Unlocking Africa

Episode 185 with Kailas Nair, Chief Growth Officer and Co-founder, and Jon Kornik, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Plentify, an award winning clean tech AI company transforming home energy management in Africa and beyond.

Kailas Nair and Jon Kornik bring a wealth of experience from global leaders such as McKinsey, Google, Tesla, and Vitality to this conversation on how artificial intelligence and innovative hardware can make electricity more affordable, reliable, and clean for African households. In this episode, they share how Plentify’s solutions, including the HotBot and SolarBot, help households shift energy consumption to cheaper and cleaner times, stabilise strained grids, and maximise the value of solar energy.

They discuss how a demand side focus, combined with user-centric design, is unlocking new opportunities for African utilities, communities, and consumers. From securing multi-million dollar deals and international funding to being recognised in the Bloomberg 50 Startups to Watch and shortlisted for the Earthshot Prize, Kailas and Jon reflect on the challenges and opportunities of scaling a climate tech business from South Africa to global markets.

What We Discuss With Kailas and Jon

• The personal and professional journeys that led them from global careers at Google, McKinsey, and Vitality back to South Africa to tackle the energy crisis.
• How Plentify’s AI-powered HotBot and SolarBot help households shift energy use to cheaper, cleaner times while stabilising strained electricity grids.
• Why focusing on the demand side of the energy equation can unlock new solutions for Africa’s affordability, reliability, and sustainability challenges.
• Lessons learned from scaling a South African climate tech startup into global markets and tailoring solutions for diverse African energy contexts.
• Strategies for building credibility and securing investment in Africa’s clean energy sector.

Verto Corner
In this week’s Verto Corner, Cornelius Coetzee, Verto’s Country Director for South Africa, shares his perspective on how smarter cross border payment strategies can give importers and exporters a real advantage. 

He outlines the hidden “icebergs” in international trade such as changing regulations, levies and tariffs that can quickly erode profitability if not managed well. 

Cornelius explains how improving payment processes is not only about reducing costs but also about building resilience, improving cash flow and strengthening competitiveness in fast changing markets. 

Discover how our Verto's solutions can help you accept payments, manage expenses, and scale effortlessly. 

Visit Verto to get started.

Did you miss my previous episode where I discus Building a Borderless Economy: How Itana is Creating Africa’s First Digital Special Economic Zone? Make sure to check it out!

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu

Connect with Kailas and Jon:
LinkedIn - Kailas Nair and Jon Kornik
Twitter - @plentifyHQ

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 184 with Nkechi Oguchi, Chief Marketing and Community Officer at Itana, Africa’s First Digital Special Economic Zone. As Chief Marketing and Community Officer, Nkechi is at the forefront of positioning Itana as the digital jurisdiction of choice for technology and service-based businesses operating in Africa.

In this episode, Nkechi unpacks Itana’s bold vision: a one-stop digital platform that allows startups and scale-ups to incorporate, access banking, secure business visas, and operate tax-efficiently within a regulatory environment designed for the digital economy. She discusses how Itana’s partnership with the Nigerian government and initiatives like the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) are creating new pathways for accessing talent, unlocking digital trade, and building community at scale.

Nkechi shares how Itana is redefining the role of free zones in the age of remote-first operations and pan-African scale, and why a future-forward, community-driven approach is essential for stimulating Africa’s digital transformation.

What We Discuss With Nkechi

• The evolution from Talent City to Itana, and how this shift reflects a broader ambition to build Africa’s first fully digital, business-friendly jurisdiction.
• How Itana enables global startups and digital service providers to incorporate remotely, access African markets, and scale operations with ease.
• The strategic role of community in Itana’s model and how ecosystem-building, talent pipelines, and mentorship drive value for both founders and investors.
• The significance of the recent MOU with Nigeria’s Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, and how it supports job creation and digital trade through NATEP.
• The importance of policy stability, regulatory innovation, and international partnerships in attracting foreign direct investment to Nigeria’s digital economy.

Verto Corner
This week in Verto Corner, Austin Okpagu, Country Manager for Nigeria at Verto, explains why more businesses are shifting away from traditional international payment methods and choosing to pay locally instead. 

With legacy systems like SWIFT often slow, expensive, and routed through multiple intermediaries, Austin highlights how local payment rails offer faster, more cost-effective solutions for companies working with partners in markets like Nigeria and Kenya. 

He shares insights on how local payouts improve cash flow, reduce transaction costs, and create stronger relationships with suppliers and customers.

Discover how our Verto's solutions can help you accept payments, manage expenses, and scale effortlessly. 

Visit Verto to get started.

Did you miss my previous episode where I discus From Soil Sensors to Farm Analytics: Using Technology to Improve Soil Health and Food Security in Africa? Make sure to check it out!

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu

Connect with Nkechi:
LinkedIn - Nkechi (Oti) Oguchi
Twitter - @heynkechi

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 183 with Brian Bosire, CEO and Co-Founder of UjuziKilimo, a leading agri-tech company empowering Africa’s smallholder farmers through data science, IoT, and predictive analytics.

Brian Bosire is on a mission to digitise Africa’s agricultural value chains by putting powerful, real-time insights in the hands of smallholder farmers. In this episode, he shares the story behind UjuziKilimo, which is Swahili for “knowledge farming,” and how the company is using cutting-edge technologies like the SoilPal IoT sensor and the FarmSuite analytics platform to transform decision-making on millions of farms across the continent.

Brian unpacks the innovation behind UjuziKilimo’s tools, which deliver field-specific data on soil health, fertiliser recommendations, and crop suitability within minutes. He explains how data-driven agronomy can increase yields, unlock financing and insurance, and build resilience in the face of climate change.

What We Discuss With Brian

• The personal journey from growing up in a small farming village in Kisii, Kenya, to founding a company that empowers thousands of smallholder farmers through technology.
• How UjuziKilimo is replacing guesswork with data-driven decision-making through innovations like the SoilPal IoT device and FarmSuite analytics platform.
• The real-world impact of providing instant, field-specific agronomic recommendations on crop performance, soil health, and input usage.
• The business model and scaling challenges of reaching over 26,000 farmers, and the ambition to impact millions more.
• The role of machine learning and predictive analytics in enabling smarter, faster, and more localized farming practices.

Verto Corner
In this week’s Verto Corner, Conor O’Kane, Compliance Operations Manager at Verto, tackles one of the most important challenges for businesses operating across African markets: getting compliance right without slowing growth. 

As cross-border trade increases, so do regulatory expectations, and companies that don’t keep up risk delays, penalties, or missed opportunities. 

Conor explains the key compliance hurdles businesses face when transacting in and out of emerging markets and offers clear, actionable advice on how to stay compliant while still moving quickly.

Discover how Verto's solutions can help you accept payments, manage expenses, and scale effortlessly. 

Visit Verto to get started.

Did you miss my previous episode where I discus A Billion-Tonne Vision: The Company Using Rocks to Remove Carbon and Boost African Agriculture? Make sure to check it out!

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu

Connect with Brian:
LinkedIn - Brian Bosire
Twitter - @BosireOnyi

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 182 with Sam Davies, CEO and Co-Founder of Flux, a pioneering climate-tech company based in Nairobi that’s scaling Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) to remove carbon from the atmosphere and restore Africa’s soils. A former British Army reconnaissance officer, Sam transitioned from military leadership to climate entrepreneurship, driven by a personal vision to contribute meaningfully during the climate crisis.

After discovering carbon removal while producing the documentary Legion 44 in Kenya, Sam founded Flux to unlock Africa’s immense potential for ERW, a natural process that sequesters CO₂ while improving crop yields and regenerating farmland. Under his leadership, Flux has formed key partnerships with governments like Nigeria’s, launched pilot projects across multiple countries, and committed to removing one billion tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere.

In this episode, Sam explores the science behind ERW, the social impact of regenerative agriculture on smallholder farmers, and how Flux is building one of the most promising carbon removal platforms on the continent. He also unpacks the urgent need for credible carbon credits and policy innovation and why Africa is the next frontier for scalable climate solutions.

What We Discuss With Sam

• Why Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) is one of the most promising, and underutilised pathways for permanent CO₂ removal at scale.
• How Flux’s ERW model not only captures carbon but also regenerates depleted soils, improves crop yields, and enhances farmer livelihoods across Africa
• Flux’s strategic partnerships with governments, including Nigeria’s, and the role of policy and public-sector collaboration in unlocking climate solutions.
• The structure behind Flux’s carbon credits, including measurement protocols and global certification standards for permanence and integrity.
• The long-term vision to capture one billion tonnes of CO₂

Verto Corner
In this week’s Verto Corner, George Antoniades, Product Manager at Verto, explores the future of cross-border payments through the lens of stablecoins. 

Are they just another fintech fad or a transformative tool for global commerce? George breaks down what stablecoins are, how businesses are already using them to streamline transactions, and why they could play a pivotal role in bridging traditional finance with decentralised innovation. 

George also shares practical guidance for companies curious about adopting stablecoins while flagging the regulatory considerations that come with this emerging technology.

Also, access Verto’s comprehensive compliance guide for businesses navigating African markets.

Access the Comprehensive Guide

Did you miss my previous episode where I discus From Concept to Capital: Designing Smarter and Simpler Blended Finance Funds for Africa? Make sure to check it out!

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu

Connect with Sam:
LinkedIn - Sam Davies

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 181 with Aly-Khan Jamal, Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Lagos, and co-author of the landmark report Scaling Blended Finance: Practical Tools for Blended Finance Fund Design.

Aly-Khan Jamal brings deep expertise in development finance, capital mobilisation, and impact investing to this conversation on how blended finance can be a game-changer for Africa’s sustainable development and climate resilience. In this episode, he breaks down the practical tools outlined in the new joint report by BCG and British International Investment (BII), including a typology of five fund archetypes and a scorecard for fund design.

Aly-Khan shares why scaling blended finance is not just a technical exercise but a systemic challenge, and opportunity. He explains how smart fund structuring can unlock commercial capital for high-impact sectors like clean energy, climate-smart agriculture, and infrastructure, particularly in emerging and underserved African markets.

What We Discuss With Aly-Khan

• Why blended finance is a critical tool for unlocking private capital to meet Africa’s development and climate goals, and why it remains underutilised.
• The systemic challenges that prevent blended finance from scaling and how to overcome them through more strategic fund design.
• How the new BII–BCG toolkit provides a shared language for fund managers, investors, and donors through five archetypes and a structured scorecard.
• How to design blended finance funds that are simpler, more replicable, and better aligned with investor expectations.
• Real-world examples from Africa and beyond that show how blended finance can mobilise billions for development when deployed effectively.

New Segment - Verto Corner
In this episode’s Verto Corner, Jack Stanton, a trader at Verto, unpacks the rising volatility in global FX markets and its implications for African businesses engaged in cross-border trade. With central banks diverging on policy and geopolitical uncertainty heightening exchange rate swings, Jack explains why managing foreign exchange risk is more critical than ever. 

He offers actionable insights on how businesses in markets like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa can hedge against FX exposure, protect their margins, and make smarter currency decisions. 

Don’t miss his top advice and access to Verto’s FX Strategy Handbook for businesses navigating global payments in a turbulent economic climate. 

Access the Strategy Handbook

Did you miss my previous episode where I discus Bridging Finance and Sustainability: How International Finance Can Support Sustainable Infrastructure in Africa? Make sure to check it out!

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu

Connect with Aly-Khan:
LinkedIn - Aly-Khan Jamal
Twitter - @BCG

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 180 with Dr Nyakatawa who is a multifaceted business consultant with more than 20 years’ experience working in financial services, specifically wealth management in large financial services companies in South Africa and across Africa. She joined Jersey Finance in 2021 and is responsible for market development in Africa, currently with a primary focus on South Africa.

An international speaker and thought leader, Dr Nyakatawa has been interviewed on various platforms including the BBC, CNBC, ENCA and various publications. She champions women’s issues as an Advisory Board Member of Women in Tech (SA Chapter) and an International Campaign Advisor for the Cherie Blair Foundation’s 100,000 Women Campaign Board, among others. She was recently elected by members to the Board of Directors of the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa(FPI), she is a Non-Executive Director at Masthead and is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), CFA member and SAVCA member. She holds an MBA and PhD from the University of Cape Town.

In this episode, Dr Rufaro discusses the future of sustainability in Africa, focusing on the critical sectors of energy, transport, and water. She unpacks the challenges facing African nations as they strive to modernise ageing infrastructure amidst rising urbanisation and climate risks, and shares real-world examples of green and resilient projects that are beginning to deliver tangible impact.

She also reflects on the vital role of International Finance Centres like Jersey in supporting Africa’s ambitions by connecting global capital with local development priorities.

What We Discuss With Dr Rufaro

• How Dr Rufaro Nyakatawa’s diverse background in environmental science, development finance, and international policy informs her approach to sustainable finance in Africa.
• Why sustainable infrastructure in energy, transport, and water is essential to Africa’s long-term development.
• The major roadblocks African countries face in transitioning to green, inclusive, and climate-resilient infrastructure models.
• How African governments and private sector actors can work together to mobilise capital and drive innovation in sustainable infrastructure.
• The role International Finance Centres like Jersey play in supporting Africa’s infrastructure goals by connecting global capital with local development priorities.

Did you miss my previous episode where I discus How a South African Startup Is Giving Underserved Communities Access To Instant Emergency-Response Services? Make sure to check it out!

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

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu

Connect with Dr Rufaro:
LinkedIn - Dr Rufaro Nyakatawa
Twitter - @jerseyfinance

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 179 with Warren Myers, CEO and co-founder of AURA, a life-saving technology platform revolutionising emergency response in Africa and globally. Warren is on a mission to make safety accessible to all by building the world’s first global emergency response “clearing house” that instantly connects people in distress to the nearest vetted security or medical responders, anywhere in the world.

Founded in South Africa, AURA is now the continent’s largest network of private emergency responders and has expanded to the UK, Kenya, and recently, the United States. Backed by a €13.5M Series B round co-led by Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund and Partech, AURA is scaling rapidly and embedding its smart response technology into mobile apps, wearables, insurance products, and IoT platforms, reaching over 1.2 million users and securing 200,000+ properties.

Warren shares the challenges of building a tech-driven safety net in Africa, why the U.S. market presents both urgency and opportunity, and how AURA is helping under-resourced public systems by filling the gap with faster, smarter, and more affordable private response.

What We Discuss With Warren

• The personal and systemic challenges that inspired Warren Myers to launch AURA and reimagine emergency response in South Africa.
• How AURA’s smart auto-dispatch platform is making security and medical assistance instantly accessible via mobile, APIs, and IoT devices. 
• The importance of democratising access to safety in Africa, and how AURA’s low-cost subscription model reaches underserved populations.
• AURA’s B2B2C partnerships with companies like Uber, Samsung, and FNB to integrate life-saving services into everyday platforms.
• The strategy and significance of AURA’s $14.6M Series B raise to expand into the U.S. and launch a global emergency “clearing house.”

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Africa’s Untapped Health Data: Inside the Mission to Transform Africa’s Health Data Economy? Make sure to check it out!

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

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu

Connect with Warren:
LinkedIn - Warren Myers and AURA

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 178 with Estelle Dogbo, systems strategist, healthcare executive, and founder of BioVana Research. Estelle has spent her career at the intersection of biotechnology, digital health, and pharmaceutical development building adaptive health systems across African markets and beyond. From commercial leadership roles at Sanofi and Roche to co-founding 54gene and Syndicate Bio, Estelle has been a quiet force behind Africa’s genomics and health data infrastructure.

Now, as CEO and Founding Partner of BioVana Research, Estelle is reimagining how African health data is valued, governed, and transformed into powerful R&D assets. BioVana partners with hospitals, universities, and research institutions to bring structure, visibility, and trust to African biobanking ensuring local data is ethically sourced, verifiable, and globally competitive. Their model turns fragmented sample collections into strategic platforms for precision medicine, AI diagnostics, and responsible global collaboration.

In this episode, Estelle shares her bold vision for African data sovereignty, why health systems must be built from the inside out, and how BioVana is helping African institutions shift from being invisible custodians to confident stewards of their own scientific future.

What We Discuss With Estelle

• Why Africa’s vast health datasets have remained invisible in global R&D, and how BioVana is changing that through ethical, locally rooted data governance.
• The critical role of biobanking infrastructure in unlocking breakthroughs in precision medicine, AI diagnostics, and clinical research across the continent.
• How BioVana is helping African hospitals and research institutions move from passive data custodians to active stewards in the global health ecosystem.
• What it means to build health systems “from the inside out” and why imported solutions often fail in high-complexity, low-resource environments.
• The risks of data extraction and decoupling in African research, and how BioVana ensures that local data remains connected to local value.

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss The Future of Fashion Is African: Building an Ethical Clothing Factory in Rural Kenya? Make sure to check it out!

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

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu

Connect with Estelle:
LinkedIn - Estelle Dogbo MSc and BioVana Research

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 177 with Jo Maiden, founder and CEO of SOKO Kenya, a trailblazing ethical fashion manufacturer driving social and environmental impact from the heart of rural Kenya. Jo is a visionary entrepreneur transforming the global fashion landscape by proving that high-quality, sustainable production can thrive in Africa and uplift communities in the process.

Founded in 2009, SOKO Kenya employs over 150 local workers and partners with global fashion brands to deliver garments made with purpose, not just profit. The company integrates solar power, rainwater harvesting, and waste repurposing into its operations all while providing fair wages, healthcare access, and pension schemes to its workforce. Beyond the factory, Jo’s Stitching Academy and Kujuwa Initiative have created pathways out of poverty through vocational training and menstrual health education for thousands of women and girls across Kenya.

In this conversation, Jo shares how she built a values-driven factory from the ground up, why Africa is the future of ethical manufacturing, and what it takes to challenge the norms of fast fashion.

What We Discuss With Jo Maiden

• Jo’s decision to launch SOKO Kenya and her vision to use fashion as a vehicle for social and economic change in Africa.
• How SOKO Kenya is redefining ethical fashion by combining high-quality production with fair wages, community investment, and environmental sustainability.
• The role of local manufacturing in Kenya’s rural economy and how SOKO Kenya is creating dignified employment opportunities for women and youth.
• How sustainability is embedded into every layer of SOKO Kenya’s operations
• SOKO Kenya’s collaborations with international fashion brands and what it takes to build trust, transparency, and long-term partnerships

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Education for Economic Resilience: What It Takes to Build Lasting Education Systems in Africa? Make sure to check it out!

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

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu

Connect with Jo Maiden:
LinkedIn - Joanna Maiden
Twitter - @SOKOKenya_jo

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 176 with Dr Samuel Kembou, Global Co-Lead for Learning and Evidence at the Jacobs Foundation, a Swiss-based philanthropy advancing the learning and development of children worldwide. With a presence in Africa for over 35 years, the Foundation is known for its long-term commitment to strengthening education systems through rigorous research, strategic partnerships, and evidence-informed policymaking.

Dr Kembou plays a central role in ensuring that data, learning, and research translate into practical, scalable solutions for education reform. He is a passionate advocate for placing evidence at the heart of decision-making, so that education systems not only deliver better outcomes for learners today but are built to adapt and thrive for generations to come.

A respected leader in global education and development, Dr. Kembou brings sharp insight into how African countries can harness the power of learning systems to drive economic resilience and sustainable growth. His work at the Jacobs Foundation reflects a bold vision: that by investing in what works, we can transform the future of education across the continent.

What We Discuss With Dr Kembou

• Why Dr. Samuel Kembou believes education is one of the most powerful tools for driving long-term economic growth and social resilience.
• The role of rigorous research and data in shaping effective education policies and improving classroom outcomes across African countries.
• The vision and impact behind the new $80 million co-funding mechanism in Ghana, developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education, World Bank, and other key actors.
• How African countries can lead the global conversation on education innovation and help deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
• The importance of multi-sector collaboration—including governments, philanthropies, and civil society in transforming education ecosystems.

Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss The Future of Farming: Using Tech, Finance, and Human Networks To Connect African Farmers to Global Markets? Make sure to check it out!

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

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu

Connect with Dr Kembou:
LinkedIn - Samuel Kembou, PhD
Twitter - @Foundation_JF

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]