Beyond the Pivot

How is mobile technology reshaping Africa’s startup ecosystem and what do the real numbers tell us about where the continent is heading next?

In this episode of Beyond the Pivot, we talk with Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, co-founder of Africa: The Big Deal and one of the leading analysts tracking startup funding, mobile innovation, and digital transformation across Africa.

Max breaks down the trends behind Africa’s investment landscape, the rise of mobile-first innovation, and why data storytelling is becoming essential for founders, investors, and ecosystem builders.
He also shares what 20 years in mobile tech and development taught him about reading signals, understanding markets, and spotting long-term opportunities in emerging economies.

If you want to understand how mobile, data, and narrative power Africa’s next growth wave, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn:

• The real story behind Africa’s funding trends
• How mobile technology still drives the continent’s biggest innovations
• Why data + narrative shape investor confidence
• How to separate genuine market shifts from hype cycles
• What African founders in smaller markets should focus on
• Why SMEs matter as much as high-growth startups

Links:

• Africa: The Big Deal
• Max Cuvellier Giacomelli
• Beyond the Pivot Learning Hub
• Beyond the Pivot
• BongoHive
• Tamboti Circle

Ways to Work With Us

• Partner, sponsor, or collaborate: www.beyond-pivot.com or through e-mail: [email protected]
• Visit our Learning Hub and Offer it to Your Community: www.beyond-pivot.com/learning-hub

🚀 In this episode of Beyond the Pivot, we sit down with Biola Alabi, a trailblazer who has shaped Africa’s creative industries and is now building bridges into venture capital. From leading M-Net Africa Magic, bringing shows like Sesame Street and Big Brother Africa to millions of homes, to launching Biola Alabi Media and co-founding Acasia Ventures and Delta 40, Biola has moved seamlessly between storytelling, mentorship, and investment.

She opens up about her journey from media to venture capital, the importance of building ecosystems for African founders, and why creativity and capital must go hand in hand.

Biola also shares lessons on failure, resilience, and the unique challenges of raising and deploying capital on the continent while remaining committed to mentoring the next generation of leaders.💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How Biola transitioned from global media leadership to African venture capital

✅ Why creativity and storytelling are powerful tools for investment and entrepreneurship

✅ The role of women investors and leaders in Africa’s startup ecosystem

✅ Lessons from founding Delta 40, backing climate and agriculture-focused startups

✅ How failure and resilience shaped Biola’s perspective on growth and leadership💼 Important Links:

► Delta 40

► Acasia Ventures

► Biola Alabi Media

► Afropolitan

► LinkedIn

► Beyond the Pivot

► BongoHive

► Tamboti Circle

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with African founders, leaders, and investors building the continent’s future.

💬 What part of Biola’s journey inspired you most? Share your thoughts in the comments!

🚀 In this episode of Beyond the Pivot, we sit down with Lulumbi Njelika, founder of Monter Capital, to explore how patient and purpose-driven capital can shape Africa’s future.

With a vision to build a $100M private equity fund, Lulumbi shares his journey from global networks to investing in African businesses, and why governance, patience, and local partnerships are the keys to long-term success.

From Harare roots to building Monter Capital, he explains what it takes to raise and deploy capital in frontier markets, the lessons learned from navigating African economies, and how the Ubuntu philosophy guides his investment approach.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why Africa needs patient and purpose-driven private equity

✅ How Monter Capital is building a $100M fund to back African businesses

✅ The role of governance, trust, and partnerships in investment success

✅ Lessons from Lulumbi’s journey across global networks and African markets

✅ Why Ubuntu and cultural context matter in African investing

💼 Important Links:

► Monter Capital

► LinkedIn

► Beyond the Pivot

► BongoHive

► Tamboti Circle

🔔 Subscribe for more stories from African founders, investors, and innovators driving the continent’s future.

💬 What part of Lulumbi’s story inspired you the most? Drop a comment below.

🚀 In this episode of Beyond the Pivot, we talk with Afshon Wallace, founder and CEO of AfriDelivery, about his journey from chasing KPIs to building a purpose-driven logistics platform in Zambia.

Starting with just two motorbikes, Afshon bootstrapped AfriDelivery into a household name in Zambia, and now he’s focused on expanding across borders with the vision of building the “African DHL.”

Afshon shares candid lessons on growing without outside funding, how purpose replaced vanity metrics as his guiding principle, and why building for impact matters more than chasing short-term wins.

His story is a masterclass in staying mission-driven while scaling a company in a challenging but high-potential environment.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How AfriDelivery scaled from two bikes to a nationwide logistics platform

✅ The realities of bootstrapping in African markets

✅ Why Afshon believes purpose is the ultimate growth driver

✅ The “African DHL” vision and what it takes to get there

✅ Lessons for entrepreneurs building in emerging markets

💼 Important Links:

► AfriDelivery

► LinkedIn

► Beyond the Pivot

► BongoHive

► Tamboti Circle

🔔 Subscribe for more founder stories and startup lessons from across Africa.

In this episode of Beyond the Pivot, we sit down with Cassandra Mtine, CEO of AgriPredict, a Zambian agri-tech company helping farmers make informed decisions through real-time weather alerts, pest detection tools, and market insights.

Cassandra shares how AgriPredict evolved from a hackathon idea into a platform that supports thousands of farmers across Zambia and beyond.

We discuss the challenges of scaling agricultural technology, bridging the gap between digital tools and on-the-ground realities, and why understanding farmers’ contexts is just as important as the tech itself.💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How AgriPredict blends AI, data, and local knowledge to serve farmers✅ Lessons on building trust and adoption in rural communities✅ The business model behind agricultural technology in Africa✅ How partnerships and funding shape growth for early-stage agri-tech✅ Cassandra’s vision for the future of agriculture in Zambia and beyond💼 Important Links:

► AgriPredict► Cassandra Mtine► Beyond the Pivot► BongoHive► Tamboti Circle🔔 Subscribe for more founder stories and startup lessons from across Africa.

🚀 In this episode of Beyond the Pivot, we speak with Nankhonde Kasonde van den Broek, founder of Zanga African Metrics, a Zambian leadership consultancy on a bold mission: to challenge global frameworks and redefine how success is measured in Africa. Through locally rooted data and culturally contextual tools, Zanga is creating an African-born performance index that better reflects the values, behaviors, and leadership norms of the continent.Nankhonde shares how her journey from executive coaching to systems design led to the creation of Zanga, and why African founders, organizations, and investors need new tools to evaluate leadership, performance, and value—on their own terms.💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✅ Why global leadership models fail to reflect African realities✅ How Zanga is using coaching insights to build new measurement systems✅ The importance of grounding success metrics in lived experience and culture✅ What role data and behavior change play in shifting narratives about Africa✅ How Zanga bridges business, psychology, and systems thinking in its methodology💼 Important links mentioned in this episode:► Zanga African Metrics► Nankhonde Kasonde van den Broek► Bongo Hive► Tamboti Circle► Beyond the Pivot🔔 Subscribe for more stories from African founders and thinkers reshaping how the world understands innovation and leadership.💬 What does success mean in your context? Leave a comment and join the conversation.

In this episode of Beyond the Pivot, we sit down with Owen Harmon, co-founder of Gemini Capital Partners in Liberia.

As an early-stage investor focused on local entrepreneurs, Owen shares what makes Liberia’s startup ecosystem unique and what it truly takes to back founders in one of Africa’s most underserved markets.

We explore how Gemini Capital Partners is addressing the funding gap for Liberian startups, why youth-led innovation is critical, and how trust, mentorship, and long-term commitment shape early-stage investing in frontier markets.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why Gemini Capital Partners was founded to support Liberian entrepreneurs

✅ The role of mentorship and trust in early-stage funding

✅ What Owen looks for in founders and scalable business models

✅ How investors can align profit with impact in frontier ecosystems

✅ Why Liberia’s youth are key to driving innovation and growth

💼 Important links mentioned in this episode are:

► Gemini Capital Partners

► Owen Harmon LinkedIn

► Bongo Hive

► Tamboti Circle

► Beyond the Pivot

🔔 Subscribe for more powerful stories from African entrepreneurs and investors shaping the continent’s future.

💬 What surprised you most about Liberia’s startup scene? Let us know in the comments!

🚀 In this episode of Beyond the Pivot, we sit down with Chisepo Chirwa, CEO and co-founder of BOSSO, a Zambian construction-tech startup that’s reinventing how building materials are sourced and delivered.

Launched in 2022, Bosso is building a digital platform that connects hardware suppliers, contractors, and homebuilders, making construction more affordable, transparent, and efficient.

Chisepo shares his journey from policy and development to entrepreneurship, what he’s learned about solving real-world pain points.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How Bosso is simplifying the construction supply chain in Zambia

✅ Why tech alone isn’t enough without solving a real problem

✅ The role of trust, brand, and supplier relationships in early-stage growth

✅ What’s next for Bosso as it scales from Zambia to other countries

✅ What lessons Chisepo learned about navigating customer behavior and product timing

💼 Important links mentioned in this episode:

► Bosso Website

► Chisepo Chirwa

► Beyond the Pivot

► Bongo Hive

► Tamboti Circle

🔔 Subscribe for more founder stories and startup lessons from across Africa

In this episode of Beyond the Pivot, we speak with Francis Stevens George, a leading voice in Sierra Leone’s entrepreneurial development.

As a founder, educator, and ecosystem builder, Francis has spent years empowering young people and pushing for a more practical, mindset-driven approach to business in Sierra Leone.

He shares honest reflections on the gaps in donor-driven programs, the importance of trust in local ecosystems, and why meaningful entrepreneurship must be rooted in local realities, not imported frameworks.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• ✅ Why mindset is the foundation of entrepreneurship

• ✅ How Francis supports youth-led businesses in Sierra Leone
• ✅ The limits of donor programs and imported startup models
• ✅ Why trust and local relevance are essential for startup success
• ✅ How to foster entrepreneurship that actually solves problems

💼 Important links mentioned in this episode are:

• ► Innovation SL: www.innosl.com
• ► Francis Stevens George: www.linkedin.com/in/francis-stevens-george-794bb3
• ► Bongo Hive: bongohive.co.zm
• ► Tamboti Circle: www.tamboticircle.com
• ► Beyond the Pivot: www.beyond-pivot.com

🔔 Subscribe for more success stories from Africa!

🚀 In this powerful episode of Beyond the Pivot, we sit down with Vwanganji Bowa, the inspiring founder and CEO of Mighty Finance, a Zambian fintech company making credit accessible to underserved communities.

Vwanganji shares her remarkable journey from losing her home after a failed first venture to building a thriving digital lending business that now supports thousands of SMEs in Zambia and is expanding to Malawi through her new platform Mama Pay.

With raw honesty, she opens up about the challenges of being a female founder in fintech, navigating regulation, raising capital as an early-stage startup, and turning painful lessons into business success.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How Vwanganji bounced back after losing her house to a bank loan

✅ How Mighty Finance uses data and tech to assess creditworthiness

✅ The role of incubators, accelerators, and the Mandela Washington Fellowship in her growth

✅ The difference between solving a real pain point and building tech for tech’s sake

✅ How Mama Pay is facilitating cross-border payments across the SADC region

✅ The challenges of fundraising and operating in a highly regulated sector

💼 Important links mentioned in this episode are:

► Mighty Finance

► Vwanganji Bowa

► Bongo Hive

► Tamboti Circle

► Beyond the Pivot

🔔 Subscribe for more powerful stories from African founders redefining innovation!

💬 Leave a comment — what part of Vwanganji’s story inspired you the most?