13. African Tech Roundup’s Andile Masuku on the first ‘Made in Africa’ Smartphone and How to Do Business on the Continent the Right Way

11/03/19 • 78 min

In this episode of Dear Diaspora, I had the pleasure of interviewing Andile Masuku, co-founder of African Tech Roundup. African Tech Roundup is a Johannesburg-based media and insights organization which tracks the progress of Africa’s emerging digital, tech and innovation industries.

African Tech Roundup produces podcasts, syndicated op-eds, omnichannel media projects, live events, and in-depth fringe insights coverage of leading conferences. I’ve been listening to African Tech Roundup for a couple of years now, so I was honored to have a conversation with Andile.

In addition to African Tech Roundup, Andile presents storytelling podcasts for the BBC World Service, develops and executes content strategy and tactical media plays for leading companies. His op-eds also offer readers around the world accessible African perspectives on the continent’s digital transformation journey.

During the episode, we discuss what sparked his interest in technology, his thoughts on the Mara Group (they’re behind the first cellphone to be completely manufactured in Africa), as well as what he thinks about China’s presence on the continent.

If you’re interested in tech on the continent—you don’t want to miss this interview!

Tune in for more of our conversation wherever you listen to podcasts.

“Get your savings up and put yourself in a position where you can at least spend 3 months minimum immersed in the everyday life of the places you think you’re going to impact.” - Andile Masuku

Resources mentioned in this episode:

African Tech Roundup Episode about Facebook’s Libra and if its good for Africa: https://www.africantechroundup.com/facebook-libra/

The Mara Group’s Phone Factories in Durban and Kigali: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tobyshapshak/2019/10/31/africas-mara-group-launches-phone-factories-in-durban-kigali/#488e0a91230b

Jumia: https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/10/africa-e-tailer-jumias-shares-fall-4-day-after-ipo-lockup-expiration/

More on China’s Presence in Africa: https://chinaafricaproject.com/cap-network-members/andile-masuku/

African Tech Roundup Twitter: https://twitter.com/africanroundup

If you’re interested in tech on the continent—you don’t want to miss this interview!

Tune in for more of our conversation wherever you listen to podcasts.

“Get your savings up and put yourself in a position where you can at least spend 3 months minimum immersed in the everyday life of the places you think you’re going to impact.” - Andile Masuku

Resources mentioned in this episode:

African Tech Roundup Episode about Facebook’s Libra and if its good for Africa: https://www.africantechroundup.com/facebook-libra/

The Mara Group’s Phone Factories in Durban and Kigali: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tobyshapshak/2019/10/31/africas-mara-group-launches-phone-factories-in-durban-kigali/#488e0a91230b

Jumia: https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/10/africa-e-tailer-jumias-shares-fall-4-day-after-ipo-lockup-expiration/

More on China’s Presence in Africa: https://chinaafricaproject.com/cap-network-members/andile-masuku/

African Tech Roundup Twitter: https://twitter.com/africanroundup

Previous Episode

12. Bonus Episode – Why is Self-Care So Hard? Self-Care Chat with My Bestfriend Jasmine

Episode 12 is a bonus episode and the episode topic is: self-care! I had a conversation with Jasmine Lessley all about self-care. Jasmine is a nationally qualified fitness competitor, lifestyle and fitness blogger, student and one of my best friends!

We chat through some of the biggest lessons she learned in the military, her fitness journey, and her tips for prioritizing self-care and making it less of a chore.

You can follow her on Instagram at @jasmineraechelle to follow her journey!

“You can’t pour into others if you don’t have anything left in the tank. Self-care allows you to refuel.”

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Jasmine’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasmineraechelle/

Dr. Caroline Leaf's book Jasmine mentioned towards the end of the episode: https://amzn.to/31Oe6Zo

Next Episode

14. How to Start a Cosmetics Line with Lady Beverly Co-Founder Beverly Luma

For episode 14, I had the pleasure of interviewing Beverly Luma, co-founder of Lady Beverly, a cosmetics line offering affordable makeup and beauty products/services.

Lady Beverly was started in 2016 while Beverly and her sister were mere college students. After trying product after product, the sisters were unable to find a line of makeup that worked for their sensitive skin. Their frustration led them to experiment and ultimately launch Lady Beverly, a cosmetics company offering vegan, cruelty-free makeup.

After operating for a few years, Beverly sold part of the company in effort to expand operations in her home country of Cameroon and beyond.

During the episode, she shares her experience finding the right manufacturers, enlisting the help of her family and friends to make sure the business ran smoothly, and the next phase of the business—expanding and having a stronger presence on the continent. Listen in to hear more of our amazing conversation!

“It would be nice to see that I contributed to something [on the continent]. I will probably put a drop of water in the ocean, but that will be good enough for me.” - Beverly Luma

Lady Beverly on Instagram: @ladybeverlyofficial

Lady Beverly on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladybeverlyofficial/

E-mail:[email protected]