Can Africa Build a Sustainable Fashion Value Chain From Raw Material to Retail? with Madelaine Fourie

Episode 234 with Madelaine Fourie, General Brand Manager at Sappi Verve, a business operating at the intersection of forestry, sustainable materials and global fashion value chains. Sappi Verve produces dissolving wood pulp from woodfibre, an essential raw material used to manufacture fibres such as viscose and lyocell that ultimately become the fabrics found in everyday clothing. From its forestry and manufacturing base in South Africa, Sappi forms part of a global textile supply chain that connects African natural resources with fashion markets around the world.In this episode, Madelaine explains the hidden journey behind many of the clothes we wear and why the fashion supply chain often begins in a forest plantation rather than a factory or retail store. She explores how wood grown in South Africa is transformed into dissolving wood pulp before being exported, converted into fibre, spun into yarn and eventually manufactured into clothing. The conversation examines whether Africa can capture more value from this process by developing stronger local and regional manufacturing capabilities rather than remaining primarily at the beginning of global value chains.Madelaine also explores how rising expectations around sustainability, traceability and transparency are reshaping the global fashion industry. As consumers and regulators demand greater evidence about where materials originate and how products are manufactured, she explains why traceability is becoming increasingly important and how developments such as digital product passports could create new expectations for businesses throughout the supply chain.What We Discuss With MadelaineCould the clothes in your wardrobe actually begin their journey in an African forest?Why does Africa supply materials to global fashion brands while capturing only a fraction of the value created from them?Could Africa build a fashion value chain that takes products from forest plantations all the way to finished clothing?Is sustainable fashion an overlooked industrialisation opportunity for Africa?What would it take for Africa to turn its natural resources into more factories, higher value exports and better jobs?Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss How Cascador Is Helping Africa's Growth Stage Businesses Navigate the "Messy Middle"? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with MadelaineLinkedIn - Madelaine Fourie and SappiMany 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:[email protected]

Episode 231 with Amanda Etuk, Program Director at Cascador, an Africa focused platform supporting growth stage entrepreneurs with the leadership, networks, strategic partnerships and catalytic capital needed to build resilient, high impact businesses.Amanda works at the intersection of strategy and execution, helping founders navigate one of the most overlooked stages of African entrepreneurship. With experience spanning scaling startups, managing complex multimillion pound operations and building ecosystem partnerships, she is focused on equipping entrepreneurs with the tools they need to grow sustainable businesses that create jobs and strengthen Africa's economy. Through Cascador, she works closely with founders who have moved beyond the startup phase but need the right support to successfully scale their businesses.In this episode, Amanda explains why Africa's biggest entrepreneurial opportunity lies not in creating more startups, but in helping existing African businesses successfully navigate the "messy middle". She explores why growth stage founders are often overlooked despite their importance to job creation and economic development, why leadership and strong networks matter just as much as access to finance, and why Africa needs new models of support that extend beyond traditional venture capital to build resilient, globally competitive businesses and strengthen the real economy.What We Discuss With AmandaWhy the "messy middle" is one of the biggest and most overlooked opportunities in Africa's entrepreneurial ecosystem.Why growth stage businesses are critical to creating jobs and driving long term economic growth across Africa.Why leadership development, mentorship and strong peer networks can be just as valuable as raising capital.Why Africa needs financing and support models that go beyond venture capital to better serve the real economy.What founders, investors, policymakers and ecosystem builders need to do differently to help more African businesses scale into resilient, globally competitive companies.Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Why Africa's Music Industry Isn't Getting Paid What It's Owed? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with AmandaLinkedIn - Amanda Etuk and CascadorMany 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:[email protected]

Episode 232 with Shain Shapiro, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Music Ecosystems and one of the world's leading experts on music, public policy, and economic development. Through his work advising more than 130 cities and governments worldwide, Shain has helped reposition music from being viewed simply as entertainment to being recognised as a driver of investment, job creation, and long term economic growth. He is also one of the architects behind the Music Economy Development Initiative (MEDI), a global partnership that has launched the first ever platform to map the music economies of all 55 African countries.In this episode, Shain explains why Africa's music industry represents one of the continent's most overlooked economic opportunities. Despite African music reaching audiences around the world through genres such as Afrobeats and Amapiano, Africa captures only a tiny share of the music royalties, copyright revenues, and wider economic value its creators generate. Drawing on landmark research from the Music Economy Development Initiative, he explains why nearly 286 million US dollars in recorded music revenue remains uncollected in Nigeria and Kenya alone, and how stronger copyright systems, improved intellectual property protections, better rights management, and greater investment could unlock billions of dollars for African creators and the wider economy.We discuss why governments should begin treating music as economic infrastructure rather than simply culture, how better data can transform policymaking and attract investment, the role of development finance institutions in strengthening Africa's creative industries, and why countries such as Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire are emerging as important case studies for music ecosystem development.What We Discuss With ShainWhy Africa dominates global music culture but captures so little of its economic value.The hidden copyright, royalty, and policy infrastructure every successful music industry needs.Why nearly 286 million US dollars in music revenue goes uncollected in Nigeria and Kenya.Can Africa's music industry become one of the continent's next major economic growth sectors?How better policy, investment, and copyright systems could transform Africa's creative economy.Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Investing $100 Million to Create Africa's Next Million Jobs: Why Manufacturing Beats Tech? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with ShainLinkedIn - Shain Shapiro PhD and Global CitizenMany 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:[email protected]

Episode 231 with Daniel Yu, Founder of Africa Jobs Fund, a philanthropic venture builder focused on creating high productivity jobs across Sub Saharan Africa through export manufacturing and international labour mobility.Daniel is best known as the founder and former CEO of Wasoko, one of Africa's leading commerce and supply chain technology companies. After spending more than a decade building logistics infrastructure across multiple African markets, he has shifted his focus towards what he believes is the continent's biggest economic challenge: creating productive jobs at scale. Through the Africa Jobs Fund, he aims to mobilise 100 million dollars over the next five years to back commercially viable businesses and workforce infrastructure that connect African talent and industry to global demand.In this episode, Daniel explains why he believes Africa's next phase of economic growth will depend on creating millions of higher productivity jobs rather than simply building more technology companies. Drawing on lessons from East and South East Asia, he explores how export manufacturing and international labour mobility have consistently driven industrialisation, income growth, and poverty reduction, and why Africa is now uniquely positioned to compete in global manufacturing and workforce supply chains.What We Discuss With DanielWhy Daniel believes Africa has spent too long chasing tech startups instead of building the industries that create millions of jobs.The uncomfortable truth about why consumer technology alone will not solve Africa's employment crisis.Is Africa on the verge of becoming the world's next manufacturing and workforce powerhouse?Why export manufacturing and international labour mobility have lifted more people out of poverty than almost any other economic strategy.How the Africa Jobs Fund plans to back the businesses that could fundamentally reshape Africa's labour market.Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Can Financing Unlock Africa's EV Revolution Faster Than Technology? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with DanielLinkedIn - Daniel Yu and Africa Jobs FundMany 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:[email protected]

Episode 230 with Soledad Sanchez Canamares, Family Friendly Workplace Policy Specialist at UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa, where she works with businesses, governments, and development partners to advance workplace policies that improve employee wellbeing, talent retention, workforce productivity, and long term business performance.As organisations across Africa and around the world face growing talent shortages, rising employee turnover, and changing workforce expectations, family friendly workplace policies are increasingly being recognised as a competitive advantage rather than simply an employee benefit. In this episode, Soledad explains why policies such as paid parental leave, childcare support, flexible working arrangements, and breastfeeding accommodations are becoming critical tools for attracting and retaining talent, improving workforce participation, and strengthening organisational resilience.Drawing on global evidence, business case studies, and UNICEF's Family Friendly Policies Toolkit, Soledad explores the relationship between workforce wellbeing and business performance. She discusses how employers can improve employee retention, productivity, engagement, and gender equality while building stronger and more resilient organisations. The conversation also examines the economic impact of care responsibilities, the role of workplace flexibility in the future of work, and why supporting working parents is increasingly being viewed as a business growth strategy.The discussion focuses on the African context, where informality remains high and many businesses operate with limited resources.What We Discuss With SolededWhy businesses may be losing money by failing to invest in family friendly workplace policies.Whether Africa is leaving billions in economic growth untapped because workplaces are not designed around how people actually live and care for their families.The hidden link between talent shortages, employee turnover, and the lack of support for working parents and caregivers.What family friendly workplace policies look like in Africa's informal economy, SMEs, and labour intensive industries where traditional models often fall short.Why investors, multinational companies, and global supply chains are increasingly treating family friendly policies as a competitiveness and business resilience issue.Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss The Grandmothers Helping Solve Africa's Mental Health Crisis? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with SoledadLinkedIn - Soledad Sánchez-Cañamares RíosMany 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:[email protected]

Episode 229 with Esther Tumbare, Chief Executive Officer of Friendship Bench, a pioneering Zimbabwean organisation transforming access to mental healthcare through community based solutions that have reached hundreds of thousands of people and expanded across multiple countries.Esther leads Friendship Bench's efforts to scale one of Africa's most recognised healthcare innovations while working closely with governments, public health systems, and community health workers to make mental healthcare more accessible, affordable, and sustainable. In this episode, she shares how Friendship Bench is helping address Africa's mental health crisis by reimagining the delivery of mental healthcare in underserved communities.Drawing on Friendship Bench's experience integrating evidence based mental health services into primary healthcare systems, Esther explains how the organisation has built a scalable model that combines local trust, rigorous research, and community led support to bridge the mental health treatment gap. She discusses the economic impact of depression and anxiety, the relationship between mental health and productivity, and why investing in mental healthcare should be viewed as both a public health priority and an economic development opportunity.What We Discuss With EstherWhy Africa cannot unlock its economic potential without addressing mental health.How a grandmother on a wooden bench is helping solve one of healthcare's biggest workforce challenges.The hidden cost of untreated mental health on productivity, employment, and economic growth.Why government adoption, not donor funding, is the key to scaling social impact.What African innovators can learn from Friendship Bench's journey from local solution to global model.Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Can Financing Unlock Africa's EV Revolution Faster Than Technology? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with EstherLinkedIn - Esther Tumbare and Friendship Bench ZimbabweMany 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:[email protected]

Episode 228 with Nena Sanderson, Chief Product Officer and Managing Director of Mobility at M-KOPA, a leading African fintech and asset financing company helping millions of people access productive assets, digital financial services, and clean mobility solutions through innovative pay as you go financing.Nena leads product strategy across M-KOPA's business while also overseeing its rapidly growing mobility division, placing her at the centre of one of Africa's most significant transport and energy transitions. In this episode, she shares how M-KOPA is helping make electric mobility accessible to everyday riders through flexible financing models that align with local income realities.Drawing on M-KOPA's experience financing thousands of electric motorcycles in Kenya, Nena explains how affordable financing, supportive government policy, local manufacturing, battery infrastructure, and strategic partnerships are accelerating adoption. She discusses the economic and environmental impact of electrifying Africa's motorcycle sector, the lessons emerging from Kenya's rapidly evolving mobility market, and the opportunities and challenges involved in scaling electric transport across the continent.What We Discuss With NenaWhy no single company can win Africa's electric mobility race alone.The real reason riders are switching from petrol motorcycles to electric bikes.How Kenya became the blueprint for electric mobility adoption in Africa.Can financing unlock Africa's electric vehicle revolution faster than technology?Building the ecosystem needed to electrify transport across the continent.Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss The Battle for Africa's Financial Rails: Stablecoins, Regulators, Cross Border Payments and Trade? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with Nena LinkedIn - Nena Sanderson and M-KOPAMany 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:[email protected]

Episode 227 with Mimi Kufuor, Global COO of KoinKoin, a digital assets exchange and financial infrastructure company focused on solving cross border liquidity and payment challenges across Africa and other emerging markets. Mimi oversees the company's global operations across multiple jurisdictions and works closely with regulators as digital asset frameworks continue to evolve. She also serves as a Strategic Advisor to the Chamber of Digital Assets and Blockchain Innovation in Ghana, contributing to policy development and industry alignment across the region.In this episode, we explore how Africa's financial infrastructure is evolving and why digital assets are increasingly being viewed as more than just investment vehicles. Mimi shares her perspective on the structural challenges that continue to hinder cross border trade and payments across the continent, and explains how emerging technologies such as stablecoins are creating new possibilities for moving value more efficiently between African markets.Drawing on KoinKoin's experience operating across multiple regulatory environments, Mimi discusses the realities of building compliant digital asset infrastructure while engaging directly with policymakers and regulators. She examines the opportunities created by Africa's evolving regulatory landscape, the challenges of balancing innovation with oversight, and the growing debate around the role of governments, central banks, and private operators in shaping the future of financial services.What We Discuss With MimiWhy Africa may have a unique opportunity to build new financial infrastructure rather than retrofit legacy banking systems.How stablecoins and digital assets are evolving from speculative assets into critical infrastructure for payments, liquidity, and trade.The race to regulate digital assets across Africa and whether fragmented national frameworks are slowing innovation and growth.The tension between dollar denominated stablecoins and Africa's ambitions for monetary sovereignty and financial independence.What needs to happen before 2030 to unlock a truly borderless financial system that supports trade and investment across the continent.Did you miss my previous episode where I discus The Untapped Trillion Dollar Opportunity in Africa’s Diaspora Economy? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with MimiLinkedIn - Mimi Kufuor and KoinKoinMany 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:[email protected]

Episode 226 with Nicholas Bassey, Chief Operations and Program Officer at the African Diaspora Network (ADN), an organisation mobilising diaspora investment, entrepreneurship, innovation, and strategic partnerships to accelerate economic growth across Africa. Nicholas joins us to discuss the future of diaspora investment in Africa, how African entrepreneurs can access global capital, and why Africa’s biggest challenge may not be a lack of money, but a lack of investment infrastructure, trust, and coordination.In this episode, Nicholas explains how ADN is connecting African founders, investors, policymakers, and global African talent through initiatives such as the African Diaspora Investment Symposium (ADIS), one of the leading diaspora investment and innovation platforms focused on Africa. He shares how ADN has supported more than 160 entrepreneurs through mentorship, funding opportunities, and strategic partnerships, while building a global network of over 15,000 entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, and changemakers committed to Africa’s long term development.We explore the rapid growth of Africa’s technology ecosystem, including artificial intelligence, fintech, digital health, venture capital, and diaspora led investment vehicles. Nicholas breaks down why Silicon Valley is paying closer attention to Africa’s innovation economy, the rise of African startups attracting international investors, and how diaspora communities can move beyond remittances towards structured investment opportunities that create long term economic value across the continent.What We Discuss With NicholaWhy Africa’s biggest challenge may not be capital, but investment infrastructure, coordination, and trust.How diaspora capital can move beyond remittances into scalable investment opportunities across Africa.The future of African startups, venture capital, fintech, AI, and innovation ecosystems.What Silicon Valley investors still misunderstand about African entrepreneurship and business growth.How the African Diaspora Network is connecting entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and global African talent to shape Africa’s economic future.Did you miss my previous episode where I discus Why Hiring and Paying Employees in Africa Is Harder Than Most Companies Expect? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with NicholasLinkedIn - Nicholas Bassey and African Diaspora NetworkMany 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:[email protected]

Episode 225 with Ernestine Van Rappard, CCO  at Workpay, a Kenyan founded, Y Combinator backed payroll, HR, and Employer of Record platform helping companies hire, pay, and manage employees across Africa without setting up local entities. Ernestine joins us to unpack one of the biggest hidden barriers to doing business in Africa: compliant hiring, payroll, and workforce management across multiple African countries.In this episode, we explore how global companies are expanding into Africa faster by using Employer of Record (EOR) solutions to hire employees legally and compliantly without establishing subsidiaries. Ernestine explains why setting up entities across Africa can take months, the complexity of navigating labour laws and payroll regulations across different jurisdictions, and why payroll infrastructure is becoming a critical part of Africa’s digital economy.We also discuss the rise of remote work and distributed teams across Africa, the growing global demand for African talent, and why international businesses are increasingly looking towards African markets for both expansion and recruitment. Ernestine shares how Workpay evolved from a HR software platform into one of Africa’s leading payroll and EOR providers, now supporting companies hiring across multiple African markets.What We Discuss With ErnestineWhy hiring and payroll compliance remain major barriers to business expansion across Africa.How Employer of Record (EOR) services allow companies to hire in Africa without setting up local entities.The realities of managing payroll, tax, and labour law compliance across multiple African countries.Why global companies are increasingly hiring African talent and building distributed teams across the continent.How Workpay is helping businesses scale faster across Africa through payroll technology, HR management, and compliant workforce solutions.Did you miss my previous episode where I discus The Future of Ecommerce in Africa and Why Speed and Reliability Is Everything? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with ErnestineLinkedIn - Ernestine Catz - van Rappard and WorkpayMany 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:[email protected]