In this episode, we sit down with Pat Mahlangu, award-winning marketer, media entrepreneur, and founder of Pat On Brands. Pat shares his inspiring journey from promoting phones in a mall to leading one of South Africa’s most impactful brand platforms, while championing youth entrepreneurship, African storytelling, and the long game of brand-building.

Highlights

🌍 From Rural Roots to Brand Leader: Pat unpacks how growing up in a small South African town shaped his early drive, and how a simple promotional gig led him to discover his calling in marketing.

📚 Marketing with Purpose: Pat explains how Pat On Brands became a platform—not just a business—enabling thought leadership, youth empowerment, and brand storytelling across the continent.

🏆 The Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards: Discover how Pat created an awards platform that’s now Pan-African, celebrating excellence among young African entrepreneurs while shifting the narrative around youth and innovation.

💡 “Never Average, Always Awesome”: Pat shares the mindset behind his journey, from changing academic paths to starting his own agency, and why chasing awesomeness is more important than chasing money.

🔥 Branding vs. Business: Learn why Pat believes we should build brands—not just businesses—and how branding drives long-term value, identity, and economic impact.

Key Insights

🧠 Branding is a Long-Term Game: Pat reminds entrepreneurs that branding is not a one-time event, but a consistent, creative, and culturally rooted journey.

📖 Storytelling as a Superpower: The best brands connect emotionally. Pat shows how storytelling, especially through African narratives, can differentiate and deepen brand loyalty.

🧱 Build Before You Monetize: With Pat On Brands, he led with value—not profit—building credibility and community before monetization, a powerful model for emerging founders.

🌱 Youth are Africa’s Greatest Asset: Through initiatives like the Top 16 Awards, Pat demonstrates how young people are not just the future—they’re building the present.

💬 Marketing is More Than Pretty Ads: From pricing strategy to positioning, location to perception—Pat makes a case for marketing as a business-critical function, not just a support service.

🌍 Rewriting Africa’s Narrative: Pat argues that Africa must stop blaming, begging, or borrowing—and instead, start branding. Strong African brands are key to economic transformation.

Vision for the Future

Pat Mahlangu envisions an Africa led by powerful homegrown brands—built by young people, rooted in culture, and positioned for global competitiveness. His story is a rallying cry for entrepreneurs and marketers to embrace creativity, consistency, and courage as tools to rebrand the continent.

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In this episode, we sit down with Tinyiko Valoyi—serial entrepreneur, co-founder of Zulzi, and founder of Mavoni Fiber—to unpack his extraordinary journey from software engineer to tech visionary reshaping Africa’s digital economy. Tinyiko shares raw, powerful lessons from building one of South Africa’s most successful quick-commerce platforms and leading a fiber rollout across underserved townships.

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Highlights

🚀 From Software Engineer to Serial Entrepreneur: Tinyiko shares how his passion for tech began at university and how it led to founding and failing early ventures before eventually co-founding Zulzi and Mavoni Fiber.
📉 Lessons from Failure: He recounts a tough but defining chapter—launching an ISP in Ghana with no capital, living in his office basement, and still managing to raise $30M in funding years later.
💡 Zulzi’s Grind to Greatness: From selling textbooks online to becoming Shoprite’s tech partner for the 60/60 app, Donald walks us through how timing, grit, and strategic pivots defined their success.
📡 Fiber for the People: Tinyiko's mission with Mavoni Fiber is to bring high-speed internet to townships and rural communities, using hybrid infrastructure and lean models to scale where others can’t.
🧠 Investor’s Mindset: Now also a VC partner at Chanzo Capital, Tinyiko explains why entrepreneur-led investing is critical to Africa’s startup ecosystem.

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Key Insights

🛠️ Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish: Tinyiko's guiding mantra from Steve Jobs has shaped how he navigates risk, opportunity, and reinvention throughout his entrepreneurial journey.
📊 Preparation Meets Opportunity: Zulzi’s partnership with Shoprite succeeded not just because of vision, but because their product was ready—just in time for 2020’s e-commerce explosion.
👥 Founding Teams Matter: Tinyiko emphasizes how co-founders, complementary skills, and early believers helped keep the vision alive through hard times.
🔥 Grit Over Glamour: From working midnight casino shifts to bootstrapping telecom ventures, Tinyiko's journey is a reminder that entrepreneurship is more sweat than spotlight.
🌍 Pan-African Vision: Having operated in Ghana, South Africa, and across the continent, Tinyiko's playbook is built for scale—driven by a belief that Africa’s hardest problems are also its biggest opportunities.
💰 Smart Capital: As both an entrepreneur and investor, he calls for founders to have “skin in the game” and solve meaningful problems to attract long-term capital.
🔄 Adaptability is Everything: Whether it’s pivoting Zulzi’s business model or engineering new ways to lower fiber costs, Tinyiko's story shows that iteration is the path to breakthrough.

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Vision for the Future
Tinyiko is building toward a future where every African home—no matter the income bracket—has access to affordable, high-speed internet. His story is a masterclass in long-term thinking, bold execution, and doing hard things in hard places.

Whether you’re a startup founder, tech builder, or aspiring investor, this episode is packed with wisdom you won’t find in textbooks.

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In this episode, Julian Kubel and Lebogang Mothibe, co-founders of Butan, share their remarkable journey of building a streetwear brand rooted in African identity. They delve into the challenges of balancing creativity and business, the importance of cultural preservation, and their vision for taking African fashion to the global stage.

Highlights

🌍 Reclaiming Identity Through Fashion: Butan is a rearrangement of the word "Bantu," symbolizing a reclamation of history and a celebration of African heritage.
🎨 Fusing Creativity and Business: Julian and Lebogang explore how engineering, music, and artistry shaped their approach to designing a brand that resonates with the youth.
💡 Learning from Grassroots Entrepreneurship: From selling mixtapes on the streets to launching a fashion label, they share how grassroots experiences informed their entrepreneurial philosophy.
👕 The Art of Subculture: Butan’s designs capture the essence of hip-hop culture and Pan-Africanism, creating a unique identity in the competitive streetwear market.
🎯 Building a Scalable Brand: They emphasize the importance of creating a brand that thrives independently of its founders, focusing on the promise of the product rather than personalities.

Key Insights

🛠️ Creativity in Business: Julian and Lebogang highlight that creativity exists in all aspects of entrepreneurship, from product design to problem-solving.
📊 Grassroots Growth: The duo discusses how starting small and staying connected to their community helped them build a loyal customer base.
👥 Teamwork and Vision: Their partnership exemplifies the power of complementary skills in turning a creative idea into a sustainable business.
🌍 Pan-African Representation: Butan’s Pan-African ethos is reflected in its use of colors, patterns, and storytelling, making it a brand for the continent and beyond.
💡 Sustainability and Legacy: By focusing on scalability and brand longevity, they aim to create a lasting impact that outlives their involvement.

Vision for the Future
Julian and Lebogang envision Butan as more than a fashion brand—it’s a movement that preserves and celebrates African culture through storytelling and design. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a fan of streetwear, this episode will inspire you to blend passion and purpose in everything you do.

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In this episode, Melvyn Lubega, co-founder of GO1 and partner at Breega, shares his remarkable journey of building  South Africa’s first unicorn company. He dives into the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, the lessons learned along the way, and how a commitment to solving African challenges with technology has shaped his career.

Highlights

🌍 Building a Unicorn: Melvyn details how GO1 grew into a $2 billion company, attracting $450M in investment from global giants like Microsoft Ventures and SoftBank.
📈 Scaling with Purpose: From humble beginnings to employing over 800 people globally, Melvyn shares the inflection points that fueled GO1’s growth.
🤝 The Power of Partnerships: Learn why Melvyn believes in co-founders and teamwork as crucial for success in entrepreneurship.
💡 Solving African Problems with Technology: Melvyn discusses his vision of creating businesses that tackle Africa’s unique challenges while generating impact and opportunities.
📚 Lessons in Lifelong Learning: With a strong emphasis on education, Melvyn explains how GO1 is reshaping professional learning worldwide, likening it to a "Spotify for education."
🎯 Preparation Meets Opportunity: Melvyn reveals how being ready for key moments, like pitching to Microsoft, played a pivotal role in securing major investments.

Key Insights

🛠️ Building for Scale: Success doesn’t happen overnight. Melvyn emphasizes the importance of grit, adaptability, and a focus on solving real customer problems to scale a business.
📊 Luck Meets Preparation: While luck can open doors, preparation ensures you’re ready to walk through them. Melvyn highlights how this mindset helped GO1 secure key partnerships and funding.
👥 Co-Founders Matter: Melvyn underscores the value of having co-founders, especially during challenging times, to balance skills and share the load.
🌱 Creating Jobs Through Innovation: With a mission to create 100,000 jobs, Melvyn showcases how businesses can drive social impact alongside profitability.
🌈 Vision for African Entrepreneurship: Melvyn shares his hope for a future where African entrepreneurs create global solutions while championing the continent’s potential.
🧵 Adapting Your Offering: GO1’s shift from providing a learning platform to aggregating world-class content underscores the importance of listening to customers and evolving based on their needs.
📱 The Importance of Marketplaces: By creating a content marketplace, GO1 connected creators and consumers, boosting value for all stakeholders and driving revenue growth.

Vision for the Future
Melvyn Lubega envisions an Africa where technology drives education, opportunity, and impact. His story is a testament to what’s possible when passion, purpose, and preparation align.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a technologist, or someone passionate about Africa’s growth, this episode will leave you inspired and equipped to take bold steps toward your goals. 🎧

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Join us on Season 3 of #ChpterChampions, as we take you on an inspiring journey Down South 🇿🇦. In first episode, Theo Baloyi shares his journey as the founder of Bathu Group, an African footwear brand that has become a symbol of hope and creativity, detailing his path from a South African township to building a globally admired brand. He delves into the challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned while creating a business that embodies African heritage and innovation.

Highlights

🌍 From Township Hustles to Global Recognition: Theo recounts his journey from selling perfumes door-to-door to founding one of Africa’s most admired sneaker brands.
📈 Balancing Corporate Life and Entrepreneurship: He explains how he conducted 18 months of research and development while still working full-time at PwC.
👟 Bathu Shoes: A Brand with a Sole: Theo shares the vision behind Bathu—a sneaker brand that represents African culture and competes on a global scale.
💡 The Science of Money: Theo highlights the importance of understanding financial systems and building an intellectual relationship with money.
🤝 Giving Back to the Community: Driven by gratitude, Theo discusses how Bathu creates jobs and inspires hope in South African communities.
🎨 Designing with African Heritage in Mind: From the brand name to its storytelling, Bathu celebrates African creativity and culture.

Key Insights

🛠️ Sales vs. Branding: Theo emphasizes the need for a strong vision and authentic branding to compete in global markets while ensuring a customer-first approach to drive sales.
📊 Learning from Mistakes: Challenges like navigating corporate exits and overcoming resource limitations taught Theo resilience and strategic thinking.
👥 Building a Dedicated Team: Theo discusses how empowering his team and cultivating a shared vision have been critical to scaling Bathu.
🌱 Impact-Driven Business: Bathu isn’t just a sneaker brand; it’s a platform for creating jobs and uplifting communities, aligning purpose with profit.
🌍 Competing Globally: Theo highlights the lack of African representation in global footwear markets and his mission to change that narrative.
🧵 Creative Control: By designing products rooted in African stories, Bathu stands out in a competitive market while fostering a sense of cultural pride.
📱 Digital and Community Engagement: Leveraging social media and grassroots marketing has been key to building Bathu’s loyal customer base.
🔑 Paying It Forward: Theo’s philosophy of gratitude and giving back to those who supported him has shaped Bathu’s ethos and success.

Vision for the Future
Theo Baloyi envisions Bathu as not just a sneaker brand but a movement that represents Africa’s potential on the global stage. By empowering communities, celebrating African culture, and delivering world-class products, Bathu is a beacon of what African entrepreneurship can achieve.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a sneakerhead, or someone passionate about uplifting communities, Theo's story will inspire you to dream big, act boldly, and make an impact.

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In this episode, Mumbi shares her inspiring journey of founding the Power Learn Project and her ambitious mission to train one million developers across Africa. She discusses the challenges, opportunities, and strategies involved in building a thriving tech ecosystem on the continent.

Highlights

🌍 One Million Developers: Mumbi unveils her vision for training one million developers, explaining how this ambitious goal will create a new wave of tech talent and innovation across Africa.
💡 The Importance of Capacity Building: Mumbi emphasizes the need for targeted training programs that align with market demands, ensuring developers are equipped with relevant skills.
🤝 Partnerships for Impact: Strategic collaborations and partnerships have been essential in subsidizing developer training and making tech education more accessible.
📊 Navigating Challenges: Mumbi shares the obstacles faced, from bureaucracy to funding gaps, and her solutions for overcoming them to achieve tech empowerment.
🎓 Empowering the Youth: Through Power Learn Project, Mumbi is committed to providing young people across Africa with the skills and opportunities needed to succeed in the digital economy.
🚀 Scaling Across Borders: Mumbi discusses the expansion of her developer training program beyond Kenya to 52 countries, highlighting the global demand for tech skills from Africa.
🛠️ Innovative Curriculum: The Power Learn Project’s adaptive training model focuses on market-relevant skills and practical learning, positioning graduates for success in the global tech landscape.

Key Insights
👩🏾‍💻 Building a Developer Pipeline: Mumbi’s mission to train one million developers underscores the need for a structured approach to tech education, addressing both local and global skill shortages.
💼 Partnership Power: Collaborating with businesses and institutions can lower costs and enhance the reach of tech education initiatives, making them more accessible to underserved communities.
🚧 Resilience in the Face of Challenges: Mumbi’s experience reveals that persistence and adaptability are crucial when navigating complex challenges like funding gaps and regulatory hurdles.
🌐 A Vision for a Digital Africa: Mumbi envisions a future where Africa is not just a consumer of technology but a leading producer, fueled by a robust ecosystem of skilled developers.
🧑🏿‍🎓 Youth as Catalysts of Change: By empowering the youth with tech skills, Mumbi aims to foster a generation of innovators who will shape Africa’s digital future.
📈 Scaling Impact: The success of Power Learn’s training programs across multiple countries demonstrates the potential for African talent to compete and thrive on a global scale.
🏗️ Creating an Inclusive Tech Ecosystem: Mumbi emphasizes the importance of an inclusive approach to developing tech talent, ensuring opportunities for all, regardless of background.

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In this episode, Abraham Mbuthia, the visionary founder of Uzapoint and MyZola, shares his inspiring journey from tech enthusiast to a fintech trailblazer, dedicated to empowering SMEs across Africa. Discover how his passion for innovative solutions has fueled Uzapoint’s rapid rise, revolutionizing the way small and medium enterprises manage and grow their businesses.

Highlights:

🌟 Uzapoint’s innovative platform offers seamless business management solutions, empowering SMEs to overcome unique challenges and achieve sustainable growth.

🚀 Abraham’s unwavering belief in the potential of SMEs drives Uzapoint’s mission to streamline operations, optimize workflows, and enhance profitability for businesses across Africa.

🏆 Award-winning entrepreneur, recognized as one of the most influential young Kenyans in science and technology, shares his strategies for success.

📈 Uzapoint’s rapid expansion is a testament to the power of combining technology with a deep understanding of market needs.

🤖 Embracing technology and data-driven solutions, Uzapoint is redefining how SMEs operate in today’s competitive landscape.

💡 Abraham’s journey is filled with lessons on innovation, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of growth and impact.

Key Insights:

🛠️ Technology as an Enabler: Abraham underscores the importance of technology in driving efficiency and productivity for SMEs. By providing digital tools tailored to their unique needs, Uzapoint empowers businesses to thrive amidst challenges.

📊 Learning from Experience: Abraham’s journey showcases how embracing both successes and failures is vital. His experience with Uzapoint highlights the importance of adaptability, perseverance, and constant iteration in the entrepreneurial world.

👥 Empowering SMEs: A core tenet of Uzapoint’s mission is to provide SMEs with the tools they need to succeed. From inventory management to financial tracking, Abraham discusses how tailored solutions can bridge gaps and unlock potential.

🌍 Vision for the Future: Abraham envisions a future where SMEs have the same opportunities and tools as larger enterprises. He is dedicated to creating a level playing field, fostering innovation, and driving economic growth across the continent.

🔍 Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging data analytics, Uzapoint helps SMEs make informed decisions, optimize resources, and anticipate market trends, enabling them to stay ahead in a competitive market.

📱 Building a Digital Ecosystem: Abraham highlights the need for a robust digital ecosystem that connects businesses, streamlines operations, and creates new growth avenues. Uzapoint is at the forefront of this digital transformation.

🚀 Inspiring the Next Generation: Abraham’s story is not just about business success but also about inspiring future entrepreneurs to think big, embrace technology, and create meaningful impact.

Dive into this episode to learn from Abraham Mbuthia’s incredible journey and discover how Uzapoint is reshaping the future of SMEs in Africa.

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In this episode, Umesh Bhojwani, founder of Vision Plus, shares his inspiring journey in building a Kenyan electronics brand from the ground up. Umesh reflects on the early challenges, the importance of customer satisfaction, and the dynamic strategies that led Vision Plus to become a top-selling brand in Kenya.

Highlights:

🌟 Vision Plus was born from the desire to create a local brand that could stand toe-to-toe with international competitors.
🔄 A bold decision to replace defective products rather than repair them created trust and customer loyalty.
📈 In less than a year, Vision Plus climbed to become the top-selling brand on Jumia through strategic pricing and partnerships.
💪 Umesh’s hands-on approach saw him play multiple roles—from delivery boy to brand owner—to keep the business afloat.
🏗️ Embracing vertical integration, Vision Plus aims to bring more of its production processes in-house to reduce costs and improve quality.
🛍️ The rise of e-commerce has shifted buyer behavior, making it crucial to stay competitive on price and product knowledge.

Key Insights:

🛠️ Customer Obsession: Prioritizing customer satisfaction, even if it means higher upfront costs, can lead to long-term success and loyalty.
🚀 Strategic Pricing: Leveraging price competitiveness on online marketplaces like Jumia helped Vision Plus achieve rapid growth and market penetration.
🏢 Hands-On Leadership: Umesh’s direct involvement in every aspect of the business helped navigate early challenges and set a strong foundation.
🔄 Vertical Integration: Moving towards in-house production helps Vision Plus control quality, reduce costs, and innovate faster.
📊 Adaptability: In a market with informed buyers, staying agile and responsive to market needs is key.
📱 Digital Dominance: Leveraging online platforms and e-commerce is essential for expanding reach and maintaining a competitive edge.

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In this episode, Avril, renowned Kenyan singer and entrepreneur, shares her journey from the music stage to the business world with her wellness brand, My Everything. Avril opens up about the challenges of balancing a thriving music career while building a brand that reflects her passion for health and beauty.

Highlights

🌟 Reinvention: Avril discusses the importance of constantly reinventing herself, both in her music career and entrepreneurial ventures, ensuring every year is a chapter of success.

🎶 Musical Evolution: From physical CDs to digital streaming, Avril reflects on how she adapted to the changing music industry, using technology to reach her audience and maintain relevance.

💡 Visionary Entrepreneurship: The creation of My Everything during the pandemic was a leap from dream to reality, blending Avril’s passion for wellness with her background in product design.

🧠 Mindset & Vision: Avril emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision for her business and staying true to it, even when faced with differing opinions.

🧪 From Idea to Product: Avril delves into the journey of turning her wellness ideas into tangible products, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of product development.

Key Insights

🌱 Reinvention & Growth: Avril’s approach to treating each year as a new chapter of success illustrates the importance of continuous growth and adaptation in both music and business.

📈 Technology in Music & Business: Embracing new technologies has been crucial in Avril’s success, from leveraging social media in her music career to utilizing innovative techniques in product development.

💪 Entrepreneurial Vision: Having a clear, unwavering vision is essential in entrepreneurship. Avril’s focus on her goals helped her navigate the complexities of launching a brand while staying true to her values.

🧠 Learning from Challenges: Avril’s journey from ideation to creating My Everything demonstrates how learning from challenges can lead to stronger, more resilient business practices.

📱 Digital Presence: Just as she harnessed social media to propel her music, Avril uses digital platforms to build and promote her brand, connecting with her audience on a personal level.

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In this episode, Dan Aceda, founder of SemaBox, shares the highs and lows of navigating the podcast production industry in Kenya. From landing an unexpected 80K contract to facing the challenges of being underprepared, Dan dives deep into the realities of entrepreneurship and the lessons learned along the way.

Highlights:

🌟 SemaBox’s early struggle with a complex 80K project highlights the importance of readiness and resource management in business growth.

📈 The critical role of preparation in handling large-scale contracts is emphasized, showcasing how lack of gear, knowledge, and team can impact project outcomes.

🤝 The importance of team-building is underscored as Dan reflects on the need for support in managing demanding projects.

💡 Learning from setbacks, such as overextending oneself, shaped better business practices and strategies at SemaBox.

💼 Dan discusses the steep learning curve in the industry and how these experiences have driven the evolution of SemaBox into a more resilient and capable production house.

Key Insights:

🛠️ Preparedness vs. Opportunity: Understanding the balance between seizing opportunities and ensuring you have the necessary resources is crucial. A well-prepared approach can make or break a project.

📊 Learning from Challenges: Mistakes are inevitable in entrepreneurship. Dan’s journey shows that reflecting on these experiences fosters growth and leads to more sustainable business practices.

👥 Importance of a Strong Team: Building a capable team is essential for handling large projects. Dan’s experience highlights how having the right support can alleviate pressure and lead to better outcomes.

🌱 Continuous Learning: The importance of ongoing education and upskilling in entrepreneurship is evident in Dan’s story, emphasizing the need to evolve alongside your business.

🌍 Vision for the Future: Dan shares his vision for SemaBox, focusing on refining processes and expanding capabilities to handle more complex projects in the future.

🧠 Mental Health: The episode also touches on the significance of self-care and mental health, especially in high-pressure environments. Dan’s experience underscores the importance of rest and balance in maintaining long-term success.

📱 Digital Evolution: In a rapidly changing digital landscape, Dan reflects on how SemaBox is adapting to new technologies and trends to stay ahead in the industry.

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