The East Africa Business Podcast: African Start ups | Investing | Entrepreneurship | Interviews

Humans are good at a lot of business functions, but one where animals have got us beaten is at sniffing things out. Rats have the best sense of smell of all mammals and can detect landmines and turburculosis to a much higher accuracy and in a fraction of the time of the best detection technology that humans can manage. Apopo trains rats from birth and then sets them out to do the job of detecting things which humans struggle at. Georgies and I discuss the applications of Apopo rats, the school program that they go through and how it’s easier to train the Giant African Rat rather than a dog. This one is a lot of fun and so I hope you enjoy. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/04/12/rats-training-rodents-for-humanitarian-purposes-with-georgies-mgode-from-apopo/

There are some ideas that, when someone tells you about it, your first reaction is surprise that there even needs to be a business I had this reaction about Flare, which is improving how people get access to emergency care in Kenya. Described as “an Uber for ambulances” it is consolidating the 50 companies that exist in the country so that there is one place for patients to call to get fast emergency care. Essentially making a something akin to 999 (or 911 in the US). We discuss the current state of the emergency healthcare market across Africa, the stepped process in which they are deploying the app and educating the population that this is a service that can actually exist. It’s one of the most interesting conversations I’ve had and so I hope you enjoy READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/04/05/ambulances-creating-uber-for-emergency-healthcare-with-caitlin-dolkart-from-flare/

Cash is risky business, and in Kenya, mobile money is big. People living in rural areas are liable to have their life savings lost if it is kept under the mattress. Many engage in lending co-operatives whereby a community organisation acts as a bank for people who need money in an emergency. This is, however, pretty archaic and inefficient meaning people can’t get instant access to cash when they need it quick. Using a digital platform that connects mobile money to these rural co-operatives, Inuka Pap is making it possible for people to get access to the funds in an instant. Waweru and I discuss what the lending landscape looks like, their social mission of providing free insurance, and the blurred lines around whether they themselves are a bank or not. As a side note, the day after I interviewed Waweru he pitched Inuka Pap at Seedstars, a global start up competition, and won the title for Kenya! You’ll see that he has knack for storytelling. Also, a car alarm goes off in the background right at the end, so apologies for that… In any case, I hope you enjoy! READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/03/29/digital-rural-banking-using-mobile-money-for-co-operative-lending-with-waweru-kuria-from-inuka-pap/

A recurring theme across East Africa is how owning an asset is a path out of poverty. It’s a bit of a chicken and egg problem, as banks typically require an asset as collateral before giving a loan. Tugende gives people their first step on the ladder. Starting as a side project of some bikes that Michael bought for his motorcycle friends, Tugende has now grown into an organisation that thousands of drivers use on their path to ownership. Michael and I discuss the issues of the rental poverty trap, the process around how they mitigate risk, and how he sees is customers as micro venture capitalists. It’s a very insightful about the financing industry in Uganda, and across the region. I hope you enjoy. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/03/15/lease-financing-giving-motorcycle-taxi-drivers-the-ability-to-own-with-michael-wilkerson-from-tugende/

A big issue in Tanzania, and indeed the rest of East Africa, is connecting agriculture buyers and sellers. The fact that produce goes bad because it can’t find a buyer is a real problemin terms of the incomes that farmers can receive. Ninayo is a marketplace where farmers can list their produce, giving buyers a place to search for goods. Maria and I discuss how the marketplace is being built, the plans for making revenue and how they are using Facebook to their advantage. We were in a cafe and so at some point you can hear people in the background. We’ve done our best to edit this out, but apologies if you find it distracting. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/03/08/agriculture-marketplaces-building-a-platform-for-farmer-produce-in-tanzania-with-maria-biswalo-from-ninayo/

A huge amount of employment in East Africa exists in the informal sector. People often working on an ad hoc basis with little record of what they do. This means that it is difficult for workers to build a reputation, and for customers generate trust. Adam and Johannes at Lynk see a great opportunity to use technology to bring value in this broad sector. We talk about how the founding story of their services marketplace above a hardware store, the processes around matching customers and workers, and their vision for how data can bring benefits to whole sector. It’s a super interesting episode, and I hope you enjoy READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/03/01/service-marketplaces-taskrabbit-for-kenya-with-adam-and-johannes-from-lynk/

If you don’t have much money there are lots of things that you can’t buy. This might sound simplistic, but in a country where a high proportion of the population have low disposable income it means that, as a manufacturer of products, there is a huge number of people who you can’t access. Unless… you could just give it to them have them pay you back over time. This is the opportunity that Angaza has seen, and they have developed a software platform to allow manufacturers to switch off devices if credit payments aren’t paid. Doing so puts products in the hands of people who otherwise couldn’t afford it. Lindsay is the Head of the Africa office and we discuss the history of the company, considerations for giving products on credit and applying their technology to a range of different products. It’s also similar, but different, to BBOXX who featured on an early episode called “Solar Systems”. You might be interested in listening to that too. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/02/22/hardware-technology-remotely-controlling-solar-products-to-open-up-new-markets-with-lindsay-caldwell-from-angaza/

Working capital in East Africa is tough to get your hands on. Umati Capital are looking to help, using technology to give credit where banks won’t, typically through giving food producers an advance when a big order comes in. Ivan and I talk about how the legal environment means issuing credit is tough, how they evaluate their clients, and their vision to professionalise the supply chain across the continent. It’s similar to the SME Financing episode with Bakka from Patasente, so give that a listen too if you find this interested. I also should note that the only room available in their co-working space was quite echo-y, and so the audio quality for this interview isn’t great. A couple of answers get lost and so I’m sorry about that. Nevertheless, I hope that doesn’t detract from what is a very interesting interview READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/02/15/invoice-financing-smoothing-access-to-capital-in-food-industry-with-ivan-mbowa-from-umati-capital/

Tea is a product that has a strong industrial base in East Africa. It’s been going for years, meaning that many companies have emerged and there is a pretty competitive landscape. In this episode I speak with Toby, Operations Manager at Chai Tausi in Tanzania We discuss the supply and sales network that they have in place, the best conditions for growing tea across the region and the considerations when it comes to making their blend. I’ve spoken to a lot of high tech companies on my tour in East Africa but this is a proper old school business that we chat about. I hope you enjoy it as much I did. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/02/08/tea-talking-cuppas-from-plant-to-mug-with-toby-theobald-from-chai-tausi/

Most people like to be entertained. Soon after getting a smartphone, people in East Africa start to seek out entertainment in the form of videos on Youtube not even considering the idea of a traditional television which has to stick to a schedule and requires being at home Internationally, the dominant “on-demand” video service is Netflix though the content isn’t very relatable to the African market. Victor and I discuss Tango TV, the Netflix alternative starting in Tanzania We discuss the current media distribution model in Tanzania, considerations of building a video streaming app in East Africa and why the local market won’t watch Game of Thrones even if it was in Swahili It’s a very interesting conversation that we have, and so I hope you enjoy. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/02/01/on-demand-video-building-netflix-for-africa-with-victor-mnyawami-from-tango-tv/

As more of East Africa goes online, they need web services. The trend is towards broader access to the internet and with thata demand towards bringing more and more offline interactions into the digital world. In Tanzania, this is exactly what Geek Technologies are doing Mbelwa and I discuss the trend towards making services digital, how they win customers and why they decided to name their business Geek Technologies It’s an insightful interview about technology in the country, and so I hope you enjoy READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/01/25/web-services-creating-paperless-systems-in-tanzania-with-mbelwa-mchayungu-from-geek-technologies/

Education is something which a lot of people are hungry for. Living Lab is a non-profit organisation in Tanzania that looks to empower people in low income communitiesthrough giving training in entrepreneurship and leadership In this interview, Victoria and I discuss the demographics of their participants, the logistics around organising rural education programmes and why liquid soap production is a popular business idea READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/01/18/business-skills-teaching-entrepreneurship-in-rural-tanzania-with-victoria-john-from-living-labs/

When most people think of East Africa, they visualise safari. The region is home to many large and exotic animals which parade through the national parks Mejah runs Afriroots, a tour company which focuses on experiences that are off the beaten track We discuss the different customer types they have, how he started his company with $200 and what to do if you ever become confronted by a lion. We were also next to where an aerobics class was taking place, and so if you hear some throbbing beats in the background, it’s just that. Either way, it’s a really interesting discussion about the tourism market in Tanzania and so I hope you enjoy. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/01/11/off-beaten-tours-breaking-new-ground-in-tanzanian-travel-with-mejah-mbuya-from-afriroots/

One of the things I’ve found interesting is how proven international business models are being applied in East Africa. Music streaming is one of these. In years gone by people in Europe and the US would own CDs but now stream through services like Spotify, which pays royalties to its artists and makes music accessible to all. Martin, who started Mdundo, is doing this in East Africa, though… it’s a little different. We discuss the particulars of the African music market, the considerations in scaling their business and what they look for in hiring talent. The room is slightly echo-y, so apologies in advance, however I hope this doesn’t detract from our very interesting conversation READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2017/01/04/music-streaming-building-spotify-for-africa-with-martin-nielsen-from-mdundo/&a

If you consider businesses that bring people joy, for me at least, cake is one of them. It’s also a product which is being bought by the emerging middle class especially in Kenya, with custom made ones being sold for up to $180. Grace not only makes these cakes, but teaches others how to with her Cake Academy. We discuss the customers who are buying cakes, how she taught her team to run the business when she went on maternity leave and innovations in the cake industry. The interview took place outside her shop, and so there is a bit of background noise and not all of the answers are fully audible. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/12/28/cakes-selling-everyday-treats-for-aspirational-kenyans-with-grace-murugi-from-cakes-co-ke/

One of the first places I had earmarked for learning about business in Kenya was the iHub. From reading up on business in East Africa it was always mentioned as the heart of the tech scenenot only in Kenya but also of the whole region. In fact, when rumours leaked that I would be interviewing Kamal for this podcast, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made sure to drop in for a visit when he was in Africa in late July. Kamal and I discuss the government’s role in fostering scalable businesses across East Africa, what makes a good pitch and the areas of growth that he sees in the Kenyan economy. It’s a very interesting conversation that we have, and I hope you enjoy READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/12/21/ihub-an-overview-of-the-east-africa-entreprenurial-ecosystem-with-kamal-bhattacharya-ceo-of-ihub/

Coming from the UK, one of the biggest differences in East Africa has been how products are marketed. In the co-working space I was at in London we would talk about Google Ad campaigns and reaching users online through content marketing. Here though, the radio is a dominant form of advertising. In this episode I talk with Suudi who runs Wave Records. We discuss his extensive experience in the radio industry, why old car radios can only play on restricted frequency and listen to some of his catchy jingles, including a slightly… interesting one about a Ugandan girl getting a Chinese boyfriend (at around 18 minutes) We were in his recording studio and so there might be a bit of activity/ phone interference going on in the background and it gets a bit echo-y at the end. Sorry about that. Hopefully it won’t detract from one of the… most unique interviews I’ve had. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/12/14/radio-adverts-marketing-on-uganda-radio-stations-with-dr-suudi-from-wave-records/

Understanding the consumer is an important part of a lot of businesses. Boniface is a director at SBO Research, a Market Research company that has been in business in Kenya since the mid-nineties. After finding them on Google I went in for a chat and we spoke about his perspective of the market. We discuss the change in political conditions that brought about the growth in market research industry, how drones are assisting researchers and whether an insurance policy will pay out if an eagle eats a chicken. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/12/07/market-research-a-history-of-surveying-and-gathering-insights-in-kenya-with-boniface-ngahu-from-sbo-research/

During my travels in East Africa, time and again people would point to the low prices that farmers receive as the main blocker to development. Low prices come from not being able to store produce, nor do the basic milling to give it more value. It’s difficult though, as much of the basic infrastructure such as transport, power and facilities are absent in the many rural areas that exist in the region. Peter Nyeko set up Reparle as a marriage of three organisations to solve exactly this. We talk about the environment that many rural farmers are living, how Reparle learnt about the conditions they worked in and the considerations with planning out a large scale project like this. We also talk a fair bit about biomass, and so if you’re interested in learning more about this solar alternative to clean energy creation, look out for the Clean Cooking episode I did with Ziwa from Green Bioenergy. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/11/30/farmer-support-providing-small-holder-farmers-with-affordable-value-adding-services-with-peter-nyeko-of-reparle/

Cooking is an everyday activity that most people engage in. In places where you don’t have gas, charcoal is often used to fire up a stove. Whilst people have been doing this for years, it is not very environmentally friendly, and it generates smoke in often confined areas of a home. Green Bioenergy is a social enterprise all about creating a clean cooking environment. Their two products are an improved cooking stove and smokeless charcoal briquettes. Ziwa and I discuss how they sell briquettes through rural agents, how they keep the complete supply chain produced in Uganda, and the prospects for taking this approach internationally. We conducted the interview in the garden of the Green Bioenergy office/ house and so there might be the odd bird tweeting in the background. Either way, I hope this doesn’t distract you from the interesting chat that we have. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/11/30/clean-cooking-using-renewable-biomass-charcoal-to-create-a-sustainable-smokeless-kitchen-with-ziwa-hillington-of-green-bioenergy/

When people start on a business idea, they typically go and work out of a co-working space so they can be amongst like-minded individuals, and also get support in starting their venture. The first of these hubs in Uganda was called Hive Colab, and I speak with Gilbert, the programme manager about his view of the interesting businesses coming out of the space. He really has his finger on the pulse of innovative companies being created in Uganda, and we speak about plenty, including how and why Hive Colab are looking to attract the top university graduates in the country, the exorbitant cost of internet access, and how he sees opportunities for the government to help promote what they are doing. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/11/23/coworking-space-giving-entrepreneurs-in-uganda-a-collaborative-place-to-work-with-gilbert-arinda-of-hive-colab/

Arriving in Kampala (the capital city of Uganda) one of the first thing people notice are how many motorbikes there are. It’s the de facto mode of transport for getting taxied around the city, in a place where car congestion is heavy. Near where I was staying was a showroom for Miracle Motors, a subsidiary of the larger Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group. After walking in, the head of the office Pankaj agreed to an interview, and we spoke about the many customer types of motorbikes, considerations of importing unfinished goods, and the evolution of the personal transport market in the region. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/11/16/motorbikes-the-extensive-market-for-ugandan-two-wheelers-with-pankaj-tiwari-from-mir

Uganda has the world’s youngest population. Brands are waking up to the idea that if they can create loyalty amongst this large section of society, they will reap the rewards for years to come. But how? Well a lot of them are going to Belguin, who started Young & Free International, an organisation that helps brands engage with the youth of Uganda. Belguin gives an excellent overview of his journey so far, what campaigns he has seen work best, and what he learned from hosting a cultural exchange with students from Somalia… READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/11/09/marketing-how-brands-engage-with-the-growing-youth-market-in-uganda-with-belguin-prosper-of-young-and-free-international/

Make up is not an industry that I can profess to know much about, but after speaking with Sylvia, the founder of Paramour Cosmetics, I feel I know a lot more In this episode we talk about how Western make up is unsuitable for African women, the way that Sylvia trains her staff to help customers with their mental wellness, and how the business is looking to expand in the US after Sylvia was accepted onto a programme designed by President Obama to find the next 1000 African leaders who will make an impact. Sylvia was also the person who introduced me to Gloria (the founder of Kampala Fashion Week) and so if you’re interested in more about East African beauty and fashion, be sure to give that episode a listen too. For now at least I hope you enjoy Sylvia and I’s conversation all about make up. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/11/02/make-up-growing-the-ma

Interest rates in Uganda, and indeed the whole East Africa region, are by Western standards, very high. A small business looking for a short term loan from a bank will be expected to pay in the region of 10% interest per month. In an economy where payment is often made upon delivery, this causes problems in terms of getting access to working capital. In this episode, Bakka and I discuss Patasente, the platform he has started to essentially crowdfund credit agreements for small businesses so that they can raise funds to take on new contracts that come in, and grow their business. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/10/26/sme-financing-building-an-enterprise-focused-credit-marketplace-with-george-bakka-from-patasente/

If you consider businesses that solve Tier A problems, safe drinking water is pretty much top of the list. Across East Africa people are unable to drink from the tap, and so are left to either boil their own, or buy expensive water in a bottle. Galen started Jibu to address the need, creating a franchise where local entrepreneurs could treat tap water at source and sell it in reusable bottles to people in their neighbourhood. We discuss how the business started, the benefits and challenges that come from the franchise model, and Jibu’s vision to provide convenient safe drinking water for all. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/10/19/bottled-water-franchise-decentralising-water-treatment-to-empower-entrepreneurs-in-east-africa-with-galen-welsch-of-jibu/

Across the world the pinnacle display of a country’s fashion is its annual “Fashion Week”. London, New York and Paris lead the way in this showcase of designers pushing the frontiers of design and style. Until Gloria Wavamunno started it a couple of years there was no Fashion Week in Kampala, Uganda. In this episode we discuss how and why she started the event, and cover a lot about the cultural and societal issues around fashion as well as giving an overview of the creative industries as a whole. Kampala Fashion Week 2016 is 20th – 22nd October 2016 READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/10/12/fashion-how-and-why-gloria-wavamunno-started-kampala-fashion-week/

There’s (literally) tonnes of fruit in Rwanda, but only a tiny fraction of it ends up being whizzed up and drunk as smoothies. When it does, it’s usually at Twistiblendz. I speak with Anitha about the leap she took to start the venture (in partnership with Giles and an organisation named SMGF), her plans for expansion, and the general market for healthy produce in the countryREAD MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/10/05/smoothies-a-small-but-growing-rwandan-enterprise-selling-healthy-juices-with-anitha-dusabe-of-twistiblendz/

Water is fundamental to any sort of agricultural business. As it stands, a large portion of Rwandan farmers only get it from the sky, in the form of sporadic rainfall. This is despite plentiful lakes full of water being mere metres away. Irrigation is the general term process for artificially getting water on these crops, and Flavia and I discuss her evaluation of the market and the product she has been looking at (Future Pump) that provides a solar powered irrigation pump to smallholder farmers. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/09/28/irrigation-systems-an-overview-of-innovations-in-how-farmers-in-rwanda-water-their-crops-with-flavia-howard/

From a GDP perspective, any business that “adds value” to a supply chain is a good thing. Traditionally countries like Rwanda have been just growing agricultural produce, with other companies/ countries undertaking investment and reaping the benefits of manufacturing of a higher value product. FarmFresh is different in that regard. I visited Christian Heremans at their “pilot factory” (a converted house) to see how his company are taking raw beans, and turning them into well packaged cooked beans for consumption in and out of Rwanda. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/09/21/cooked-beans-the-food-business-of-bean-processing-in-rwanda-with-christian-heremans-of-farmfresh/

Fresh produce delivery has traditionally been an informal industry in Rwanda. Reliably ordering food isn’t really a thing and so after finishing a contract at the Nike Foundation, Lauren Russell decided to set up GetIt as a way for businesses and consumers to have an easy way of ordering food. We go into how companies like GetIt are compensating for legacy infrastructure deficiencies, considerations in linking international brands to frontier markets, and how it’s now much easier for Rwandans to buy ingredients for a lasagne. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/09/14/food-delivery-the-logistics-of-delivering-produce-in-rwanda-via-whatsapp-with-lauren-russell-of-getit/

There’s a surprisingly interesting business to be had in little wooden sticks. Like much of the region, toothpicks are a staple at nearly every restaurant in Rwanda and this is a discussion about the industry operates. Olly Cassels gives us an overview of the market from his research into the timber production market, along with a lucrative business to be had in other areas of wood processing.READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/09/07/toothpicks-a-market-evaluation-of-the-toothpick-industry-in-east-africa-with-olly-cassels/

Off grid electricity is a big thing in Rwanda. The country is not going through the arduous process of establishing the grid, and then getting everybody to connect to it, and so for their energy a lot of Rwandan households are instead are going straight to source: the sun. BBOXX is an organisation providing such a service at an affordable rate across the country. Justus (BBOXX’s Rwanda MD) and I discuss the evolution of the sector, adapting customer’s mindsets from ownership to service, and the outlook for “off grid” energy. READ MORE AT: https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/09/04/solar-power-systems-one-of-rwandas-leading-solar-panel-companies-with-justus-mucyo-of-bboxx/

Rwanda’s demography means entrepreneurship is strongly promoted as a means of providing private sector employment for a young population. Aphrodice is General Manager of kLab, Rwanda’s first entrepreneurial hub, and explains how his organisation is doing just that. kLab opened in 2012 and offers free WiFi, space, and mentorship to businesses starting up. It is a Public Private Partnership that is seeing its membership grow each month. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/09/01/business-accelerators-rwandas-first-entrepreneurial-hub-with-aphrodice-mutangana-of-klab/