"You cannot do it in the US. You cannot do it in Europe. It's too saturated, but you can still do it in Africa."

Olivier Madiba is the founder of Kiro'o Games, the first video game studio in Cameroon and the first Africa-based studio to release a game on Xbox. He tells Claude why Africans have different ideas of success and what that means for video games; how low revenue doesn't necessarily translate to low profits; and what Africa can teach the modern world about the pricelessness of imperfection.

Plus: Why being an imperfect human is a superpower.

🌟 IN THIS EPISODE:

1.45 African vision of success VS Western vision of success

3.28 The maturity and immaturity of the African gaming market

5.33 The difficulty "black" games face

8.11 The universal questions good games should ask

9.57 Why low revenue doesn't mean low profits

12.54 What to do when no one wants to invest

15.10 The problems with Cameroonian education

17.39 How the US and YALI gave him a new perspective

21.28 Why industrialization won't save Africa

24.33 The one thing that's overlooked when it comes to unlocking Africa's limitless potential

27.13 What Africa can teach the world

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"Where the market is not mature yet, at least from a point of execution, but not from a point of intention, is the monetization."

"Low revenue don't mean low profits."

" I am tired of this world of defining my destiny for me. I will fight and I will create my own road."

"In Africa, success is based on human relationships."

"By combining our imperfection, we can build the perfect thing."

🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA

The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity

Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans

Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential

➕ WANT MORE?

How Africa is transforming video gaming - listen to the 15-minute episode https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-africa-is-transforming-video-gaming/id1629452950?i=1000727824935

How to invest in Africa, with VC founder Maya Horgan Famodu https://trueafrica.co/article/limitless/foreign-aid-has-fuelled-corruption-dependence-weak-governance/

💗 LOVE THIS EPISODE?

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts

Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out

Share with someone passionate about gaming and storytelling in Africa

🚀 Follow Limitless Africa

Instagram: @_trueafrica

Website: https://trueafrica.co/

Substack: https://claudegrunitzky.substack.com/

Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"One of the greatest challenges we face as African gamers has always been the right representation."

The video game industry in the United States is bigger than Hollywood and the music industry combined. But Africa? Africa is the fastest-growing gaming market in the world, six times the global average. In this episode of Limitless Africa, hosts Claude Grunitzky and Dimpho Lekgeu meet with African gaming leaders and American investors who are betting big on the continent’s youth, talent, and mobile-first habits. From Grammy-winning rapper Nas to Silicon Valley giants like Google and Andreessen Horowitz, US backers are helping African studios like Carry1st scale. But it’s not just about growth. It’s also about representation. With insights from Dom Eromosele of Carry1st and Jay Shapiro of Pan Africa Gaming Group, we explore how collaboration between Africa and America could create a powerful and secure future for global gaming.

Plus: The old school hip hop legend investing in African gaming.

🌟 IN THIS EPISODE:

1.20 Why GTA is so good

2.50 How gaming is bigger than Hollywood

3.35 Incredible growth of African players

4.15 The US companies investing in African gaming

5.35 The challenges of the African industry

6.35 More internet smartphones in Africa than in US, Mexico and Canada.

7.50 What America can bring to Africa beyond $

10.15 How Africans are changing gaming globally

11.35 How truly international competitions will drive gaming

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"When you combine the youngest continent in the world and the fastest growing gaming markets in the world, you essentially just have the next frontier for the explosion of games.”

"What's really interesting is that Africa has 1000s of years of history of amazing stories and legends that have just never been told."

"There's really an opportunity for African diaspora who are working in the gaming industry in America, to potentially come home and be those mentors and be the voices of wisdom."

"Mobile gaming is only set to grow."

🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA

The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity

Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans

Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential

➕ WANT MORE?

Solve unemployment in Africa through entertainment - the interview with Yellowstar icon Denim Richards https://trueafrica.co/article/limitless/the-quickest-way-to-solve-unemployment-in-africa-for-me-is-through-entertainment-actor-denim-richards-on-the-african-film-industry/

💗 LOVE LIMITLESS AFRICA?

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts

Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out

Share with someone passionate about video games

🚀 FOLLOW LIMITLESS AFRICA

Instagram: @_trueafrica

Website: https://trueafrica.co/

Substack: https://claudegrunitzky.substack.com/

Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"It's a sin that basketball is a multi-billion dollar business across the globe... everywhere except where the largest talent base exists."

Michael Finley is senior director and country operations lead for the NBA in Kenya. He's part of the team behind the Basketball Africa League (BAL) a professional league based on the continent. The league's fifth season featured 156 players from a record 28 countries. Claude talks to him about how something so uniquely American has made such a strong impact in Africa.

Plus: Walk around New York today with BAL merch and people will come up to you.

🌟 IN THIS EPISODE:

1.53 NBA's presence in Africa

4.07 From Georgia, America to Nairobi, Kenya

6.14 The greatest moments for an African basketball fan

9.50 The legacy of John Thompson

11.50 How African players are making their presence felt in the NBA

14.15 How basketball plays well on social media

17.20 How the US government got involved

21.34 BAL Season 5: was it a success?

23.25 Is BAL financially viable?

26.00 The example of NBA expansion in China

28.13 BAL in the USA

30.30 NBA's role as soft power

32.18 How, why, what: call to action for investors

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"If the infrastructure for basketball was anywhere near what it's like in America, Africans would dominate the NBA."

"Africa is the largest talent pool on this planet for basketball."

"In Africa, it's a long game and it's a numbers game."

"This is the time to find places to invest and be a part of the wave."

"Basketball will be a multi-million dollar industry on this continent in the coming years."

🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA

The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity

Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans

Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential

➕ WANT MORE?

How Africa is basketball’s next big business move - the 15m episode with Amadou Fall, NBA Africa President https://trueafrica.co/article/limitless/why-nba-africa-means-business/

How to invest in Africa, with VC founder Maya Horgan Famodu https://trueafrica.co/article/limitless/foreign-aid-has-fuelled-corruption-dependence-weak-governance/

💗 LOVE THIS EPISODE?

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts

Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out

Share with someone passionate about sport in Africa

🚀 Follow Limitless Africa

Instagram: @_trueafrica

Website: https://trueafrica.co/

Substack: https://claudegrunitzky.substack.com/

Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Africa is the largest talent pool on this planet for basketball."

Africa is rising as a new powerhouse for global basketball — not just for talent, but for business. In this episode of Limitless Africa, hosts Claude Grunitzky and Dimpho Lekgeu explore how the NBA and African investors are building an entire sports economy from the ground up. From the success of the Basketball Africa League to the long-term investments from NBA Africa, this is more than entertainment. It is infrastructure, opportunity, and future growth. You’ll hear from Amadou Gallo Fall, President of the Basketball Africa League; Michael Finley of NBA Kenya; and Ndeye Diarra, founder of Africa Scores, a sports investment consultancy. They discuss how American capital is merging with African vision to build new leagues, open offices, and create jobs on the continent. This episode dives deep into the economics of basketball, the global influence of African athletes, and why patient capital is key to unlocking Africa’s sports industry.

🌟 IN THIS EPISODE:

1.03 The best African basketball players of all time.

2.45 The current crop of African players

3.25 The basketball crime

5.20 NBA's history on the continent

6.45 NBA as economic growth engine

7.28 The NBA's long game in Africa

9.45 Athletes become business moguls

10.45 Serena Williams' investment in Africa

12.05 Why you need to understand Africa now

14.00 How to become a star on the continent.

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"If you want to invest in sports in Africa, you have to be patient."

"In 25 years, 25% of the world population will be African."

"I don't have to be a superstar that goes overseas. I can become a star on this continent."

🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA

The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity

Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans

Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential

➕ WANT MORE?

Can the Basketball Africa League take off - Limitless Africa Season 1 https://trueafrica.co/article/limitless/can-the-basketball-africa-league-take-off/

💗 LOVE LIMITLESS AFRICA?

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts

Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out

Share with someone passionate about basketball

🚀 FOLLOW LIMITLESS AFRICA

Instagram: @_trueafrica

Website: https://trueafrica.co/

Substack: https://claudegrunitzky.substack.com/

Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Either leave Africa alone or come with a sustainable business model in mind."

Maya Horgan Famodu is the founder and CEO of Ingressive Capital, a venture capital fund focused on Africa. She raised over $10 million dollars for her first fund in 2020 and has since gone on to raise over $50 million for Fund 2. Maya wrote an article earlier this year called "The Hidden Benefits of Trump's Aid Policy for Africa" for the website TechCabal. Claude talks to her about how foreign aid encourages corruption, dependence, weak governance. And they discuss a different paradigm for Africa, one where investment fuels innovation, employment, self-reliance and some of the most successful start-ups the world will ever see.

Plus: Why start-up founders would never join Boko Haram.

🌟 IN THIS EPISODE:

2.20 How Maya ended up launching a $10 million venture capital fund

5.10 Why scrapping USAID could be a good thing

10.40 Westerners' different attitude to foreign aid

15.50 How African businesses are self funding from launch to exit

17:50 The staggering amount of money lost to corruption in Africa

18.10 The staggering amount of money generated by VC in Africa

21.45 Why it takes a village to raise an African start-up

25.00 Why Africa could be a safer space for your money

26.35 How to defeat Boko Haram

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"The aid cuts are going to influence and pressure African nations to work together to improve accountability and financial discipline."

"The majority of the pushback that I received from that article came from foreign individuals, not Africans."

"From our own portfolio of 26 companies, likely half will exit."

"It's the Wild West and it's an interesting place to do business"

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Learn more about Maya's story and her view on the African VC scene in Season 2: https://trueafrica.co/article/limitless/it-wasnt-just-an-overnight-thing-seeds-were-planted-maya-horgan-famodu/

The Hidden Benefits of Trump's Aid Policy for Africa in TechCabal https://techcabal.com/2025/03/14/trump-aid-africa/

🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA

The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity

Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans

Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential

➕ WANT MORE?

Yellowstone actor Denim Richards on launching a media empire in Botswana https://trueafrica.co/article/limitless/the-quickest-way-to-solve-unemployment-in-africa-for-me-is-through-entertainment-actor-denim-richards-on-the-african-film-industry/

💗 LOVE THIS EPISODE?

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts

Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out

Share with someone passionate about entrepreneurship in Africa

🚀 Follow Limitless Africa

Instagram: @_trueafrica

Website: https://trueafrica.co/

Substack: https://claudegrunitzky.substack.com/

Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Africa does not need pity. It needs partners.”

The first episode of Limitless Africa Season 3 dives into the U.S. State Department’s new commercial strategy for Africa and what it means for industries such as sports, film, music, logistics, and technology. The conversation uncovers why Africa is now seen as the world’s largest untapped market, how collaboration can spark innovation, and what it takes to turn goodwill into lasting economic impact. If you want to understand how trade, creativity, and bold thinking are shaping Africa’s future on the global stage, this is the episode to start with.

🌟 IN THIS EPISODE:

1.50 Americans and South Africans want the same things

2.10 America's new diplomatic strategy

3.25 Why you have to start understanding Africa now

4.05 How America is investing in Africa

5.18 How Claude launched a media platform and sold it to Americans for millions

6.45 Low-hanging fruit on the continent

8.05 Investing in Africa isn't scary

9.40 The power of the American mindset

11.45 America's new policy is a double-edged sword

12.35 How other superpowers compare

13.45: The business of America is business

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"It’s no longer about donor dynamics. It’s about mutual growth."

"Africa’s creative economy is growing faster than almost anywhere else."

"Many Africans can do business like the Americans do and make a lot of money."

"There’s no line of migrants at the Chinese border."

"The future of Africa — and the future of global business — are intertwined."

🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA

The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity

Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans

Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential

➕ WANT MORE?

"Foreign aid has fuelled corruption, dependence, weak governance" - Interview with venture capitalist Maya Horgan Famodu https://trueafrica.co/article/limitless/foreign-aid-has-fuelled-corruption-dependence-weak-governance/

💗 LOVE LIMITLESS AFRICA?

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts

Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out

Share with someone passionate about African development

🚀 FOLLOW LIMITLESS AFRICA

Instagram: @_trueafrica

Website: https://trueafrica.co/

Substack: https://claudegrunitzky.substack.com/

 Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maya Horgan Famodu is the founder of Ingressive Capital, the venture capital fund investing in early-stage African start-ups. She has advised American tech companies like Facebook, X and the iconic accelerator Y Combinator. Maya is one of a new generation of African Americans who see their mixed background as a superpower and expertly straddle what it means to be both American and Nigerian.

[0.00] Intro [4.02] What it means to be a third-culture kid [7.09] Ageist and sexist attitudes in Nigeria [10.13] Hanging out with Drake [16.31] How Andela's success inspired her [19.05] Why success is never an overnight thing [20.40] Years spent convincing the most influential corporations and venture capital funds to go to Africa [22.20] How to sell Africa [30.10] How to find an alternative to the anchor investor  [36.29] How to identify great entrepreneurs and start-ups on the continent [39.30] How the village mentality fosters the African start-up ecosystem [43.05] Stereotypes hindering investment [47.02] Healthcare start-ups and opportunities for investment [51.11] A decade in Lagos.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Africa has the youngest population in the world, 70% are under the age of 30. For this episode of Limitless Africa, we’re talking to Generation Z - that’s young people born between 1997 and 2012 - and we’re asking them what they want for Africa.

Elisa Jamal is 25 and from Mozambique. She campaigns against violence against women. 

Hadidjatou Nene Sandou Yaya is a 25-year-old climate activist from Togo.

23-year-old Jeremiah Thoronka from Sierra Leone founded a clean energy startup. 

They are all Young African Leaders in the Mandela Washington Fellowship program.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.