Hadija Jabiri The following article is a slightly edited excerpt from our new book, How we made it in Africa II: Real stories of entrepreneurs turning opportunity into profit. The publication was recently launched at Harvard Business School. The ebook and paperback versions are available here. When Tanzanian agribusiness entrepreneur Hadija Jabiri launched her enterprise,…
What if small businesses could advertise like big brands? Prism, a soon-to-launch self-service platform designed to simplify digital out-of-home (DOOH) media for small businesses, is hosting a pre-launch competition that aims to put SMEs on the map. It’s 7am, and Viktor is unlocking the doors to his coffee shop for the day. He knows his…
Persistence rewarded: 2024 Grand Prize Winner Henri Ousmane Gueye reflects the power of reapplying, refining, and ultimately winning. Partner Content: Africa’s Business Heroes Every year, thousands of African entrepreneurs ask themselves the same question: Is my business ready? Am I good enough? Is it even worth applying? And every year, too many stop there. They hesitate….
MSMEs are the backbone of South Africa’s economy, contributing over 60% of employment and a significant share of GDP, yet many still face barriers to market access, funding, and digital integration. As Africa’s digital economy continues its rapid expansion, the next phase of growth will be driven not only by large enterprises, but by the…
Danladi Verheijen Interview with Danladi VerheijenCO-FOUNDER and CEO, VEROD Lives in: Nigeria In 2008, Danladi Verheijen co-founded Verod Capital Management, a private equity investment firm focused on West Africa. How we made it in Africa editor-in-chief Jaco Maritz interviewed him about his journey as an investor and the lessons he has learnt along the way….
Sometimes, the greatest strength is found in unity. After raising over R150,000 in its inaugural year, Body20 is proud to relaunch its Body20 Cares initiative for 2026 — a campaign driven by compassion, community, and the belief that true wellness extends far beyond the studio floor. Body20 remains committed to ongoing support throughout 2026 and beyond, ensuring sustained…
Diana Orembe For Diana Orembe, co-founder and chief executive of NovFeed – a Tanzanian fish feed and organic fertiliser company – one of the core lessons of entrepreneurship is that all businesses are hard. “If you talk to a woman selling vegetables on the markets, she will tell you how hard it is to run…
At the 2025 ABH Grand Finale, Diana Orembe (Tanzania), Abraham Mbuthia (Kenya), and Adriaan Kruger (South Africa) were awarded funding for building scalable, high-impact businesses across Africa. Partner Content: Africa’s Business Heroes Across Africa, a quiet but decisive shift is underway. Entrepreneurship on the continent is no longer defined by early-stage experimentation or fragmented startup ecosystems….
Richard Okello Our new book, How we made it in Africa II: Real stories of entrepreneurs turning opportunity into profit, is available here. Interview with Richard OkelloFOUNDER, SANGO CAPITAL Lives in: Johannesburg, South Africa Africa-focused investor Richard Okello compares investing on the continent to riding a speedboat through rough seas while trying to drink a glass of wine…
A fast-growing company hires a developer in Poland, a marketing lead in Brazil, and a finance contractor in Kenya. And all of these employees are brought in without anyone ever setting foot in the same office. Meetings are held via video calls, documents are accessed and shared in the cloud, and the entire team collaborates…
