Yemisi Iranloye Our new book, How we made it in Africa II: Real stories of entrepreneurs turning opportunity into profit, is available here. Interview with Yemisi IranloyeFOUNDER and CEO, PSALTRY INTERNATIONAL Lives in: Nigeria Cassava is a root crop that resembles a large sweet potato. Nigeria produces and consumes more of it than any other country. Most often,…
A South African entrepreneur is bridging the gap between Africa and China, helping African businesses access Chinese markets while promoting African products abroad. Thandi China, based in China, is the founder of Wins International, a company that assists African entrepreneurs with sourcing products from China, verifying suppliers, conducting quality inspections, and managing shipping logistics. Her…
After 16 weeks of nail-biting competition, the 2025 Nedbank Pitch & Polish season came to a thrilling conclusion with a life-changing win for Gauteng entrepreneur Prudence Mabaso, founder of The Kitchen Wrap Company. Prudence walked away with the top prize worth R1 million – made up of R650 000 in cash and a R350 000…
Calisto Radithipa Interview with Calisto RadithipaFOUNDER and CEO, KEMCORE Lives in: Cape Town, South Africa Calisto Radithipa has built Kemcore into a key supplier to Zambia and DRC’s copper and cobalt mines. Calisto Radithipa was born in Marobela village in eastern Botswana, near the Zimbabwean border. In 2001, with local universities full, he received a…
Joël Sikam Interview with Joël SikamFOUNDER and CEO, FISCO INDUSTRIES Lives in: Douala, Cameroon Joël Sikam is the founder and CEO of Fisco Industries, a manufacturer of home and personal cleaning products in Cameroon. His ambition is to build Africa’s equivalent of Procter & Gamble, the American multinational behind household staples such as Ariel, Pampers…
Tisya Mukuna Interview with Tisya MukunaCO-FOUNDER, LA BOÎTE KINOISE Lives in: Democratic Republic of Congo Tisya Mukuna is the co-founder of La Boîte Kinoise, a coffee company in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She is also among the top 10 finalists in the 2024 Africa’s Business Heroes competition. By overseeing the entire value chain…
Affiong Williams, CEO of Nigeria-based dried fruit snacks producer ReelFruit Interview with Affiong WilliamsFOUNDER, REELFRUIT Lives in: Lagos, Nigeria ReelFruit, founded by Affiong Williams, has grown from small beginnings to supplying both local retailers and overseas buyers. By the late 2010s, Affiong Williams was ready to pull the plug on her Nigerian dried fruit and…
Entrepreneurship is often presented as the solution to South Africa’s unemployment crisis. For Adriaan Grové, a self-taught entrepreneur, this is true — but it comes with a dose of realism. “As we observe World Entrepreneur Day on 21 August, let’s be honest about what entrepreneurship really involves. It’s tough. It demands sacrifice, resilience, and learning…
Godiragetse Mogajane In the early 2020s, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Godiragetse Mogajane returned to Hammanskraal, the township north of Pretoria where he grew up. Back in his hometown, he noticed something missing: many of the popular food delivery apps that had become common in South Africa’s cities didn’t operate in the township. Townships – residential…
After a debut season that drew over 2.3 million views and saw a previously eliminated contestant crowned the winner, Engen The Making Of is back for season 2 – with another R800 000 up for grabs for fearless entrepreneurs. Sponsored once again by Engen, and powered by Raizcorp, ten bold entrepreneurs will be challenged to…
