The BongoHive Podcast

In the final episode of Season 2, we pick up on the conversation about entrepreneurship and tech hubs in Africa. What do tech hubs provide entrepreneurs and how can they continue to support the startup ecosystem? How do tech hubs function, and what support do they need to continue to function? Our guests, Martin Labbé from the UN International Trade Centre (ITC), and hub leaders CK Japheth and Aziz Sy, weigh in.

Guests:

We discuss the different elements involved in setting up a (tech) business, what startup support is available for entrepreneurs and what can be made available, and the role of tech hubs in the ecosystem. We also look at the Tech Hubs in Africa: Supporting Startups report (2nd Edition), published in July 2020 by the UN International Trade Centre, which examines hubs across the continent, how they operate and their impact.

Our guests:

Bernard Banda is currently the Acting Director, Economic Regulation at Zambia Infomation and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA).  At the time of recording, he was Manager Policy and Research - responsible for the generation of evidence to support regulatory decision making at ZICTA and also coordinated research and development initiatives at ZICTA which include the ICT innovation Programme.

In this episode, we look at creating a Green Economy for Africa through the Integration of Sustainable Business Practices. Our guests will walk us through the benefits of green integration to business owners and society, and how to make these practices cost-effective.

Samson Sahmland-Bowling is the Founding Director of Open Energy Labs, which teaches young people how to build renewable energy systems.

This episode is focused on how small and growing businesses can explore and move into international markets.  We speak to Martha Mbewe of UBUCHI who shares her business’s experience exporting honey out of Zambia, and international consultant Ko Goma who breaks down what businesses should consider when going international.

Our Guests:

Martha Mbewe is the Quality Control Manager at UBUCHI, a Zambian business that processes and sells pure organic honey locally and internationally. 

Kô Goma is an International Consultant at the ITC Fast-Tracking Digital Entrepreneurship program in Africa. His work involves building, and deploying innovative growth strategies, training, and market insights to support tech startups' internationalization in Africa.  

In this episode, we’re talking about how to build a business that sells to enterprises. Our guests chatted to us about securing contracts with businesses, corporates, and government institutions. We feature Chinedu Koggu of Probase, Chilekwa Banda of Digital PayGo, and Lamine Barro of Etudesk as our guests in this episode.

Our guests:

Chilekwa Banda was the Head of Strategic Partnerships at Digital PayGo at the time of recording this podcast. Digital PayGo is a recently launched Zambian FinTech company that aims to facilitate a shared digital marketplace for digital financial solutions in Zambia.

Lamine Barro is the Founder and CEO of Etudesk based in the Ivory Coast. Etudesk is an EdTech online-learning platform that is designed to help companies and academic institutions to digitalize their training offers and make them more accessible to people.

We explore business partnerships - how to identify potential partners and secure beneficial strategic partnerships. The episode features 3 guests who, through their businesses and their roles, take us through the journey of securing partnerships and strategic collaborations.

Our guests:

Chabu Muchinshi is CEO at Ace Smart Technologies, which is a Zambian technology company that focuses on education-based services with its product, Smart Revision Zambia.

We discuss the role that digitization plays in the business sector, by addressing ways in which tech is transforming businesses and business models, especially during COVID-19. The episode features interviews with entrepreneurs Afshon Wallace Ngige of Afridelivery, Perseus Mlambo of Zazu, and representatives from the National Technology Business Centre (NTBC) from Zambia.

Our guests:

Perseus Mlambo is the CEO of Zazu Africa, a smart digital-money account that helps users manage their finances.

From the National Technology Business Center, we were joined by Innocent Mandona and Tasila Banda, Manager - Marketing and Technology and Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, respectively. NTBC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Higher Education, mandated to commercialise innovations and to conduct technology transfer.

This episode explores out-of-the-box entrepreneurship, with interviews about setting up a niche business and pivoting with property owners Mafipe Chunga and Kupela Clarke of OneSquareK, and innovative biodiesel-turned-soap business owner, Mutoba Ngoma of Tapera Industries. BongoHive cofounder and Director of Entrepreneurship, Simunza Muyangana, also shares his insights on setting up businesses and finding niche markets.

We explore the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on local businesses, speaking to business owners Chishimba and Monde Nyambe, and Brian Ross from Prospero Zambia. We also hear from Sophie Nanteza, who shares key learnings about business continuity during these unprecedented times.

Our guests:

Sophie Nanteza is an International Consultant for the UN International Trade Centre. She works with tech entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa, to develop and implement business models and processes with the intent to grow sustainable businesses.

We discuss the process of building a business from scratch without attracting investment or with minimal external capital and how that impacts businesses. The episode showcases interviews with entrepreneurs Sara Drawwater, Pearl Chunga and Serena Jhala in Zambia. It also features regional insights from Asha Mweru-Mbowa who is an Investment Advisor from Kenya.

Our guests:

Pearl Chunga and Serena Jhala are co-owners of Pink Champagne Event Planners, based in Zambia. They specialize in private and corporate events.