For decades, many African coffee producers have occupied an uncomfortable position in the global value chain: essential to the product, yet largely invisible to the end buyer.

The coffee may originate from their farms. The quality may depend on their knowledge, labour and environment. Yet much of the branding, customer relationship and value capture happens further downstream.

But what happens when producers begin telling their own stories, building direct relationships with buyers and becoming visible in the markets they serve?

That is the question at the heart of my latest MarTech Unravelled conversation with Dr. Nicole Motteux, Programme Implementation Specialist and Sustainable Coffee Advocate.

And although our conversation focuses heavily on coffee, its implications extend far beyond agriculture.

It is ultimately a conversation about agency, trust and market access — and the increasingly important role digital tools play in all three.

Canva has long been known for making design more accessible. But with its expansion into Africa and a dedicated local presence on the continent, its ambition is becoming much bigger than design.

Canva is increasingly positioning itself as a design, AI and productivity platform that can support how African businesses, educators, creators and everyday users communicate, collaborate and create value.

To unpack this, I sat down with Farai Ntuli, Head of Partnerships for Canva Africa, for the latest episode of MarTech Unravelled.

Our conversation explored what Canva's Africa strategy looks like in practice, from localization and education to SME productivity, creator opportunities and community-led adoption.

55% of CIOs surveyed at a recent CIO Summit held in Kenya said their biggest concern was how to identify the best first steps and use cases for AI in their organisations. 6% were concerned about talent, while another 6% were concerned about tools. The remaining 33% highlighted the need to effectively estimate the cost and resources needed to launch AI initiatives. To unpack this more, my guest, Timothy Laku, AI Transformation Partner and a seasoned tech professional with over 20 years of hands-on experience throughout the large technological shifts, sat with me to delve into "The State of AI Adoption in Business".

Africa's Gen Z and Gen Alpha are often described as "the future." But that framing misses what is already happening. Across the continent, the youth are actively reshaping how markets function, how culture evolves, and how institutions are held accountable. Their influence is not emerging — it is already embedded in how Africa operates today.

Representing over 75% of the population, this generation is often misunderstood. Their boldness can feel disruptive, even uncomfortable. But what we are witnessing is not audacity for its own sake — it is a renegotiation of power: who gets to create, who gets to participate, and who gets to decide.

For brands, development partners, and policymakers, the opportunity is not simply to understand this generation — it is to co-create with them.In a recent episode of MarTech Unravelled, I hosted the team from Reel Analytics to unpack their foresight study, The Next Billion Voices. I was joined by Christopher Anuro, Research Manager, and Jasmine Otieno, Research Assistant, who walked through a research approach grounded in ethnography, digital diaries, and foresight labs — designed to capture lived realities, not polished narratives.What emerged from the study is not a set of trends, but a series of market signals — early indicators of deeper structural shifts shaping Africa's consumer and civic future.

Today's episode of MarTech Unravelled podcast looks at the world of AdTech - what it is vis a vis MarTech, challenges in driving ROI in emerging markets and the talent requirements to serve an ever changing consumer landscape. 

Our guest for this episode is a seasoned advertising executive with over 20 years experience working at the intersection of marketing, technology and business. Stanislas Martins is the Managing Director for West Africa at Aleph, a global digital media sales powerhouse. In this role, he oversees the company's operations and growth across platforms such as X, Spotify, Snapchat, Pinterest, Taboola, and Audiomack across West Africa. 

His career includes leadership roles at Meta SSA, Jumia, and Insight Publicis. Stanislas is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) UK and the President of the Association of Digital Marketing Professionals of Nigeria (ADMARP).

On the third episode of Season 2, Namrata Sinha VP of Digital Business and D2C at BSH Appliances, a subsidiary of Robert Bosch Group based in Germany, graced the podcast to talk about "Winning Customers in Long Cycle Industries". She is a passionate Consumer Marketing & Digital Transformation leader with over 15+ years of experience driving digital-first engagement strategy and optimizing consumer lifecycle experiences.

Namrata has worked in Consumer Goods, Technology, Banking, and Automotive sectors leading Consumer Experience Journeys, Direct to Consumer eCommerce, Go-to-Market strategies, Performance Marketing, and Digital Innovations. She champions Data–driven Marketing and Consumer Experiences.

Is the role of the CMO changing or have some CMOs lost sight of the basics? We tackled this topic with Dr Mzamo Masito, a seasoned brand and business executive, currently the Africa Regional Lead for Canva and the immediate former CMO for Google Africa. Dr Masito has over 27 years of experience in technology, telecommunications, sport and consumer goods. His illustrious global career has seen him hold various positions including VP Brand Building at Unilever, Chief Brand Officer at Nike Africa where he successfully led the brand positioning for the 2010 World Cup, Marketing Executive at Vodacom Africa and Global Head of Brand Engagement at Vodafone. His ultimate mission is to "Democratize Opportunity and increase Transcendence for Every African"

In recent months, a discussion on how CMO roles are evolving given the rise of data, tech and AI has been trending. In addition, the notion that some CMOs have lost their essence/effectiveness as storytellers and brand custodians let alone lost credibility in the C-suite.

Opening the second season of MarTech Unravelled is Jason Masai Head of Product - Digital at M-Pesa Africa. We open this season talking about Product Management: The Glue of Great Digital Products. This discussion is timely in an emerging market like Kenya and Africa as a whole where digital transformation is accelerating across all sectors.

Jason Masai is a digital transformation leader working at the intersection of Technology, Customer, Business, and Design. His career spans over 17+ years in Banking,Telco and Fintech with experience in leveraging technology to drive a competitive advantage for organizations through innovation while delivering customer value.

At M-Pesa Africa he is leading the digital transformation of M-Pesa across the continent, by offering innovative solutions on the M-Pesa super app across 6 markets.

On this week's episode of MarTech Unravelled, I hosted Susan Gatura to walk us through the topic of the day "Making Sense of Data in MarTech". Susan is a data leader, mentor, and advocate for nurturing the next generation of data professionals in Africa. She founded Phoenix KE Analytics, a thriving data community that empowers aspiring and established data professionals through mentorship, skills development, and networking opportunities. With a background in finance and a self-taught journey into data, Susan is currently a Senior Analytics Specialist at MultiChoice Group. She has been recognized as a Top 40 Under 40 Woman in Kenya, shortlisted as DataIQ Data Champion, a finalist for the WomenTech Global Community Award, and been included in the 50 Inspiring Women in Tech in Africa 2023.

Our conversation covered:

• Susan's unconventional journey into data
• Misconceptions around the data profession
• The data ecosystem and various roles available
• Recommendations for marketers on an underutilised tool
• Data Storytelling
• Data Privacy
• How to keep pace in an ever evolving technology and data landscape

Global Marketing Executive Nneka Keshi is our guest on this week's episode of the MarTech Unravelled Podcast.  Our topic for the day was "Digital Marketing: The lifeline for small business."  Small businesses account for over 70% of employment across the African continent making them an economic driving force, however several barriers stifle their growth. 

Nneka Keshi is a dynamic and accomplished Global Digital Marketing Executive with over 19 years of international experience in brand and digital marketing. As a thought leader in the industry, she has excelled in strategy, customer acquisition, omnichannel marketing, media planning, and business development. She has consistently demonstrated her ability to drive growth and innovation through marketing.  Nneka's extensive experience cuts across the USA, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.  With experience working at global brands like Microsoft, L'Oreal to name a few.