Unlocking Africa

Episode #65 with Thierry Ngoga who has 16 years of experience providing strategic and operational solutions to governments and development partners in relation to land management, agriculture, and urban development.

His deep experience, which spans at least 17 countries across both Anglophone and Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa, has often focused on designing low-cost, locally grown solutions to issues related to natural resource management, agricultural systems, and governance. 

What We Discuss With  Thierry

•  What do we need to know about land management in Africa?
•  You published a book in 2018 with the title Rwanda’s Land Tenure Reform: Non-existent to Best Practice’. Can you give us a snapshot of some of the key themes from that book? 
• What obstacles must African governments overcome in order to successfully implement land tenure reform?
• What impact does effective land reform have on African agricultural output and food security?
•  How have you gone about increasing governments' capacity and capability so that they can appropriately prioritise issues like land reform and agriculture? 
• 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 Insights into the Complexities of Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa with Pritish Behuria? 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 Thierry on LinkedIn at ThierryHozaNgoga, and Twitter @hozangoga

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 #64 with Pritish Behuria who is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester. The university boasts Europe's largest department dedicated to studying global and international development issues, making Pritish an ideal guest to speak on the topic. 

Additionally, he is a renowned expert in the fields of industrial policy and comparative developmental trajectories, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. His extensive experience and knowledge allowed him to provide valuable insights and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing this region in terms of economic development and industrialisation.

What We Discuss With  Pritish

• The majority of your research focuses on African development strategies and trajectories, particularly Rwanda. Why Rwanda?
•  What are some of the present-day challenges that Africa faces in terms of development in the 21st century?
• What are the typical vulnerabilities present in African economies that hinder the attainment of sustainable economic growth?
• I came across an intriguing article that you published not long ago, titled "The Political Economy of a Tax Haven: The Case of Mauritius". Would you mind highlighting some of the central themes explored in this piece?
• What advantages could an African economy potentially gain from implementing a tax haven strategy?
• 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 a Boutique PR Company Is Changing the Conversation About Africa’s Tech and Start-up Sectors with Jessica Hope? 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 Pritish on LinkedIn at PritishBehuria, and Twitter @pritishbehuria

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 #63 with Jessica Hope,  who is Founder and CEO at Wimbart, which is a boutique public relations company with a heavy emphasis on Africa & emerging markets. They produce hyper-targeted, relevant & meaningful media campaigns for a range of international clients.

They work across technology, start-ups, entertainment, social enterprises, entrepreneurs and consumer products, to deliver memorable press campaigns.

What We Discuss With  Jessica Hope

•  How have PR and communications evolved in Africa during your time working on the continent?
•  What is the current state of PR and communications in Africa? 
• Do you believe African businesses truly understand the power of PR and communications, both internally and externally?
• Do you believe there is a link between positive PR and communications and investment flows into Africa or specific companies?
• Is it still difficult to pitch stories on Africa to journalists outside of Africa, or has this changed?
• 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 Connecting Talent to Opportunities. Overcoming Challenges in African Workforce Development with Noam Kan? 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 Jessica on LinkedIn at JessicaHope, and Twitter @Wimbart

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 #62 with Noam Kan,  who is Director of International Business Development at XML International, a company that provides unique workforce solutions by partnering with local entities to recruit, onboard, oversee, and pay teams around the world. This approach allows the company to have a deep understanding of the local culture, language, and employment laws, making it easier to provide tailored solutions to its clients.

XML International has a large network of partners around the world and in Africa, allowing them to access a large pool of talented professionals. They provide a range of services, including recruitment, payroll, compliance, and legal support. By taking care of these tasks, XML International frees up their clients to focus on their core business activities.

What We Discuss With  Noam Kan

• XML International is a company that works with local entities to recruit, onboard, manage, and pay teams all over the world, including Africa. How do you go about accomplishing this?
• How do you go about finding local entities and partners on the ground in order to operate successfully in Africa?
• What significant changes in African recruitment have you witnessed during your time on the continent?
• What is your process for locating qualified candidates in the African market?
• How do you invest in developing and nurturing African talent?
• 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 Maximizing Returns, Minimizing Risk. The Importance of Mitigating Political and Credit Risk in Africa with Amir Hussain? 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 Noam on LinkedIn at NoamKan, and XML International

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 #61 with Amir Hussain,  who is a Senior Underwriter of Political & Credit Risk at Africa Specialty Risks.

With an African-focused and experienced team of underwriters, Africa Specialty Risks provides coverage aimed at facilitating trade and investments for financial institutions, traders, and exporters, to name a few, transacting in Africa. Their mission is to provide the protection and confidence required to grow, develop, and increase business with African counterparties.

What We Discuss With  Amir Hussain

• The company uses the tagline ‘Protecting Africa’. Can you explain how Africa Specialty Risks protects Africa? What is it protecting Africa from?
• What would you say to those who claim you are selling risk rather than highlighting the opportunities that Africa offers?
• What type of person or company is your service aimed at, and what are the benefits of the services you offer?
• What does Africa's risk outlook look like in the near future based on the data you've gathered?
• What political risks does the continent face as a result of the global economic downturn, which is causing rising inflation, depletion of foreign exchange reserves, and depreciation of many African currencies?
• 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 Revolutionising Retirement. Awabah's Vision for a More Inclusive Pension System in Nigeria with Tunji Andrews? 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 Amir on LinkedIn at AmirHussain, and Twitter @AfricaSpecialty

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 #60 with Tunji Andrews,  who is CEO at Awabah, which is digital platform that helps millions of Nigerians get on the Micro Pension Scheme, which is the first step to a financially secure future. They make planning for retirement easier for many Nigerians .

What We Discuss With  Tunji Andrews

• What is the importance of having access to pensions, health insurance, life insurance, and accident insurance for people in Africa's informal sector?
• What measures or guarantees have been put in place to protect your customers' pensions?
•  What challenges have you encountered in launching a solution like this, which is disrupting a large and well-established market and institutions?
• Awabah currently only operates in Nigeria. What African markets do you intend to enter next and why?
• Expansion into new markets requires a significant investment. Where is this money coming from, and do you have investors backing your ambitious plans?
• 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 Importance of Training the Next Generation of Africa Focused Startup Investors with Mark Kleyner? 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 Tunji on LinkedIn at TunjiAndrews, and Twitter @TunjiAndrews 

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 #59 with Mark Kleyner,  who is Co-Founder & Program Director of Dream VC, which is an investor accelerator for Africa. Through their community-driven educational platform, they run highly selective remote training programs on Venture Capital & the Innovation Ecosystem across Africa's Startup Ecosystems.

What We Discuss With  Mark Kleyner

• You and your team have big plans to accelerate the next generation of ecosystem-building African investors. Can you tell us how you intend to achieve this?
• What do you think the importance of having Africans with the right skills and training to invest in African startups is?
•  What is the current state of education and training for African-focused startup investors? 
• In terms of skills and knowledge, how do African venture capitalists compare to their global counterparts?
• What advice would you give to someone who has no VC experience but wants to pursue a career in VC 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 Idea to Impact. Investing in Africa's Most Promising Mission-Driven Startups with Emmanuel Adegboye? 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 Mark on LinkedIn at MarkKleyner, and Twitter @markkleyner

Register your interest now in Dream VC's programs and join a community of driven professionals who are making a difference in Africa's startup ecosystem:
https://forms.gle/N6r7vjRfDgdUPHEZ6

Don't just dream about breaking into or advancing your career in the African venture capital industry, make it a reality! Check out Dream VC's website now to learn more about their remote training programs and unlock your potential today:
www.dream-vc.com

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 #58 with Emmanuel Adegboye, who is the Head of Madica, which is an Africa-focused pre-seed investment program empowering underrepresented and underfunded mission-driven founders on the continent. The sector-agnostic platform, affiliated with Flourish Ventures, aims to empower entrepreneurs with the provision of funding and also democratizing access to world-class company building support.

The new sector-agnostic program will deploy investment capital, as well as provide tailored mentorship and intense programmatic support, to tech-enabled startups, democratizing access to world-class company-building support.

What We Discuss With  Emmanuel Adegboye

• You want to democratise access to world-class company-building support, such as funding, in Africa. Why do you believe this is needed?
• Why do you believe that funding in Africa's startup space appears to be centred on the big four markets (Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa), as well as key players in the space?
• What are the challenges of decentralising funding in Africa's startup ecosystem?
• Do you think we're missing out on some great talent and untapped entrepreneurs by not looking outside of the big four markets?
• Can you tell us about some of the untapped entrepreneurs you've recently discovered?
• 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 to Make It in Africa’s Business Media Industry with Jaco Maritz? 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 Emmanuel on LinkedIn at EmmanuelAdegboye, and Twitter @eaadegboye

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 #57 with Jaco Maritz, who is the Founder of How We Made It in Africa, which is an online publication that talks to Africa’s most interesting entrepreneurs and businesspeople to reveal:

- How they built their companies – from the initial idea to commercial success
- The business lessons they’ve learnt on their journeys so far
- The latest business trends and untapped opportunities in their respective sectors and countries

What We Discuss With  Jaco Maritz

• What were the challenges in creating an infrastructure that allowed you to effectively tell the stories of African entrepreneurs and businesspeople?
• What are some of the nuances of African online publications?
• Your platform enables entrepreneurs to clearly detail their journey, lessons learned, and business trends. What is the significance of Africans telling their own stories?
• You also published your book, How We Made It in Africa, in 2022, which details the inspiring stories of 25 African entrepreneurs. What was the motivation for publishing the book in addition to the online platform?
• Can you tell us about some of the most important lessons you've learned about doing business in Africa since launching How We Made It in Africa and meeting hundreds of entrepreneurs?
• 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 Powering Prosperity. The Transformative Power of Industrial Policy in Africa with Jonathan Said? 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 Jaco on LinkedIn at JacoMaritz, and Twitter @Jaco_Maritz

How we made it in Africa is offering Unlocking Africa listeners a 50% discount on their first subscription payment. Enter the coupon code UNLOCK at checkout to take advantage of this offer.
https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/subscribe/

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 #56 with Jonathan Said, who is an economist and has vast experience supporting African governments and their partners to implement modern industrial policies for job creation and inclusive and sustainable growth.

What We Discuss With  Jonathan Said

• You published an intriguing article detailing how many African countries have neglected to implement the most crucial economic strategy of all: an industrial policy that is export-oriented. What do you mean by that?
• What steps should African governments take to implement export-led industrial policies?
• A component of export-led industrial policies is value addition. What is the significance of value addition for African economies?
•  Value addition leads to the creation of jobs, which expands the tax base. Could you elaborate on the significance of expanding the tax base in Africa?
• What are some of the positive trends you've noticed in your work with African governments and how they operate?
• 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 Bridging the Gap: Formal Retail Sector in Africa and its Impact on Economic Development with Wambui Mbarire? 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 Jonathan on LinkedIn at JonathanSaid, and Twitter  @JonathanSaid1

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]