African Entrepreneurs: Inspiring Stories”

African Entrepreneurs have inspired us by overcoming odds and putting the continent in the forefront =t of development and sustainability. At BeeTeeLife, we understand the significance of shining a spotlight on African entrepreneurs across the continent. These innovative trailblazers are instrumental in driving economic growth, abundantly innovating, and generating opportunities for job creation. By sharing their journeys and triumphs, we cultivate a rich ground of inspiration and motivation for other entrepreneurs. Their impact reverberates beyond their local communities, contributing to the broader development and progress of the African continent. These success stories are a powerful affirmation of the boundless potential and rich opportunities within Africa’s business landscape.

Highlighting African Entrepreneurs:

1) Lorna Ruto

2) Jason Njoku (Nigeria)

3) Anna Phosa (South Africa)

4) Ali El-Shafei (Egypt)

5) Digital OMG (Ghana) (Egypt)

6) Aliko Dangote (Nigeria)

7) Bethlehem Alemu (Ethiopia)

8) Giraffe (South Africa)

9) Babajide Ipaye (Nigeria)

10) Zoona (Zambia)

2) Lorna Ruto” (Kenya) 

Lorna Rutto, a visionary Kenyan African entrepreneur, took a bold step in 2010, resigning from her flourishing banking career to venture into the waste management and recycling sector. She founded EcoPost, a company that stands at the forefront of environmental conservation through its innovative approach to reusing waste plastic. This waste material is transformed into aesthetically pleasing, durable, and eco-friendly fencing posts, offering a sustainable alternative to wood. Rutto’s ambitious enterprise could have remained unrealized had it not been for the substantial financial backing received from both international and local investors, as well as the support from various non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Her distinctive business model gained wide recognition when it triumphed in the esteemed Dutch International Business in Development Competition (BiD competition). This marked a turning point in her entrepreneurial voyage. In the same year, Rutto secured a $6,000 SEED Award, which she judiciously utilized as the initial funding for her startup. Further accolades followed with the Enablis Energy Globe-Safaricom Foundation granting her a substantial award of $12,700. Her business acumen shone once again when she emerged as the grand winner in the Cartier Women’s Initiative business proposal competition, taking home a cash prize exceeding $12,000. Rutto’s story is a testament to her commitment towards environmental sustainability and her indomitable spirit of entrepreneurship.

2) Jason Njoku (Nigeria) 

Jason Njoku is a co-founder of IrokoTV, an acclaimed platform that combines mobile entertainment and Internet TV. After the African entrepreneur failed abroad, he found success back home. Iroko has built a reputation for housing a comprehensive collection of ‘Nollywood’ films, a cinematic treasure of Africa. However, the initial phase of his venture wasn’t as glamorous as it may seem now. In 2010, after experiencing a series of failures with his previous ventures in the UK, Jason relocated to Nigeria. This strategic move facilitated the establishment of vital relationships with local movie producers, enabling him to secure content rights for his emerging platform, IrokoTV. The genesis of this business would have been inconceivable without a generous contribution of £90,000 from Sebastian, Jason’s close friend and business associate. Since then, IrokoTV has witnessed dramatic growth and expansion. It has attracted foreign investments amounting to $40 million, predominantly from venture capitalists.

However, in the early days of this business, the fight was not as glamorous. 

Jason moved to Nigeria in 2010 after failing at prior enterprises in the UK. The move helped him create ties with local movie producers and obtain content rights for his new start-up, IrokoTV. 

Without the £90,000 commitment from Jason’s buddy and business partner, Sebastian, beginning this business would have been impossible. 

IrokoTV has grown in leaps and bounds since then. The company has received up to $40 million in investment money from overseas investors, most of whom are venture capitalists. 

3) Anna Phosa (Nigeria) 

Anna Phosa, widely recognized as South Africa’s queen of pork, embarked on her African entrepreneurial journey in 2004, starting from modest beginnings with only four pigs. Her farm, Dreamland Poultry, emerged out of her passion and dedication, and within four years, it was supplying a prominent supermarket chain with 100 pigs per week. The breakthrough moment arrived in 2010 when Phosa inked a five-year contract with Pick n Pay, South Africa’s second-largest supermarket chain, to supply 10 pigs per week. This contract boosted her credibility and solidified her status as a successful entrepreneur in the farming industry. The exposure and success she achieved drew the attention of the USAID, which provided her with a grant to upgrade her farming operations. Today, Anna Phosa is an inspiration to many aspiring entrepreneurs in Africa and worldwide.

Anna began her first pig farm in Soweto in 2004 with a $100 investment from her resources. She started with only four little pigs. After four years, in 2008, Pick ‘n Pay, a South African grocery chain, hired her to supply ten pigs per week to its stores. This was a significant breakthrough, and the demand quickly increased to 20 pigs every week. 

In 2010, she got a large contract with Pick ‘n Pay to supply 100 pigs per week for the next five years under an R25 million (almost $1.9 million) contract (in Aug 2017 terms). After receiving the contract, Anna secured ABSA Bank and USAID funding to purchase a 350-hectare farm property. Her farm now shelters 4,000 pigs and employs approximately 20 people.

4) Ali El-Shafei (Ali El-Shafei) (Egypt) 

Ali El-Shafei, an Egyptian engineer, made his mark in the world of African entrepreneurship with his groundbreaking innovation, the Variable Reservoir (VR) Coupling. This innovative product proved revolutionary in the power generation sector. It enables the smooth and efficient operation of power generators under variable loads, reducing operational costs and enhancing energy savings. El-Shafei founded his company, Kinetics Technology, to foster the development and market application of this unique invention. The VR Coupling has earned him accolades, including the prestigious Africa Innovation Prize, awarded by the Royal Academy of Engineering. El-Shafei’s entrepreneurial success story is a clear demonstration of the transformative role of innovative thinking and technology in Africa’s economic landscape.

Dr Ali El-Shafei is a mechanical engineer and MIT graduate. His patented breakthrough, SEMAJIB, a multifunctional magnetic innovative bearing with potential applications in electricity generation, has made him famous. 

Dr El-Shafei was awarded the $100,000 Innovation Prize for Africa in 2017. The award money will further his invention and develop an industrial prototype. 

He received €240,000 from the European Union’s Research, Development, and Innovation Programme in 2009 before obtaining this award. In 2013, the Egyptian Science and Technology Development Fund awarded him a $100,000 grant. 

Hundreds of local, regional, and international competitions occur worldwide every year. The prize money for these tournaments can range from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars. 

5) Digital OMG (Ghana) 

Digital OMG, based out of Ghana, is an internet marketing agency making waves in the domain of digital advertising. Founded by the dynamic duo Bright and Godwin, the agency provides robust online marketing solutions to businesses across Ghana. Their innovative strategies and deep understanding of the digital landscape have helped African entrepreneurs improve their online presence.

When Dominic Mensah, Prince Boakye Boampong, and Jesse Arhin Ghansah were in college, they founded OMG Ghana. Smartphones were growing increasingly popular at the time, but Jesse and his pals struggled to find compelling internet reading material. As a result, they decided to establish a media company that offers various services for people like them. These youth showed African entrepreneurs that they have the same opportunities as any successful entrepreneurs wherever they are in the world.

The company’s reputation and fan base have already moved beyond Ghana to Nigeria and Kenya. South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Tanzania are all getting their websites. 

The three-person team got accepted into Y Combinator, one of the most prominent accelerator programs in the world. They also received $1.1 million from a consortium of venture capital firms and angel investors in June 2017. 

Angel investors are typically wealthy individuals or professional investors who make early-stage investments in enterprises. These individuals put their money into a new company in the hopes of a great return on investment.

6) Aliko Dangote (Nigeria) 

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, is a role model for African entrepreneurs, with a net worth of $12.3 billion as of mid-August 2017. Aliko Dangote’s name is synonymous with success and wealth in Africa’s business domain. The Nigerian business magnate is the founder and chair of Dangote Group, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate with interests in commodities. It is an interesting diversion from the other country’s wealthy, who make money from oil and gas. His astute business acumen has made him one of the richest men on the planet. He is an inspiration to Africa’s entrepreneurs of all generations.

Dangote’s tremendous fortune was built from highly humble beginnings despite his current commercial holdings throughout Africa. He began his firm in 1978 with a loan of 500,000 Naira from his grandfather. In today’s money, that’s around $1,400. 

African entrepreneurs often take the various sources of funding that are available to us for granted. Friends, relatives, coworkers, neighbours, and others in our social circles can be valuable sources of cash in the early stages. Take such sources seriously and pay back.

Dangote was able to repay his granddad in around six months, thanks to the success of his business. Dangote first focused on importing soft commodities such as rice, frozen fish, sugar, and baby food into Nigeria.

7) Alemu Bethlehem (Ethiopia) 

Bethlehem Alemu, an Ethiopian African entrepreneur, has become a beacon of inspiration for many through her shoe company, SoleRebels. Started in 2004, the brand merges traditional Ethiopian crafts with contemporary design, offering unique, eco-friendly footwear. Bethlehem’s venture has provided employment opportunities for the local community, fostering economic growth. Bethlehem Alemu was born and raised in Zenabwork, an impoverished town in the Ethiopian suburbs of Addis Ababa. 

SoleRebels, her company, is one of the most well-known and fastest-growing African footwear businesses on the planet! Her eco-friendly footwear (made from recycled materials) has been sold in over 50 countries worldwide, including the United States, Canada, Japan, and Switzerland. 

However, her company concept would never have taken off if she hadn’t received $10,000 in money from family and friends in 2004. 

Despite her low socioeconomic status, she was able to enlist the help of her family and relatives. This is the less-than-glamorous side of starting a business that glossy magazines neglect to discuss.

8) Giraffe (South Africa) 

Giraffe is a revolutionary job recruitment platform in South Africa that leverages mobile technology to connect employers with prospective employees. Giraffe aims to address unemployment issues in South Africa. They provide an easy solution for businesses to recruit medium-skilled staff. The founders are Anish Shivdasani and Shafin Anwarsha, African Entrepreneurs of Asian Origin.

The company won the Seedstars World Competition in 2016. They beat out 63 other start-ups from 55 countries to take home the big prize of $500,000 in equity investment capital. Giraffe received additional start-up capital from a group of US-based investors. This included Pierre Omidyar’s philanthropic investment organization, the Omidyar Network (founder of eBay), shortly after winning the $500,000 prize.

Find out more about funding opportunities for African Businesses.

9) Babajide Ipaye (Nigeria) 

Babajide Ipaye, a Nigerian entrepreneur, founded Keexs, an innovative footwear brand that combines comfort, style, and African heritage. Babajide launched the brand through a successful crowdfunding campaign, highlighting his strategic approach and the appeal of his product. Jide Ipaye worked as an IT specialist for nearly a decade, but he always wanted to do something new. He aspired to create fashionable footwear. 

Since he was a child, he’s liked shoes, but his selections were limited due to his foot size. He is a size 48 (European). As a result, finding shoes that are the correct size and fit has always been difficult. 

Rather than making bespoke shoes for himself, ‘Jide devised a plan to make excellent and high-quality footwear available for Nigerians. However, he lacked the financial means to realize his dream. 

He looked to the internet for capital. As a result, he raised £17,871 on Kickstarter, the world’s largest crowdsourcing platform, in 2015. ‘Jide used this money to make the first batch of 1,200 sneakers, thereby launching the brand and bringing it to life. That’s how his Africa-inspired company, Keexs, came to be. 

10) Zoona (Zambia) 

Zoona, a fintech start-up based in Zambia, has transformed the way money is transferred across the continent. It was founded by African Entrepreneurs of caucasian descent, Mike and Brett Magrath. Zoona offers a range of financial services, including money transfers and business payments. Their services have empowered millions of Africans, providing them with a reliable and secure way to conduct financial transactions.

In 2009, two enterprising brothers, Brad and Brett Macgrath, created Zoona, a financial services company. One is a former JP Morgan banker, while the other is a former commercial director of a Zambian telecommunications company. 

The firm offers in-country and cross-border money transfer services in various African nations, including Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. It has handled over $1 billion in money transfers, bill payments, and other financial services so far. 

Zoona secured $15 million from a consortium of investors led by the International Finance Corporation in 2016. The money will expand the company’s activities in Africa to reach ten markets and 30 million active consumers by 2020.

The International Finance Corporation, or IFC, is an international development institution. Countless other organizations like it help and invest in businesses, particularly in underdeveloped countries in Africa.