AfricaX Podcast

In this interview, meet Vanda de Oliveira and Ricardo Figueiredo, the two founders of Bantumakers, a startup studio in Angola.

In our interview we chatted about how they launch businesses, how they financed their first two startups, the first Angolan crowdfunding platform called DEYA and a micro job platform called SALO, their personal journey as founders, going way back from when Ricardo was selling bootlegged DVDs in Highschool, to starting a software company to eventually joining Vanda on her vision to solve social problems through a series of startups that the two want to launch through their startup studio Bantumakers.

We asked them about their advice for young people on the continent and how they managed to turn their business around when they ran out of money.

We chatted about the challenges and joys of their entrepreneurial journeys as well as their insights about building a business in Angola.

There are a lot of insights one can take away from the shares of the two. So, without further ado, enter Vanda and Ricardo. 

You can also watch the full video with the team behind Bantumakers 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 Sobel Ngom, founder and director of the Social Change Factory. Sobel’s changemaker journey started, when during an internship in rural Senegal, he experienced first hand, the injustices in the education system. It was then that he decided, that he would have to do something. 

Together with a group of friends that he asked to join him, he spent his vacation and worked for an entire month straight, morning till evening, to help about 150 youth, to pass their exams. 

From this single decision to be of service and to help young people, Sobel’s changemaking journey has led him to launch the Youth TV program ‘Voix des Jeunes’ that has reached over 15 million young people in Sub-Saharan Africa and to establish the social enterprise Social Change Factory, that is helping Youth directly but also pushing for systemic change. 

Sobel has been quoted by President Obama several times, and while he doesn’t see this as an achievement, it did motivate him to focus fully on working towards the Africa that he said he loves: 

“Beautiful, bright, full of ambition and aspiration.” 

Find the Blogpost on Sobel Ngom here, along with the full video 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."

In today’s episode we speak to Samira Arjdal, an environmentalist at heart and the first African woman to have participated in WAVE, the world’s largest e-mobility rally in Switzerland.

Together with her partner Silvia Brutschin, Samira organises a similar event annually in Morocco called RIVE Maroc. And the interesting thing is, that they did not just create a really unique happening promoting e-mobility but also use this very same event to create a charging infrastructure in Morocco.

Our interview with Samira was short but inspiring. Stay tuned to hear about:

• RIVE Maroc and the goal behind the project
• The different partnerships the team has set up to create the necessary charging infrastructure without spending money on their own
• How they are using the rally and a partnership to donate refurbished laptops to schools 
• How you can participate in RIVE Maroc, whether or not you have an electric vehicle

And so much more. 

We hope you enjoy this episode. Enter Samira.  

_

Click here for the blogpost and the youtube video from the interview with Samira.

You can also find RIVE Maroc on LinkedIn , Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

_______________________

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."

How Desmond Koney founded Complete Farmer, a crowdfarming platform in Ghana allowing anyone to become a farmer from the comfort of their home

_

In today’s episode, we speak to Desmond Koney, CEO and cofounder of Complete Farmer.

Complete Farmer is a crowdfarming platform founded and based in Ghana that makes it easier for industries to source for quality farm produce in the African market and at the same time, allows anyone to fund a farming cycle as a crowdfarmer from their smartphone, get regular updates about the farm, sign up for an in person farm visit and yes, also to participate in the profits from the farming cycle. When asked how he came up with the idea to start it, he shares that he was exposed to the frustrations of smallholder farming since his father was a smallholder farmer growing pineapples. 

After coming back home to Ghana from his studies in The Netherlands, he got the idea to apply his engineering skills to build more efficient farms on the continent. 

In the interview we chat about 

• How Desmond and his cofounders became farmers themselves in order to learn about farming and identifying the real pain points and bottlenecks that farmers in Ghana face every day
• The lessons that they learned from that experience, 
• How they financed the launch of their business
• and so much more

As of the date of the release of this podcast I am also farming with Complete Farmer. I have a few acres of sweet potato and chilli pepper under contract with them and am hoping for a good farming season. 

There is a ton of insights as well as inspiration in this interview for anyone interested in agriculture, tech entrepreneurship in Africa or just anyone curious about how to assure food security.

You can also check out the AfricaX blogpost about Desmond and Complete Farmer.

We really hope you will enjoy this episode, and now, enter Desmond. 

_______________________

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."

In today’s episode, we speak with Adulai Bary, a serial entrepreneur from Guinea-Bissau.

He was named as one of the most influential young people in West Africa and when you listen to this interview, you will begin to understand why. 

One of the things that struck me in the conversation with him, and that we have observed with many change makers, is how purposeful he started out. 

From what he shares, he always had a clear intention to think independently and be independent economically. With this aim in mind, he got into the field of ICT.

While working his job as an engineer, he used his salary to start a business on the side and employ people to do sales for him. Eventually he made the shift into full time entrepreneur with his first venture, BIG Technologies, and from there helped launch several businesses, one being InnovaLab, a social enterprise, that functions as an accelerator of innovative youth enterprises in Guinea Bissau and Ubuntu 2S, an enterprise aiming at bringing electricity to rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa through Solar Home System kits.

There is a ton of gold in this interview, so stay tuned. And now without further Ado, enter Adulai Bary.

You can also watch the full AfricaX interview with Adulai Bary 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 Satta Wahab, the founder of Naz Naturals in Monrovia, Liberia

Satta started her hair care company for natural African hair with just a 100 Dollars.

She noticed there was a gap in the market, after she ‘went natural’ herself. Trying to find the products she needed for this transition, she realised that the products for natural hair in Liberia were all imported and super expensive. So she did her research and started making her own.

Things started picking up, when her friends at university started asking her about the products. At first she gave her friends the products for free, but then eventually turned it into a business, when people didn’t stop asking for more of her creations.

As of today, Satta has upped her production, onboarded and trained a whole team of brand ambassadors and Naz Naturals has become the Go-To-Brand for every young women wanting to go natural in Liberia.

In the interview with Satta, we speak about goalsetting, mentors, personal growth, her sales strategies and learnings, as well as the Theory of Change for her business and how she is using Naz Naturals and her personal story to empower young women in Liberia.

One of our many favorites from the #AfricaX interview series.

You can also find the full interview with Satta Wahab on Youtube.

_

#africaxproject #changemaking #africa #entrepreneurship #africawinning #inspiration #changemakers #startups #africanstartups #businessinafrica #innovation #innovationinafrica #socialentrepreneurship #socialentrepreneurs #podcasts #listening #podcast #naturalhair #sattawahab #naznaturals #fempreneurs #womenempowerment

_______________________

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 today’s episode, we speak with Oduwa Agboneni, the founder of Neni’s Autocare in Lagos.

Actually, Oduwa was already a serial entrepreneur before starting her own car repair shop in the bustling Yaba district of Lagos. 

She had worked as an engineer for a telco company, started a side hustle doing online ticketing and reservations and then built a travel agency before setting out to to start Neni’s Autocare, breaking into a heavily male dominated industry and essentially reinventing how it is done. 

With a strong focus on preventive maintenance, excellent customer service, customer education, hiring almost exclusively female technicians and catering to a female clientele, she has attracted not only B2C customers but even household names such as Uber. 

A true changemaker, Oduwa is using the non-profit arm of her business to empower girls with technical skills and automotive training, in line with her mission to promote a positive representation of women in Engineering and increasing their self-confidence through automotive care knowledge. 

In this interview we speak with Oduwa about:

• Goalsetting
• The importance of developing a strong support system as an entrepreneur
• How Oduwa transitioned from being an employee to an entrepreneur and 
• How she is using her business and her not-for-profit to do both service delivery and advocacy

There is a bit of background noise in the interview. Apologies for that. But don’t worry, it is authentic in the sense that we did the interview right there in busy Yaba district at Oduwa's workshop and we promise, the things she shares in the interview are worth sticking it out and overhearing the background noise.  =)

Click Here for the full AfricaX video interview with Oduwa Agboneni on Youtube.

Check out more Interviews with African Changemakers 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."

In this episode, meet Murendeni Mafumo, the founder of Kusini Water, a social impact water business in South Africa. 

Kusini Water makes water purification and distribution systems from locally sourced materials such as Macadamia nut shells and uses renewable energy to supply clean water to communities most affected by the lack of access to safe drinking water. In our interview with Murendeni we discuss:

• How he came up with his idea and how he developed the business model for his social impact water company
• How he transitioned from working full-time for the municipality to being a full time entrepreneur
• How he financed his first product
• How a corporate partnership put Kusini Water on the global map
• Why every single day he feels like giving up and what keeps him going AND
• How he managed to step into the water market, a market, dominated by a few big corporates

Also, we speak about ‘Black Tax’ and why Murendeni kept his entrepreneurial journey a secret from his family for two years after quitting his job.

And so much more…

Kusini Water is, at the time of the interview in December 2019, providing clean and safe to drink water to seven low income communities.

In 2020, through a corporate partnership with a big logistics company, they plan to provide clean drinking water to 60 low income communities across South Africa.

There is SO MUCH to learn from this one interview with Murendeni. If you are into water and sanitation OR have a business idea, that needs some initial funding to get off the ground, then stick around for the full interview, because you will learn a lot.

We hope we got you hooked, enter Murendeni.

For the full video interview with Murendeni, check out our Blog:

https://africax.org/changemaker-interviews/murendeni-mafumo-started-kusini-water-business-with-social-impact/

Social Links to Kusini Water and Murendeni Mafumo:

• Kusini Water Website
• Kusini Water on Instagram
• Kusini Water on Facebook
• Twitter Handles:
• -> @kusiniwater
• -> @murendi
• LinkedIn Profile of Murendeni Mafumo

_______________________

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."

An Ashoka Fellow and previous French Teacher, Evariste Aohoui started PARO-CI in 2011 because he was tired of how dirty Abidjan was. Initially, they did small and specific activities like cleanups as volunteers, taking the opportunity to sensitise people about keeping the environment clean. 

Later on is when they started to focus on e-waste and today, they recycle electronic equipment that would otherwise turn into waste.

Translated to English, PARO CI stands for Waste Management and Recycling Programme. 

Listen to the full interview to discover

• How Evariste went from teacher to CEO of an e-waste management company
• The challenges he encountered in the process
• Why he credits his success in the business to cocreation
• And how he thinks other young entrepreneurs without resources can benefit from leveraging partnerships

In our opinion, this interview is a gold mine, especially, if you want to start a business in waste management or anything technical. 

You see, e-waste management is something that requires a lot of skills and know how and yet, Evariste managed to acquire the skills although, being a french teacher, he had zero technical knowledge in the beginning. 

So this interview is perfect for anyone that is not starting out as a technical expert but is passionate about solving a problem that might require a technical skill set. We promise, you will learn so much in this interview. 

So without further Ado, enter Evariste. 

_

Click here for the Blogpost on Evariste Aohoui

or

here for the full video interview with Evariste Aohoui 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."

Wiatta moved from the US where she was born and raised to Conakry, Guinea in 2011.

She moved because she had decided to make it her life’s work to invest in the continent and to convince other Africans to do the same. Her in was with the Peace Corps as a Community Economic Development Volunteer, where she worked on an entrepreneurship training programme to reduce unemployment in West Africa.

Through this programme she realised that the ecosystem was so highly underdeveloped that it was hard for young people to launch a business with only that initial training.

Those that do manage to launch their businesses fail after one cycle, or survive but struggle to make real revenue.

In her experience, this is because they lack the resources to manage the whole value chain from input to market. Thus, Wiatta co-founded Dare to Innovate in 2013 to provide a solution to the question: how do we develop the African ecosystem in a way that supports entrepreneurship?

So far they have started over 60 businesses that are still active. Have helped to create more than 450 jobs and have trained thousands of young people.

Keep listening to gain deeper insights

• on the programmes that Dare to Innovate runs, 
• the unique business model and the philosophy behind it, 
• Wiatta's take on why projects in Africa by development agencies don’t have sustainable impact, 
• her assessment on what will lead to economic development in Africa, 

and much more.

We hope you'll enjoy this episode. Enter Wiatta.  

_

For the full blogpost and other posts, go to the AfricaX Blog where we share all of the interviews with Changemakers in Africa.

Also, you can head over to the site of Dare to Innovate for more information.

_______________________

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "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."