Africa’s aviation story right now? Two sides of the same coin.

Demand is soaring. A continent of over 1.4 billion people, fast-growing cities, and limited transport alternatives means air travel isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.

African airlines face some of the highest operating costs in the world, fragmented airspace, strict visa regimes, and limited connectivity. 

Yet change is in the air.

African passengers are more informed, more demanding, and less loyal to national carriers — pushing airlines to improve reliability and deliver real value.

The question now: can Africa turn rising demand into sustainable growth — or will the same headwinds continue to ground the industry?

Across the continent, startups are developing intelligent tools, talent is growing, and innovation is accelerating. But funding gaps, weak infrastructure, and limited policy support still hold many founders back.

Right now, most investors are focused on fintech and logistics — not artificial intelligence. And many governments still see AI as a future issue, not an economic priority.

Yet globally, we’ve seen how fast things can change. When OpenAI accelerated AI adoption, investment and policy quickly followed.

Amadou Daffe CEO of Gebeya joins us for this episode 

Africa’s competitiveness in 2026 hinges on making the AfCFTA real for small and mid‑sized businesses, not just the big corporates. That means cutting red tape, simplifying compliance, and reducing trade friction so entrepreneurs can spend less time navigating bureaucracy and more time scaling across borders.

Minister Ahmed Shide Mohamed from Ethiopia ,Angela Oduor Lungati from Kenya and Minister , Yusuf Maitama Tuggar from Nigeria discuss the risks 

if we overload AfCFTA with agendas it wasn’t designed for  we stall execution. 

The African Trade Report 2025 shows that social enterprises are a core part of Africa’s economy. Across the continent, there are over 2.18 million social enterprises creating tens of millions of jobs and contributing up to 3% of Africa’s GDP.

What stands out is who is driving this growth. Nearly half of these enterprises are led by women, and a third by young people. These leaders are not just building businesses, they are creating jobs for women and youth in their communities.

The report also highlights a major challenge. More than 55% of social enterprises struggle to access financing, caught in a middle funding gap. Unlocking patient, flexible capital and supportive policies will be critical if Africa is to fully harness the power of social enterprises.

In this episode of "Meet the CEO," we welcome Amadou Daffe, CEO and Co-Founder of Gebeya. 

Get ready for an engaging discussion that explores the impact of AI on the African continent. Amadou doesn't shy away from conversations about policy and regulation—Is now the right time to start mapping those out?

We also delve into talent retention and what support for African startups should look like.

Ethiopia’s message is clear: Africa’s youth jobs crisis is not about lack of labor or ambition — it’s about the high cost of doing business. Unreliable energy, logistics bottlenecks, and expensive production prevent firms from expanding and hiring at scale.

Minister of Finance in Ethiopia  Ahmed Shide says Jobs are already coming from three areas: agri-food value chains, light manufacturing and industrial parks, and fast-growing urban services.

Uganda’s digital finance space is shifting fast — from closed systems to open banking. Banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators are realizing they can’t thrive alone, as the national switch and mobile money tax debates reshape how Ugandans move money.

As artificial intelligence reshapes the global economy, Africa faces a defining moment.

The continent is producing world-class tech talent — but without fast-growing local AI companies, that talent will continue to be absorbed elsewhere, driving a new era of brain drain.

This conversation is not just about innovation, but about infrastructure: building companies, creating career pathways, and ensuring AI education shifts from memorization to practical skills in robotics, agents, and real-world problem-solving.

Amadou Daffe, Ceo and Co-founder of Gebeya joins us 

Africa’s banking sector is also seeing increased mergers and acquisitions, as institutions strategically position themselves to capture growth in high-potential regional markets. 

These moves reflect a broader shift toward stronger, more competitive financial ecosystems across the continent. 

This episode with Anthony Kirui is the Head of Global Markets at Absa Bank, explores mergers and  Acquisitions in the African Banking sector and also explores, in part, the credit rating conversation on the continent.