During this episode I spoke to Mwiya Musokotwane, Co-Managing Partner, Co-Founder and CEO of Thebe Investment Management, a Zambian private investment firm building the new satellite town Nkwashi, one of Africa’s largest real estate development projects. 

Mwiya was acknowledged as one of Africa’s brightest leaders in the 2018 Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list, co-created the Zambia Technology Sector Working Group and is helping pioneer his country’s status as a local innovation and tech hub, an initiative backed by Etherum Founder Vitalik Buterin. 

During out chat, Mwiya and I discussed why Africa’s story for the next decade is going to be one of urbanisation, where Zambia’s best and brightest are today, why potential for impact is higher in Africa and how the continent’s future will be determined by self-sufficiency and what Africa can do for itself.

Timecodes:

3:22 What you need to know about Zambia’s economy today 

9:48 Becoming Africa’s next tech and innovation destination: social stability, tax incentives and simplified immigration status

17:21 Where are Zambia’s best and brightest right now? 

22:21 There’s still a lot to be built. Why potential for impact is higher in Africa.

25:19 Why Africa’s story today is going to be one of urbanisation 

29:31 Why the AfCFTA won’t work without sufficient infrastructure and tech businesses are under hyped

34:48 About local business etiquette: “I’ve never been to a Zambian meeting where people say no”

37:39 No space for pity and no charity case: why Africa’s future will depend on what it can do for itself