The year 2019, started, on a, rather, promising note, for most entrepreneurs, especially, in sub-Saharan Africa.
Irrespective of the daily hardship encountered, by an average entrepreneur, on the continent, due to bad road network, high cost of running a business, political instability, changes in global commodity prices and regulations, etc.,
Some entrepreneurs across the African continent, have found ways to circumvent, some of these dire situations, to come out much stronger.
While some set of youths, on the continent, are focused on getting fat salaried, 9 – 5 jobs, these other sets of individuals turned young African entrepreneurs, are focused on solving problems, besetting the African continent.
With well-charted business plans and they have been able to beat some of the unfavorable odds, stacked up, against them and come out, much more refined.
They are young, smart, ambitious, go-getters, with a tenacious attitude.
This list contains some young African entrepreneurs, that has been able, to change and impact the continent, through their various solutions, but it is, in no way, an exclusive or conclusive list, as there are many other young Africans that, are performing wonders, but are not stated here, due to space.
Irrespective of your age, however, you can still awaken that entrepreneurship spirit in you and create the much-needed solutions, for the good of Africans.
Obi Ozor, 30, Nigeria – Kobo360
Obi Ozor is, the CEO of Kobo360, a Nigerian Freight Logistics start-up. Late in 2018, Kobo360 secured $6million, in investment seed, from a consortium, led by the IFC and which, also, includes YCombinator, WTI, TLcom, Cardinal Stone Partners and Chandaria Capital.
Kobo360 beat e-commerce giant, Jumia, to win the “Disrupter of the Year” award, at the 2019 Africa CEO Forum.
Kobo360 is a technology-enabled digital logistics platform that aggregates, end-to-end haulage operations.
Obi and his Co-Founder, Ife Oyedele ll, have not, only succeeded in staking a stronghold in the logistics industry in Nigeria, through their business plans, but have already kick-start expansion, to other parts of Africa.
“We’re a company that started in Nigeria, but we already consider ourselves to be a Pan-African company, with tech solutions that, will change how the whole continent does business.
Once we refined our business model in Nigeria, we made swift steps to move into three countries and we’re not stopping there” Obi stressed, in an interview, he granted, to Mfonobong Nsehe of Forbes Africa.
Onyeka Akumah, 33, Nigeria – Farmcrowdy
Onyeka, has often been described, as the man with the Midas touch, with his business plans. He is the Founder and CEO of Farmcrowdy.
Farmcrowdy is the first digital agriculture platform in Nigeria, focused on connecting farm sponsors, with real farmers.
In 2017, Farmcrowdy, became one of the most talked-about start-ups, after it raised $1 million in seed funding.
Farmcrowdy, recently, launched Crowdyvest, an impact-driven platform that connects individuals to multiple sponsorship opportunities that are safe, trusted and secure, to increase avenues for economic growth, across Africa.
Bruce Diale, 29, South Africa – Brucol Global Development
Bruce started his entrepreneurship journey, with R30,330, ($235), raised by his, then, girlfriend and little brother.
With this money, he charted a business plan and he was able to kick-start Brucol Global Development, in 2014, which ended up becoming a global brand, in South Africa.
Brucol Global Development is, an agricultural consulting company, with the vision of innovating and revolutionizing the rural agricultural landscape of Africa.
The start-up has grown, in leaps and bound and since its inception, it has been able to gains more ground and operates in three provinces, employing 15 people and generated over R13 million ($877,000), in turnover.
Khanyisile Madonko-Nderezina, 25, Zimbabwe – Sakhile Madonko Enterprises
While most kids were busy playing video games and throwing banters on social media, Khanyisile, was busy selling sweet, on the streets in Zimbabwe.
He traveled down to South Africa and founded a student café and restaurant.
In 2015, Khayisile, founded Sakhile Madonko, a platform that provides strategy, consulting, business development and growth advisory, for SMEs.
Sakhile Madonko, has worked with several companies, in the SADC region and partnered with the University of Witwatersrand’s Development and Leadership Unit and consulted for over 80 students, running businesses.
Through his start-up, Khayisile has been able to craft out, more business plans and launched an accelerator that helps students, start and run viable businesses, thus, helping to alleviate unemployment rates.
Sadaam Suleiman, 28, Kenya – DragonFly Limited
Sadaam Suleiman is, the Co-Founder and Managing Director of DragonFly. He noticed a gap, in the digital marketing field and this led to the creation of DragonFly.
DragonFly ia a company that gets involved in digital advertising, media, branding and public relations platforms.
He started with four staff, including himself, in a small office space in Nairobi, but now, the business has grown to a staff of 33.
DragonFly has competed with multinationals and was recognized in 2017, as the eighth-best agency in Kenya, by the Association of Practitioners in Advertising.
Suleiman has big dreams and one of them is to open new offices in the East African region, as well as invest in technology and innovation, using artificial intelligence, A.I and machine learning.
Are there other young African entrepreneurs you think should be on this list, please state in the comment section below
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