I found it hard to put the book down. It is a wild mix of pure adventure, fun storytelling that has you on the floor laughing, the inspirational vibe with all the interviews with African entrepreneurs and then the zen attitude this couple gives off, even when they are stuck in the mud between borders or lose their support vehicle. Great read. Can only recommend."

In this interview meet Mahmud Johnson, founder of J-Palm Liberia, a social business, contributing to employment opportunities for young people in Liberia as well as higher incomes for farmers, by increasing productivity in and yield from sustainable palm oil and palm kernel oil production.

But that is just part of the impact. The other aspect is that Mahmud and his team put significant effort in producing skin and hair care products developed specifically for Liberians and Africans, products that as Mahmud puts it "represent us in ways that we would like to be represented”. 

Mahmud grew up in a time in Liberia, when there was social conflict and most of the conversations he remembers from after the civil war, whether on radio or TV, were about rebuilding, economic development, economic transformation and there was a sense for him, that all Liberians should be a part of that rebuilding process.

After studying abroad on a scholarship, an opportunity, Mahmud calls improbable, he decided to come back home, to reach a hand back and create opportunities for other young people.

In the interview we talk about:

• How a conversation with his aunt helped him come up with the idea and vision for his business
• Challenges and rewards of doing business in Liberia
• How J-Palm designs products from and through direct consumer feedback
• How low appetite for risk at the bottom of the pyramid, might make innovation and adaption of new solutions challenging. 

and so much more about business and life.

Mahmud shares insights from the time he just started J-Palm Liberia, to the point where he is now employing 30 full time staff and has created job opportunities for around 500 young people, thinking about the long run, of building a global brand with local roots and bringing more opportunities to farmers with the aim of accelerating economic development. 

There is a ton of gold in this interview and we hope you enjoy it.

So without further ado, enter Mahmud Johnson.

_______________________

YOU LIKE THE AFRICAX PROJECT?

Here is how you can learn more and support...:

👉🏾 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africaxproject/

👉🏾 Check out our Blog: https://www.africax.org/blog to listen to all of the episodes as a podcast and watch the videos

👉🏾 Donate and help us empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs and changemakers in Africa through https://www.yesfoundersfoundation.org with as little as 10 USD

👉🏾 Or last but not least GET THE AFRICAX BOOK HERE... and follow the epic adventure of Dulcie Mativo and Thomas Jakel as they travel the African continent overland with an electric motorbike, to interview over 100 inspiring changemakers in 20 countries, from Morocco and Mauritania to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and many more... Get access to the the charge map for the electric motorbike, the interviews with 100 changemakers, entrepreneurs and social innovators and our 10 'secrets' to travelling the African continent electric.

Here some of the 5 Star reviews of the book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Now this adventure and story telling is something else!!! I’m now in Ghana. Completely grateful for Abo as well. Liberia was the epic best disaster." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Such an amazing read. Probably the first book I’ve read in a year - since 2020 I’ve mostly been doing audio books ; but this is so worth it. It’s made me crave a good read again, thank you." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A wild and captivating read that combines both a unique adventure as well as inspiring accounts about Africa's young leaders and social entrepreneurs. If you are into travel and inspiration, this book is for you. Thumbs up."

★★★ Meet Nkem Okocha, the founder of FinTech Social Enterprise Mamamoni, whom we interviewed in September 2019 in Lagos.

Mamamoni is dedicated to eradicating poverty and uplift low income women from poverty through multiple vehicles which are 

• #1 capacity building which their foundation is in charge of that
• #2 access to finance, which they realise through their own digital lending platform and 
• #3 creating employment opportunity for low income women, that can’t or don’t want to start their own enterprise, through their own factory that is producing liquid dish wash 

Nkem Okocha shares that she had a tough childhood and that Mamamoni is the vehicle for her mission to help women in a similar situation that her mother was in, when Nkem grew up. 

Keep listening to learn how she started Mamamoni, what her advice for young Nigerian women is and how she managed to upskill close to 7000 women and counting.

There is a lot of gold in this, especially since Nkem actually launched not just one but three vehicles to achieve her audacious mission. 

We hope you enjoy the interview, enter Nkem Okocha.

Also, you can check out the full Interview with Nkem Okocha from Mamamoni on Youtube or on our AfricaX Blog.

_______________________

YOU LIKE THE AFRICAX PROJECT?

Here is how you can learn more and support...:

👉🏾 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africaxproject/

👉🏾 Check out our Blog: https://www.africax.org/blog to listen to all of the episodes as a podcast and watch the videos

👉🏾 Donate and help us empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs and changemakers in Africa through https://www.yesfoundersfoundation.org with as little as 10 USD

👉🏾 Or last but not least GET THE AFRICAX BOOK HERE... and follow the epic adventure of Dulcie Mativo and Thomas Jakel as they travel the African continent overland with an electric motorbike, to interview over 100 inspiring changemakers in 20 countries, from Morocco and Mauritania to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and many more... Get access to the the charge map for the electric motorbike, the interviews with 100 changemakers, entrepreneurs and social innovators and our 10 'secrets' to travelling the African continent electric.

Here some of the 5 Star reviews of the book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Now this adventure and story telling is something else!!! I’m now in Ghana. Completely grateful for Abo as well. Liberia was the epic best disaster." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Such an amazing read. Probably the first book I’ve read in a year - since 2020 I’ve mostly been doing audio books ; but this is so worth it. It’s made me crave a good read again, thank you." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A wild and captivating read that combines both a unique adventure as well as inspiring accounts about Africa's young leaders and social entrepreneurs. If you are into travel and inspiration, this book is for you. Thumbs up."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I started reading into this book without high expectations but then got really pulled into the story. So much so, that I found it hard to put the book down. It is a wild mix of pure adventure, fun storytelling that has you on the floor laughing, the inspirational vibe with all the interviews with African entrepreneurs and then the zen attitude this couple gives off, even when they are stuck in the mud between borders or lose their support vehicle. Great read. Can only recommend."

In this episode, meet Pedro Da Fonseca, the founder of Black Gold Engineering, a Namibian  LED light manufacturer and distributor, that has a patented LED solution for streetlights that provides up to 70% in energy savings compared to conventional solutions. 

At the time of the interview in November 2019, Pedro shares, that his patented LED is 'the most powerful output light in the world' and that they have won thirteen international awards with this product.

In the interview we speak about

• Pedro’s journey from employee to entrepreneur
• the challenges he had to overcome on his way and
• how he pushed on, even when he ran out of money and got eviction notices and creditors came to reposes his furniture

We also spoke about the importance of a personal support system, how his father gave him the mental tools to overcome difficulties and how a mentor changed his life and helped his business towards a breakthrough. 

There is a lot of gold in this interview and whether you are an entrepreneur just starting out, someone that wants to develop products and solutions for the African market or whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur, we promise, there will be some insights for you in our chat with Pedro Da Fonseca.

So without further ado, enter Pedro.

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You can also watch the full interview with Pedro Da Fonseca on Youtube or on our AfricaX Blog.

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Here is how you can learn more and support...:

👉🏾 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africaxproject/

👉🏾 Check out our Blog: https://www.africax.org/blog to listen to all of the episodes as a podcast and watch the videos

👉🏾 Donate and help us empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs and changemakers in Africa through https://www.yesfoundersfoundation.org with as little as 10 USD

👉🏾 Or last but not least GET THE AFRICAX BOOK HERE... and follow the epic adventure of Dulcie Mativo and Thomas Jakel as they travel the African continent overland with an electric motorbike, to interview over 100 inspiring changemakers in 20 countries, from Morocco and Mauritania to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and many more... Get access to the the charge map for the electric motorbike, the interviews with 100 changemakers, entrepreneurs and social innovators and our 10 'secrets' to travelling the African continent electric.

Here some of the 5 Star reviews of the book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Now this adventure and story telling is something else!!! I’m now in Ghana. Completely grateful for Abo as well. Liberia was the epic best disaster." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Such an amazing read. Probably the first book I’ve read in a year - since 2020 I’ve mostly been doing audio books ; but this is so worth it. It’s made me crave a good read again, thank you." - a reader

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A wild and captivating read that combines both a unique adventure as well as inspiring accounts about Africa's young leaders and social entrepreneurs. If you are into travel and inspiration, this book is for you. Thumbs up."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I started reading into this book without high expectations but then got really pulled into the story. So much so, that I found it hard to put the book down. It is a wild mix of pure adventure, fun storytelling that has you on the floor laughing, the inspirational vibe with all the interviews with African entrepreneurs and then the zen attitude this couple gives off, even when they are stuck in the mud between borders or lose their support vehicle. Great read. Can only recommend."