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Artwork for The Connecting Africa Podcast

The Connecting Africa Podcast

Connecting Africa
Africa
Climate Tech
Melon Mobile
South Africa
Artificial Intelligence
Delta40
MVNO
Microsoft
Piggyvest
MTN
Kenya
Nigeria

This podcast tackles the biggest trends in African tech and interviews local startups disrupting their industries. The hosts are Connecting Africa Editor Paula Gilbert, Associate Editor Matshepo Sehloho and Venture for Africa Co-Founder & CEO Tobi Lafinhan who may come from different geographies and cultural backgrounds but who all have a love of tech and an interest in Africa's startup scene in c... more

PublishesInfrequentlyEpisodes38Founded5 years ago
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Technology

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Artwork for The Connecting Africa Podcast

Latest Episodes

PiggyVest Co-founder Odunayo Eweniyi reveals the secret to building trust in the fintech industry, debunks the myth that Africans don't save, and explains why success exposes your flaws faster than failure ever will.

This episode we speak to Ravi Bhat, commercial solutions officer and AI officer at Microsoft South Africa, about the real-world implementation of AI across African enterprises.

Bhat emphasizes that AI should be viewed as a cultural shift rather tha... more

On this episode we are joined by Calvin Collett, founder and CEO of Melon Mobile, who shares the brutal realities of building an MVNO from scratch, offering both cautionarytales and actionable insights for founders.

Please take a 2-minute survey to... more

On this episode we are joined by Jasiel Martin-Odoom, Investment Officer for Africa at Accion Ventures, who gives us a masterclass on what venture funds are looking for when they invest in fintech startups and why sustainable economics and resilient ... more

On this episode Delta40's Sean Karanja delves into Africa's evolving climate tech ecosystem and how venture capital firms are becoming increasingly interested in planet positive startups.

Please take a 2-minute survey to help us understand what top... more

In this episode the team highlights some of their favorite interviews from the past season and gives a sneak peak of what's to come in Season 4.

Please take a 2-minute survey to help us understand what topics interest you and what guests we should ... more

On this episode we speak to Jessica Hope, founder and CEO of Wimbart, about the relationship between startups and VCs and the dynamics at play when it comes to performance reporting and communication.

On this episode we speak to Loop founder and CEO, Kimberley Taylor, the mastermind behind a platform that powers over 3 million deliveries a month across Africa, including South Africa's biggest on-demand grocery service, Checkers Sixty60.

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Recent Guests

Odunayo Eweniyi
Co-founder of PiggyVest (Nigeria)
PiggyVest
Episode: Users first, always: How PiggyVest earned trust in fintech
Ravi Bhat
Commercial Solutions Lead, Africa
Microsoft Africa
Episode: Beyond the hype: AI's real impact on African enterprises
Jasiel Martin-Odoom
Africa Investment Officer at Accion Venture Lab (Accion Ventures)
Accion Ventures
Episode: What fintech investors want
Sean Karanja
Associate at Delta40, climate tech venture studio
Delta40
Episode: The truth about climate tech

Hosts

Paula Gilbert
Host of Connecting Africa, Editor
Tobi Lafinhan
Co-Founder & CEO
Matshepo Sehloho
Associate Editor / Host

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Eye On A.I.Craig S. Smith

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Users first, always: How PiggyVest earned trust in fintech
Q: What has kept PiggyVest going for 10 years in a challenging regulatory landscape?
A commitment to earning trust brick by brick, keeping promises, maintaining user control over funds, and being transparent and proactive when issues arise.
What fintech investors want
Q: What should founders absolutely avoid or embrace when starting a fintech today?
Avoid building a product before deeply understanding the problem and the market; embrace solving a real problem with a sustainable business model, and obsess over customer feedback to guide iteration.
The truth about climate tech
Q: What are the main barriers to funding climate startups in Africa, and how can founders navigate them?
Barriers include misalignment between traction signals and funding readiness, a scarcity of AI talent in early teams, and a heavy emphasis on capital-intensive infrastructure. Solutions include accelerator support, strategic talent placement, and funders backing sector-specific plays with practical milestones.
The truth about climate tech
Q: How does Delta40 define climate tech, and how does that differ from common perceptions?
Delta40 frames climate tech as ventures that address adaptation and mitigation, improve efficiency and access, and deliver tangible income benefits, rather than broad, vague environmental branding. The definition is sector-focused and outcome-oriented, not just 'green' labeling.
Beyond the hype: AI's real impact on African enterprises
Q: Which sectors in Africa are genuinely ahead with AI and have measurable impact at the moment?
Digitally mature sectors like tech, telecoms, and financial services are ahead, delivering ROI through AI-powered infrastructure, customer experience improvements, and process automation. Large firms show significant ROI (e.g., Discovery), while government agencies automate tasks like tax assessments to scale impact.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Connecting Africa Podcast

What is The Connecting Africa Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A regionally focused technology podcast that centers on African startups, scale-ups, and the broader tech ecosystem. Episodes commonly feature founders, investors, and operators discussing product-led growth, regulatory navigation, and practical deployments of technology in Africa. Notable throughlines include fintech journeys, AI adoption in enterprise contexts, telecom and digital-first customer experiences, and the balancing act between growth and profitability within diverse African markets. A standout strength is the mix of founder stories with practitioner insights from multinational players and local ecosystems, often accompanied by candid takeaways on funding dynamics, governance, and talent development. This mix makes the show part... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with The Connecting Africa Podcast:

1. TED Talks Daily

How many episodes of The Connecting Africa Podcast are there?

The Connecting Africa Podcast launched 5 years ago and published 38 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Connecting Africa Podcast?

Recent guests on The Connecting Africa Podcast include:

1. Odunayo Eweniyi
2. Ravi Bhat
3. Jasiel Martin-Odoom
4. Sean Karanja

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