Unlocking Africa

Episode 95 with Rana Abdel Latif, who is an investment professional with cross-transactional expertise in M&A, financing, and restructuring deals across various industries and also a senior principal at Nclude.

Nclude is an investment platform for fintech innovation. Founder-centric in design, it supports early and growth-stage entrepreneurs who are tackling financial inclusion and enables their success by offering a full-stack support ecosystem for fintech and fintech-enabled start-ups in Egypt and beyond.

What We Discuss With Rana

• Is there a particular reason why you focus on fintech and fintech-enabled startups, particularly those addressing financial inclusion?
• What challenges and opportunities do you see in the fintech landscape in the regions Nclude operates in?
• Do you think the investment environment in Egypt and the North African region is favourable for startups, or do you believe there's room for further improvement? 
• With your experience across different geographical regions, what insights can you share about the unique characteristics of the fintech scenes in the North Africa region? 
• What are some key factors that you believe contribute to the success of fintech startups in today's competitive landscape? 
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notes

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss The Power of Information: Revolutionising Market Intelligence in African Economies With Joseph Rutakangwa? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamu

Connect with Rana  on LinkedIn at Rana Abdel Latif

Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:

www.etkgroup.co.uk
[email protected]

Episode 94 with Joseph Rutakangwa, who is the founder and CEO of Rwazi, which is a market intelligence platform that provides multinational consumer goods companies with actionable data from developing markets on who is buying what, for how much, from where, when, and why, to help them drive revenue and expand.

Rwazi combines technology and a network of 20,000+ qualified data collectors (called "mappers") spread across urban and rural areas in 40+ countries in Africa, Asia, and South America to collect data from their localities, allowing them to collect data from thousands of locations and consumers on a daily basis.

What We Discuss With Joseph

• Could you explain how Rwazi's platform gathers actionable data from emerging markets? What's the process like?
• Could you elaborate on how Rwazi's data helps multinational consumer goods companies drive revenue and expand in these markets?
• Can you discuss the challenges you've faced in building and maintaining a network of mappers in remote areas? How have you overcome these challenges?
• How do you ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data collected by your network of mappers?
• Given the diverse cultures and markets you cover, how does Rwazi navigate cultural sensitivities while collecting data?
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notes

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Nurturing Innovation: Building and Scaling African Startups with Expert Support with Thabiso Foto? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamu

Connect with Joseph  on LinkedIn at Joseph Rutakangwa, and Twitter @JRutakangwa

Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:

www.etkgroup.co.uk
[email protected]

Episode 93 with Thabiso Foto, the Chief Financial Officer at Founders Factory Africa.  Thabiso currently leads the finance and operations departments at Founders Factory Africa, providing invaluable strategic, technical, and operational guidance to their vibrant community of start-ups.

Founders Factory Africa is a tailored, corporate-backed accelerator and incubator that builds and scales 100+ tech businesses across the African continent. FFA is based on a unique model of combining leading corporate investors and partners with a fully-fledged operational team to design, build, and grow African tech start-ups. FFA are venture builders dedicated to solving some of Africa’s biggest challenges and capitalising on its incredible potential by leveraging market and tech opportunities.

At the core of Founders Factory Africa's mission is the creation of an ecosystem that fosters genuine innovation. Their objective is clear: to be the best growth engine for founders across Africa and beyond.

What We Discuss With Thabiso

• How do you manage the diversification of investments and navigate the various challenges and opportunities presented by different African markets?
• How does Founders Factory Africa promote collaboration among corporates, investors, and startup talent to foster innovation and drive growth within the African tech industry?
• What insights have you gained from your experiences with early-stage African entrepreneurs, and how have these insights influenced the development of your investment strategies?
• What are the main challenges faced by early-stage African startups, and how does Founders Factory Africa tackle these challenges through its investment and support initiatives?
• How does Founders Factory Africa measure the social impact of its investments?
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notes

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Savings, Simplicity, Success: Transforming African Businesses Through Spend Management with Yemi Olulana? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamu

Connect with Thabiso  on LinkedIn at Thabiso Foto, and Twitter @FoundersFFA 

Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:

www.etkgroup.co.uk
[email protected]

Episode 92 with Yemi Olulana, the CEO of Flex Finance, the leading spend management and corporate card platform for African businesses. Flex Finance empowers businesses across Africa to gain control over their expenses through their user-friendly web and mobile platforms, as well as corporate cards. They have successfully assisted thousands of businesses, liberating business owners and finance teams from the stress of spend management.

Flex Finance simplifies this critical aspect of business, making it not only manageable but delightful. By offering streamlined processes, they help businesses save significant amounts of money and time, ultimately contributing to their growth and success.

Yemi Olulana, with over a decade of experience, has a proven track record in building startups within various sectors including e-commerce, web3, and fintech. His expertise and leadership have been instrumental in driving Flex Finance's success in empowering businesses across Africa.

What We Discuss With Yemi

• Can you explain how the spending processes in many African businesses are restricting their potential for growth and efficiency?
• What challenges did you face when introducing a technology-based solution, given the widespread use of traditional methods such as email and paper for spending requests in Africa?
• Having worked with over 2,500 businesses, can you share any trends or insights you've gathered regarding spending behaviours in African businesses?
• How does Flex Finance support the larger objectives of financial inclusion and economic empowerment in Africa?
• In a continent as diverse as Africa, what factors did you consider to ensure that Flex Finance is adaptable and effective across various business contexts?
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notes

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss How Africa’s Biggest Mini-Grid Owner is Creating Economic Growth by Providing Electricity to Rural Communities with William Brent? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamu

Connect with Yemi  on LinkedIn at Yemi Olulana, and Twitter @coderwa

Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:

www.etkgroup.co.uk
[email protected]

Episode #91 is with William Brent, the Chief Marketing Officer of Husk Power Systems, a global leader in distributed utilities. Since its establishment in 2008, Husk Power Systems has been at the forefront of providing dependable electricity to rural communities and businesses, all powered by renewable energy sources. Their commitment is unwavering—delivering uninterrupted power, 24/7, at a price they can afford.

What sets Husk Power Systems apart is its innovative approach. Through a user-friendly, mobile-enabled smart metering system, they offer a flexible “pay-as-you-go” energy service using a mobile-enabled smart metering system. It provides low-cost energy that matches the growing needs of our customers, for households, community services, and productive uses. Its grid-compatible solution can be rolled out quickly and cost-effectively to support national electrification plans.

What We Discuss With William

• How does Husk Power Systems help provide steady electricity to rural areas in Sub-Saharan Africa?
• Are mini-grids a more suitable option for connecting unelectrified rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, considering factors like cost-effectiveness and scalability?
• How does Husk Power Systems maintain a balance between offering low-cost energy and ensuring the long-term sustainability of its operations?
• What challenges has Husk faced in finding suitable places for deploying mini-grids, and how do they solve these challenges?
• In Nigeria, where Husk operates, do the policy and regulatory frameworks support or stop the expansion of mini-grids and renewable energy projects?
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notes

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Bamboo's Journey to Revolutionise Investment for Africans in the Face of Economic Challenges with Richmond Bassey? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamu

Connect with William  on LinkedIn at William Brent, and Twitter @HuskPowerSystem

Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:

www.etkgroup.co.uk
[email protected]

Episode #90 is with Richmond Bassey, who is the CEO and founder of Bamboo, which is an investment platform that gives Africans the tools to build wealth from the ground up through real-time access to global markets.

In countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, individuals often witness their hard-earned savings dwindle away due to weakening currencies and soaring inflation rates. In fact, the Naira and Cedi were among the worst-performing currencies globally last year. Bamboo, however, stands as a beacon of hope in these challenging financial times.

Bamboo has raised a total of $18.3 million in investment and is backed by prominent US investors Tiger Global and Greycroft. Bamboo has 633k users, is present in Nigeria and Ghana, and is looking to launch in South Africa and Kenya this year.

What We Discuss With Richmond

• How does Bamboo aim to help Africans build long-term wealth through investing in US stocks?
• Could you elaborate on how wealthtech has opened US capital markets to Africans?
• What challenges did you face in the early stages of establishing the platform and opening US capital markets to Africans?
• What learnings and insights did you gain from the experience of the Central Bank of Nigeria freezing Bamboo's bank accounts in 2021?
• Can you elaborate on Bamboo's approach to building a B2B and B2C sales channel strategy and how this approach benefits the company, considering the complexity involved in this approach?
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notes

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss How Effective PR Can Transform African Companies and Nations: PR, Perception, and Progress with Bemi Idowu? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamu

Connect with Richmond  on LinkedIn at Richmond Bassey, and Twitter @Richmonb

Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:

www.etkgroup.co.uk
[email protected]

Episode #89 is with Bemi Idowu, who is a PR and communications specialist with vast experience in leading and delivering successful media campaigns for a wide range of companies, from established global players to Africa-focused start-ups.

Bemi is also the founder and managing director of Talking Drum Communications, which is a public relations and communications consultancy that supports companies innovating in Africa to shape perceptions and get more effective publicity for the work they are doing.

They work with technology companies, manufacturers, and other innovators that are enabling new opportunities to drive economic growth on the continent, delivering successful media campaigns that align with their business goals.

What We Discuss With Bemi 

• What inspired you to start a public relations and communications consultancy focusing on Africa's innovators? 
• How important are effective publicity and perception-shaping for companies innovating in Africa?
• How can PR and communications be utilised as tools to leverage economic growth in Africa?
• Is there a correlation between positive PR and communications and investment flows into Africa or into specific companies?
• What are some common misconceptions or stereotypes about doing PR and communications in Africa, and how do you address them?
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notes

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Growing Together. The Future of Medicine in Africa. Data, Tech, and Remedial Health with Samuel Okwuada? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamu

Connect with Bemi  on LinkedIn at Bemi Idowu, and Twitter @mr_bemi

Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:

www.etkgroup.co.uk
[email protected]

Episode #88 is with Samuel Okwuada, who is the CEO and co-founder of Remedial Health, a ground-breaking company at the forefront of revolutionising healthcare delivery in Africa through the power of data and technology.

Remedial Health's mission is clear: to enhance the accessibility and affordability of medicines. They achieve this by establishing a direct supply chain from manufacturers to pharmacies for medical and non-medical essentials, thereby cutting out unnecessary intermediaries.

Remedial Health offers innovative  financing and inventory management solutions that empower both pharmacies and patients alike.

What We Discuss With Samuel

• Do you feel that your experience in the UK influenced how you started and expanded Remedial Health?
• What makes Remedial Health stand out from other pharmaceutical marketplaces, and what unique value do you provide to your customers?
• How is Remedial Health tackling the issue of a fragmented market and creating greater visibility in the supply chain for manufacturers?
• One of your core commitments is to provide affordable medicine in Africa. How have you managed to achieve this commitment while facing global events like the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation?
• What role has technology played in enabling you to manage the solutions that you offer from end to end?
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notes

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Growing Together. How Collaboration and Partnerships Are Transforming African Agriculture With Jennifer Baarn? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamu

Connect with Samuel  on LinkedIn at Samuel Okwuada, and Twitter @remedial_health

Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:

www.etkgroup.co.uk
[email protected]

Episode #87 is with Jennifer Baarn is the head of partnerships at  Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), which is an alliance led by Africans with roots in farming communities across the continent. They understand that African farmers need uniquely African solutions designed to meet their specific environmental and agricultural needs so they can sustainably boost production and gain access to rapidly growing agricultural markets. 

AGRA is an African-led and African-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into

What We Discuss With Jennifer

• What strategies or programmes do you believe need to be implemented to promote collaboration and alliances in agriculture across the continent?
• AGRA emphasises "uniquely African solutions" for farmers. Could you provide some examples of these solutions and how they have positively impacted farming communities?
• When forming partnerships in African agriculture, how can we ensure that these partnerships are inclusive and considerate of gender and social equity in farming communities?
• What role do technology and innovation play in advancing partnerships across African agriculture? 
• What role do you believe partnerships between the public and private sectors can play in boosting agriculture in Africa? 
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notes

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss From Passion to Plate. How to Build an African Food Empire in the UK With Olusegun Akande? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamu

Connect with Jennifer  on LinkedIn at Jennifer Baarn, and Twitter @JenniferBaarn

Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:

www.etkgroup.co.uk
[email protected]

Episode #86 is with Olusegun Akande, who is the cofounder and director of Samis Online African Foods, which is the UK’s one-stop Afro-Caribbean Online Superstore. They are specialists in African groceries and original products of the highest quality.

What sets Samis apart is their commitment to sourcing 90% of their fresh food produce from Nigeria, even though they operate both within and outside the country.

Samis Online African Food has not only captured the hearts and palates of Nigerians living in the UK but has also provided employment opportunities, further bolstering the economic landscape of both countries.

What We Discuss With Olusegun

• What difficulties have you faced forming relationships with farmers or suppliers in Africa to support and strengthen the quality and quantity of products that you source from Africa?
• How do recent changes in Nigeria, like the Naira redesign and the removal of fuel subsidies, affect the work you're doing?
• Outside of Africa, how did events like Brexit affect your operations and how you now run your business?
• During these challenging times, how do you make sure that your products are both accessible and affordable for consumers?
• How do you source and select the products that are featured on your platform?
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notes

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Redefining Banking in Sub-Saharan Africa: Affinity Africa's Journey to Financial Inclusion with Tarek Mouganie? Make sure to check it out!

Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!

Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamu

Connect with Olusegun  on LinkedIn at Olusegun Akande, and Twitter @samis_foods

Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:

www.etkgroup.co.uk
[email protected]