Best African Tech Roundup Podcasts (2025)

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EP 164: Dr. Keabetswe Ncube, Achieving Sustainability in Agriculture through Genetics 58:48

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7d ago58:48

58:48

Send us a text What if the future of African agriculture lies not in expensive technology, but in understanding the hidden genetic code of livestock that have survived drought, disease, and harsh conditions for generations? Dr. Keabetswe Ncube takes us on a journey into agrigenomics - the science of using genetics to improve crops and livestock for…

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Wings, Culture, Community: The Rise of The Wing Republic with Tlhompho Mokoena 49:46

13d ago49:46

49:46

Some brands are born to be more than just businesses—they become cultural icons. The Wing Republic, founded by Tlhompho Mokoena, has spent over a decade proving exactly that. What started in 2014 as a single pop-up stand has grown into one of Gauteng’s most recognized food brands. From the early hustle at festivals and food markets to a brick-and-m…

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Building Access, Community, and the Future of South African Tech with Ntsako Mgiba (Darkies in Tech) 51:57

20d ago51:57

51:57

What does it take to build real power for Black founders in South Africa’s tech ecosystem — and create a future where professionals of colour have equitable access to knowledge, networks, and funding? In this episode, I sit down with Ntsako Mgiba, founder of Darkies in Tech — the country’s largest vetted community of Black founders, investors, and …

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Building Trust, Scaling Impact: How Thato Schermer Is Shaping the Future of Women’s Health 48:55

28d ago48:55

48:55

In South Africa and across the continent, millions of women still face healthcare that is expensive, fragmented, and impersonal. For far too long, care has been treated as a service, not a relationship. And when the system fails, it’s community — not institutions — that women turn to for support. Zoie Health was born in that gap. Built from lived e…

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The Human Work of Entrepreneurship: Ian Calvert on Building with Impact (Futher) 1:06:46

1M ago1:06:46

1:06:46

This episode is a deep dive into what it really takes to build ventures that last — and why starting with the human being behind the idea is the most powerful form of entrepreneurship. Ian Calvert, co-founder of FURTHER and former Global Project Leader at Red Bull Amaphiko, joins us to explore why personal growth, resilience, and purpose should com…

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EP 163: How Aid Cuts Affect Patients, Research and Jobs in Africa 43:50

1M ago43:50

43:50

Send us a text What happens when life-saving funding disappears? How do healthcare systems adapt? Can domestic resources fill the gap? The sudden freeze of US aid disbursements in January sent shockwaves through healthcare systems across Africa. Six months later, what was once a policy announcement has turned into a devastating reality for millions…

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Reclaiming the Narrative: Community, Media & Africa's Startup Story with Andile Masuku(African Tech Roundup) 1:14:23

1M ago1:14:23

1:14:23

What if the real power in Africa’s startup ecosystem isn’t capital — but control of the narrative? This episode is a reckoning with how stories are told, who gets to tell them, and what gets left out. Andile Masuku, co-founder of African Tech Roundup, joins us to unpack the tension between media, community, and innovation — and why reclaiming the n…

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Building the Future of African Media with Thabile Ngwato (Newzroom Afrika) 54:51

1M ago54:51

54:51

In this powerful episode of the Mashstartup Podcast, we sit down with one of South Africa’s most formidable media entrepreneurs — Thabile Ngwato. As the founder and CEO of Rapid Innovation Group, the force behind Newzroom Afrika, Ray Content Hub, Bluestream Technologies and Emerge, Thabile is not just telling the story — she’s rewriting the rules o…

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EP 162: Emmanuel Valentine, Making High-Tech Farming like Hydroponics Affordable for All 35:51

2M ago35:51

35:51

Send us a text With the continent's population projected to reach 2.6 billion by 2050, food production must increase by 70% amidst growing challenges from climate. Valentine Emmanuel, a Nigerian agricultural scientist, shares his innovative approach to solving Africa's food security challenges through sustainable farming techniques and entrepreneur…

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Andrew Hall of Paratus Namibia: Building Networks Serving Small Populations Across Vast Distances 11:30

2M ago11:30

11:30

Episode overview:Andrew Hall faces a unique challenge: building profitable telecommunications infrastructure across one of Africa's largest countries with one of its smallest populations. As managing director of Paratus Namibia, Hall oversees operations spanning vast distances where traditional business models struggle to pencil out.Andile Masuku i…

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The 10-Year Journey of TSHEPO Jeans: How Tshepo Mohlala Built a South African Icon 48:18

2M ago48:18

48:18

Meet Tshepo Mohlala, founder of TSHEPO—the premium denim brand worn by presidents, royalty, and everyday believers in quality and identity. But this isn’t just a story about jeans. It’s about a young man from Tsakane who dared to dream bigger than the limitations placed on him. It’s about betting on yourself—even when the odds are stacked. And most…

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East Meets Africa: Bernard Laurendeau on Curating African Opportunity For Japanese Investors 41:59

2M ago41:59

41:59

Episode overview:Bernard Laurendeau has a mission: to stop African business leaders from asking for "patient capital." The Ethiopian-French management consultant, now operating from Tokyo, believes this standard pitch fundamentally misunderstands how global investment works and fails African markets.It's a contrarian stance from someone who's spent…

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EP 161: Dr. Tebogo Makhubela, From Soweto to National Geographic, Tracing Human Origins 42:03

2M ago42:03

42:03

Send us a text What if the ground beneath your feet could tell you exactly when our ancestors walked the Earth? Dr. Tebogo Makhubela, a geologist from Soweto and a recent National Geographic Wayfinder Award winner, followed his scientific passion and is now uncovering these ancient stories as a National Geographic Explorer. This conversation takes …

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Engineering Everyday Solutions: Bootstrapping a Scalable Startup with Ayanda Dladla (Mowash) 51:47

2M ago51:47

51:47

Ayanda Dladla is the co-founder of Mowash – a mobile car wash platform turning everyday inconvenience into innovation. What started as long Saturday waits at local car washes became the spark for a tech-enabled service that connects customers to car washers on demand. In this episode, Ayanda shares how his background in engineering shaped the found…

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World-class Design: Guidione Machava on Why 'African Designer' Is a Limiting Label 54:21

3M ago54:21

54:21

Episode overview:Guidione Machava has a confession: he's tired of being called an "African designer." The Mozambican product designer, now based in France and fresh from stints at Shopify and Paris-based 23point5, reckons that geographic qualifiers automatically strip away a third of your professional value before you've even started.It's a provoca…

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EP 160: Future Women Innovators, meet the Dream STEM Technovation Summit Winners 30:53

3M ago30:53

30:53

Send us a text When 50 girls from underprivileged communities gathered at the Dream Women in STEM Technovation Summit in Durban, something big happened. In just three days, these young innovators became creators, inventors and problem-solvers who dared to reimagine their worlds and their futures. The summit challenged participants to develop soluti…

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Built to Last: A Decade of Walk Fresh with Lethabo Mokoena 1:05:53

3M ago1:05:53

1:05:53

What does it take to build something that lasts — not just in profit, but in purpose? Lethabo Mokoena, the founder of Walk Fresh, unpacks the lessons, phases, and grit behind building a township-born business that’s stood the test of 10 years. What began in a backyard in Daveyton is now a movement, a trusted brand, and a symbol of what’s possible w…

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From Engineering to Impact: Redefining Success with Kay Matjila 47:48

3M ago47:48

47:48

What does it really take to walk away from stability and build a life on your own terms? In this episode, I sit down with Kay Matjila — a Mechanical Engineer turned Social Media Strategist and Entrepreneur — to unpack the bold pivot that reshaped her career and purpose. After leaving behind a comfortable corporate job, Kay bet on herself and built …

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Filtering the Future: Lessons in Impact and Innovation with Murendeni Mafumo 44:23

3M ago44:23

44:23

What does it really take to build a solution that changes lives? Murendeni Mafumo, founder of Kusini Water, a groundbreaking South African social enterprise using macadamia nut shells and nanotech to purify water for communities across the country. From developing his first prototype to scaling an innovation that now produces millions of litres of …

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EP 158: Dr Okechinyere Achilonu, Biostatistics as the Backbone of Health Research in Africa 38:01

3M ago38:01

38:01

Send us a text What happens when passion meets purpose in the world of medical data? Dr. Okechinyere Achilonu takes us through her journey in the evolving landscape of biostatistics in Africa. She reveals how this often-overlooked field serves as the backbone of health research across the continent. Born in Nigeria, Dr Okechi is currently a lecture…

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Strategy Diaries: Wabo Majavu on Balancing Commercial Success with Digital Inclusion 1:09:15

3M ago1:09:15

1:09:15

Episode overview: In this conversation, South African strategist Wabo Majavu, executive strategy and business operations leader at Africa Data Centres, unpacks how technical expertise at organisations like MTN and Intelsat laid the foundation for her distinctive approach to strategic leadership and digital activism.From building radar applications …

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Driving South Africa’s EV Future with Fezile Dhlamini (Green Scooter) 1:21:13

3M ago1:21:13

1:21:13

Fezile Dhlamini is the founder and CEO of Green Scooter, the company behind Africa’s first electric motor-tricycle — the Zbee. In this episode, Fezile shares how he built a locally assembled electric vehicle business from the ground up, with no external funding, and why he believes the future of mobility lies in practical, affordable, and sustainab…

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Reimagining Maternal Healthcare with Tsitsi Marote (Guardian Health) 31:48

3M ago31:48

31:48

Tsitsi Primrose Marote, co-founder of Guardian Health — a platform reimagining maternal healthcare in South Africa through AI, data, and community-driven innovation. From academic research to award-winning innovation, Tsitsi’s journey is rooted in a deep desire to solve real challenges faced by women in public healthcare systems. In this episode, s…

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Changing Education for South Africa’s Future with Kagisho Masae (Matric Live) 57:23

3M ago57:23

57:23

Matric Live is a mobile-first learning platform that has supported over 600,000 high school learners — the majority from under-resourced communities — with free, accessible, and engaging tools to prepare for matric. Built by co-founders Kagisho Masae and Lesego Finger, the platform is reshaping how South African students experience education, and w…

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May Root of Science News Roundup 15:11

4M ago15:11

15:11

Send us a text What happens when African scientists tackle our continent's most pressing challenges? The May 2025 edition of our News Roundup, the first release under this segment, majorly focuses on innovation in health. The first is an AI-powered, solar-powered device that diagnoses Malaria and dispenses medicine. We also talk about Ghana's Yamac…

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Ola Oyetayo of Verto: Building a Profitable Cross-Border Fintech for Emerging Markets 38:17

4M ago38:17

38:17

Episode overview:In this conversation, Verto co-founder and CEO Ola Oyetayo shares the journey of building a cross-border payments platform that tackles the unique challenges African businesses face when making international transactions. Since graduating from Y Combinator in 2019, Verto has established itself as what Oyetayo describes as a profita…

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EP 158: The Role of African Podcasters in Science Communication 53:28

4M ago53:28

53:28

Send us a text On this Africa Day podcast, five African science communicators discuss their role in amplifying authentic African research voices. They explore how digital platforms are transforming science communication across the continent. From immunology and plant science to scholarly communication and mentorship platforms, these podcasters shar…

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From Start to Scale: The Wumdrop Journey with Simon Hartley 1:15:54

4M ago1:15:54

1:15:54

Simon Hartley — the entrepreneur behind Wumdrop, a last-mile delivery startup that grew from humble beginnings into a game-changing logistics platform, eventually acquired by Makro. Wumdrop started with a simple idea: deliver nappies on subscription. But when Simon and co-founder Roy Borole handed scheduling power to customers, they uncovered a muc…

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Reimagining Stokvels and Unlocking R50 Billion in Community Wealth with Tshepo Moloi (StokFella) 56:27

4M ago56:27

56:27

Tshepo Moloi — founder and CEO of StokFella, a fintech platform reimagining South Africa’s stokvel culture through innovation, technology, and community-driven design. Inspired by his own experience in a traditional stokvel, Tshepo saw the inefficiencies firsthand — from manual records to limited investment potential — and set out to build somethin…

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Building Healthcare for Africa’s Future with Zanele Matome (Welo) 57:02

4M ago57:02

57:02

Zanele Abraham Matome, the visionary founder of Welo Health — a platform revolutionizing healthcare access across South Africa and the SADC region. From growing up in communities with limited healthcare, to building a nationwide gig-economy model connecting nurses, doctors, and patients, Zanele shares her remarkable journey of purpose, innovation, …

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EP 157: Bongiwe Mtshali, Turning Invasive Plant Species into Renewable Energy 33:20

4M ago33:20

33:20

Send us a text What if the invasive plants ravaging African agriculture could become part of the solution to our energy crisis? In this conversation, researcher Bongiwe Mtshali reveals her innovative work converting problematic alien plant species into valuable renewable energy resources. Support the show Follow the show on: Twitter: @Rootofscipod …

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Innovating Venture Building Support: David Ogundeko on Funema’s Vision for Backing African Ventures 50:41

4M ago50:41

50:41

Episode overview:In this conversation, David Ogundeko shares the journey of Funema, an impact-focused alternative investment firm operating for nine years across Nigeria, South Africa, and the US. He discusses his approach to venture building for early-stage founders, why Africa needs a unique investment approach, and how his firm addresses the "ch…

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Unlocking South Africa’s Township Economy with Bulelani Balabala (TEA) 46:53

5M ago46:53

46:53

Bulelani Balabala is the founder of the Township Entrepreneurs Alliance (TEA), a platform that has supported over 50,000 township entrepreneurs with access to skills, mentorship, and markets. From humble beginnings selling sweets and fat cakes to building one of the country’s most impactful entrepreneurship platforms, Bulelani has made it his missi…