After several years at McKinsey in South Africa and Nigeria, American-born Brooks Washington set out to build something of his own. His first venture was a beer bottle factory in Ethiopia. It was followed by a pan-African data centre business, an equipment financing company and, most recently, a hospital. How we made it in Africa…
From client invoices and contracts to the occasional image or presentation, printing still has a place in the modern small business. We put Epson’s EcoTank Business L6370 to the test to explore how it fits into the realities of today’s working environments. We may be moving towards a paperless workplace but let’s face it: there…
Our new book, How we made it in Africa II: Real stories of entrepreneurs turning opportunity into profit, is available here. The book was recently shortlisted for the Business Council for Africa (BCA) African Business Book of the Year Awards 2026. AfricaWorks founder Grégoire Schwebig says the co-working space operator is considering expanding to Conakry,…
This October, Bellville’s entrepreneurial spirit takes centre stage as Bellville Business Expo (BBEXPO) 2026 returns to Tyger Valley Centre for its fourth annual business expo, transforming one of the region’s busiest retail spaces into a celebration of local business, creativity and community. More than an exhibition, BBEXPO invites the public to discover the businesses shaping…
Despite access to finance consistently ranking among the most significant barriers to business growth, FinMark Trust estimates that only 20% to 30% of SMMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa manage to access formal credit. For many business owners whose companies are trading, winning customers and meeting their financial obligations, a funding rejection can be difficult to understand. However,…
If you run a franchise network long enough, you learn that the problem sitting in front of you is rarely the only problem you have. A franchisee tells you margins are under pressure. Dig a little deeper and you may find they have stopped replacing staff, training has slipped and service standards are beginning to…
Applications are now open for the SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme, with this year’s intake focused on entrepreneurs who have already proved that their businesses work and are ready to build them for growth. The flagship 18-month programme is looking for commercially proven South African businesses that are either already growing or demonstrably poised for…
Year-end approaching, and the merchandise brief isn’t done? You’re not out of options. But the way you approach the brief needs to change. October is certainly not too late to order branded corporate gifts before year-end. It is, however, the point where your deadline starts having a much bigger say in what is realistically possible….
Raj Kamal, founder and CEO of TransFi By Bonface Orucho (Bird Story Agency) Africa is building faster ways to move money across borders. However, faster payment rails are exposing the question whether banks and payment providers have enough of the right currencies, at the right price, to settle those payments. In February, the Pan-African Payment…
Femi Ogunjimi co-founded the Nigerian financial firm CardinalStone in 2008. He now focuses on its private equity arm, CardinalStone Capital Advisers, which invests in companies across West Africa. He spoke to How we made it in Africa editor-in-chief Jaco Maritz about his journey as an entrepreneur and investor. Topics discussed during the interview include: The…
