Trade, Tech, and Transformation: Creating a Lean and Trusted Ecosystem for Trade in Africa with Geoffrey de Mowbray

Episode 122 with Ola Fadiran, who is Co-Founder and CEO at Chiplab, a company that emerged from a critical need—bridging the talent gap in the semiconductor industry and unlocking Africa’s youthful potential. Inspired by conversations with industry leaders seeking to diversify their workforce, including the inclusion of more women and diverse talent, Chiplab was born.ChipLab's mission is to nurture talent across Africa to create state-of-the art intelligent systems. Chiplab has curated an environment that equips African nations to meet global technology needs. This allows its clients to offshore parts of their development and boost their ESG performance.What We Discuss With OlaHow do you plan to address the talent gap in the semiconductor industry, particularly in Africa?How does ChipLab plan to leverage African talent to meet global technology needs and reshape the semiconductor industry?Does Africa have the required talents to build a thriving microchip ecosystem? What challenges have you faced so far in establishing a fully functioning microchip manufacturing facility in Africa? How does ChipLab approach the critical issue of building trust in African-made microchips?Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Trade, Tech, and Transformation: Creating a Lean and Trusted Ecosystem for Trade in Africa? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamuConnect with Ola on LinkedIn at Ola FadiranDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at [email protected]

Episode 121 with Geoffrey de Mowbray, who is creating a lean and trusted ecosystem for trade through his two business ventures. He is the Chief Executive Officer at Via.Trade, which enables trade by digitising several aspects of the supply chain and bringing customers and suppliers together, all supported by a financial solution and world-leading logistics.He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Dints International, a company that leverages industry expertise and cutting-edge technology to provide supply chain solutions to the mining, construction, and heavy equipment industries, enabling them to connect with new customers and enter new markets.What We Discuss With GeoffreyCan you tell us about your entrepreneurial journey and what inspired you to launch ViaTrade and Dints International?Dints International and ViaTrade are heavily focused on Africa. Why do you think these solutions are needed on the continent?What are some of the particular challenges that African SMEs face when accessing credit for expansion, and how does ViaTrade solve them?How does ViaTrade use technology to digitise various areas of the supply chain, and what effect does this have on efficiency and transparency?Could you tell us more about the intersection of finance and technology in trade, and how ViaTrade navigates this landscape?Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Pulse Sports Journey and the Rise of African Sports Media? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamuConnect with Geoffrey on LinkedIn at Geoffrey de Mowbray, and Twitter (X) @geoffdemowbrayDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at [email protected]

Episode 120 with James Torvaney, the visionary Managing Director behind Pulse Sports, a thriving online sports news platform with a staggering 2 million monthly users. James's journey is one of amazing growth, having guided Pulse Sports from its inception to become the leader in the field in Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda.Pulse Sports is part of the renowned Ringier Sports Media Group, which includes well-known businesses such as Livescore.com and other top sports media websites throughout Europe. James' strategic vision has solidified Pulse Sports' position as an industry leader, setting new benchmarks for online sports news in Africa.What We Discuss With JamesWhat key strategies did you use to rapidly grow Pulse Sports to over 2 million monthly users within six months?What does this growth say about the appetite and potential of Africa's sports fanbase?Is there an opportunity for African sports brands to leverage the growth of African sports media to promote their brands globally?Could you highlight some of the important milestones you've witnessed during the recent rise of Africa-focused sports media?What are the most important insights you've gained while working in the African sports space?Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Advancing Women’s Economic Power in Africa Through Financial Access and Digital Technologies? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamuConnect with James on LinkedIn at James Torvaney, and Twitter (X) @jamestorvaneyDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at [email protected]

Episode 119 with Rachel Toku-Appiah, who is the Director of Program Advocacy and Communications for Africa at the Gates Foundation, and is at the forefront of advocating for gender equality across the African continent. Her extensive expertise and leadership within the foundation's advocacy efforts position her at the forefront of this critical movement.Before joining the foundation in 2021, she spent more than two decades in key global health and development roles, most recently as director for food security and nutrition at Global Citizen. Earlier, she worked for the Graça Machel Trust, launching the organisation and later working to build up its nutrition programme across the African continent and beyond. As country director in Lesotho for the Clinton Foundation, she oversaw programmes that strengthened all aspects of the country’s health system, from human resources and infrastructure to laboratory services and supply chain management.What We Discuss With RachelHow would you describe the current state of financial access for women entrepreneurs in Africa?What role do you see digital financial services playing in bridging the finance gap for women entrepreneurs in Africa? What are the key challenges you encounter in promoting financial inclusion for women in Africa?How does the foundation navigate the cultural and societal barriers that limit women's access to finances in Africa?Are there any current positive trends or activities in Africa aimed at enhancing women's economic empowerment through improved financial access?Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss The Incredible Story of Happy Coffee's Impact on Nigeria's Coffee Culture and Value Chain? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamuConnect with Rachel on LinkedIn at Rachel Toku-Appiah, and Twitter (X) @GatesAfrica Do you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at [email protected]

Episode 118 with Princess Adeyinka Tekenah, CEO of Happy Coffee, an indigenous Nigerian coffee brand and coffee solution company that has been actively dedicated to creating awareness about the Nigerian coffee value chain and improving the production and consumption of locally sourced Nigerian coffee since its establishment in 2015. Despite facing challenges common to startups in Nigeria, such as limited funding opportunities, Happy Coffee has thrived through bootstrapping and reinvesting profits. They have actively designed innovative solutions to withstand shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic. Happy Coffee offers a range of coffee products sourced from the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba, in addition to providing services such as mobile café service, coffee catering for indoor and outdoor events, barista training, café setup programmes, and consultancy services.What We Discuss With Princess AdeyinkaWhat specific challenges did you face as a startup in Nigeria's coffee industry?What innovative solutions has Happy Coffee developed to address challenges within the Nigerian coffee value chain?How have you gone about forming relationships with farmers and investing in farms to strengthen the coffee value chain?How does Happy Coffee actively contribute to promoting the consumption of locally sourced Nigerian coffee?What are your thoughts on the belief that Nigerians or Africans in general don’t consume coffee or that there isn’t a coffee culture in Nigeria?Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Discovering, Developing, and Signing Emerging World-Class Football Players From Africa? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamuConnect with Princess Adeyinka on LinkedIn at Princess Adeyinka, and Twitter (X) @YinkaahDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at [email protected]

Episode 117 with Kingsley Pungong, the Founder and CEO, and James Woods, a Partner and Director of Rainbow Sports Global.Rainbow Sports Global is a leading sports enterprise with a global footprint that has successfully positioned itself as a leading Pan-African sports entity, providing holistic management, marketing, and media solutions for football sports agencies, clubs, and talented African football players. The company controls multi-continent football club relationships and has unique expertise in sourcing and signing emerging world-class football talents from Africa.What We Discuss With Kingsley and JamesWhat inspired Rainbow Sports Global to focus on African football specifically?What are some of the challenges Rainbow Sports Global faces in sourcing and signing emerging football talents from Africa?How does Rainbow Sports Global ensure that its talent identification and recruitment process is effective and ethical?Would it be safe to say that African football stars currently stand out as some of the continent's most valuable exports?What work is being done at the grassroots level to encourage and develop future African football stars?Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Improving the Inefficiencies of Traditional Trade in Africa Through a Technology-Driven Platform? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamu Connect with Kingsley  on LinkedIn at Kingsley Pungong, and Twitter (X) @RainbowSports1 Connect with James  on LinkedIn at James Woods, and Twitter (X) @JamesfwoodsDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at [email protected]

Episode 116 with Deepankar Rustagi, who is a co-founder and CEO of Omniretail, a unified consumer goods distribution platform that improves the inefficiencies of traditional trade through a technology-driven FMCG platform.During Nigeria’s cash crunch in Q1 2023, Omniretail launched an embedded finance platform, OmniPay, which achieved over $100 billion worth of transactions in its first few months of launching. The cash crunch means a decline in output from cash shortages across the economy and resulted in catastrophic outcomes for businesses and small traders being unable to find the cash needed to pay for inputs, costing the Nigerian economy an estimated 20 trillion Naira ($43 billion).What We Discuss With DeepankarWho benefits most from your platform—buyers, suppliers, or consumers?What key features of OmniPay contributed to its swift adoption and remarkable success, marked by over $100 billion in transactions within its initial months?How does the OmniPay platform help alleviate the negative impacts of cash shortages on businesses and small traders in the Nigerian economy?With the exit of global FMCG companies from Nigeria, how does OmniRetail's platform help to fill the gap and strengthen local businesses and supply chains?Only a small percentage of African e-commerce companies are profitable; what specific strategies or approaches have you used that have resulted in profitabilityDid you miss my previous episode where I discuss How an Egyptian Startup Became the First African Lab to Acquire US-FDA Accreditation? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamuConnect with Deepankar on LinkedIn at Deepankar Rustagi, and Twitter (X) @rustagidDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at [email protected]

Episode 115 with Omar Shoukry Sakr, who is the CEO and Founder of Nawah-Scientific. A company on a mission to revolutionise the way people do scientific research in Egypt and beyond. Nawah-Scientific is the go-to place to outsource scientific services online.Nawah is a core hub of high-tech research equipment that provides a multitude of services to the region through an online platform, a world-class calibre of scientists, and a strong logistic network. They serve industries in need of product development and analysis (pharmaceuticals, petroleum, chemicals, agriculture, etc.), as well as academics at universities in disciplines of life sciences (biology, chemistry, pharma, etc.). What We Discuss With OmarHow has being a science company based in Africa affected your ability to grow and attract new customers?How has Nawah Scientific contributed to the advancement of scientific research in Egypt and beyond?Can you discuss the key milestones or achievements that Nawah Scientific has reached since its establishment.What role does collaboration play in Nawah Scientific's strategy for serving its clients and advancing scientific knowledge?How might Nawah Scientific's business model impact the long-term sustainability and growth of scientific research in Africa?Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss How to Build Investment-Worthy Startups: Insights From the Godfather of Angel Investing in Africa? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamuConnect with Oamr on LinkedIn at Omar Shoukry Sakr, and Twitter (X) @NawahScientificDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at [email protected]

Episode 114 with Harry 'Tomi Davies (TD), who is a Systems Analyst turned Public Speaker and author, Tech Strategy Advisor and Angel Investor, who is also Collaborator-in-Chief at TVC Labs, co-founder of the Lagos Angel Network (LAN) and President of the African Business Angel Network (ABAN).He is also widely regarded as the "godfather of angel investing" in Africa. TD is an active stakeholder and speaker in the African startup ecosystem, and he uses his wealth of experience and network to guide the next generation of innovative African startups that are creating economic value and social impact.What We Discuss With Tomi Davies (TD)Can you give us an overview of your new book, "Investment Worthy Startup," and how it aims to assist startups in Africa?The POEM framework—proposition, organisation, economics, and milestones—is a central aspect of your book. Can you expand on what the POEM framework is?Can you share some insights into the current state of the entrepreneurial landscape in Africa as a whole?What are some success stories or notable achievements from your portfolio of African tech startups as an angel investor focused on economic value and social impact?What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs looking to embark on their startup journey in Africa?Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Scaling in Africa: The Art and Science of Scaling Commercial Ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa with Scott Walker? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamuConnect with Tomi Davies (TD) on LinkedIn at Harry 'Tomi Davies, and Twitter (X) @TomiDeeDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at [email protected]

Episode 113 with Scott Walker, who is CEO and Founder of Systemic Innovation, which is a systems change innovation practice solving wicked systemic challenges through a collective intelligence model that connects people, ideas, and insights.Scott is also a co-author of the Scaling in Africa report, which is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the African scaling ecosystem. Designed as an applied research study (i.e., to identify pragmatic solutions to a set of specific problems rather than a theoretical academic inquiry), the aim of the report is to see actionable results offering answers to key challenges, which can assist various actors in making better, more informed decisions about where to apply the right type of support for improved results at the macro, ecosystemic, and venture levels.What We Discuss With ScottCan you elaborate on the challenges African scale-ups face in expanding across multiple countries?When it comes to scaling ventures, what factors should entrepreneurs consider when deciding between a global, regional, or local approach?What are the expansion challenges that African scale-ups face, and how can they be addressed or even prevented?What role do governments play in enabling or hindering the scaling of commercial ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa ?What do you believe are the most important success factors for scaling ventures in the African market?Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Empowering Tech Talent: Accelerating the Growth of Africa’s Tech and Developer Communities with Sunkanmi Ola? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at Terser Adamu, and Twitter (X) @TerserAdamuConnect with Scott on LinkedIn at Scott WalkerDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at [email protected]