Starting Or Running A Business In East Africa? This Podcast Is For You!
What does it take for a young woman to start her own business in East Africa? That is the question Kali Media founder Paula Rogo answers in this 7-episode series as she navigates launching her own company. Along the way, she talks to some of East Africa’s most exciting young women entrepreneurs and experts hailing from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.
This podcast is like a 7-episode masterclass on starting and running a business in East Africa. In addition to the links I have shared below, the podcast is available on Stitcher, Itunes, Google Play and Youtube.
In episode 1, Paula sets the stage for women entrepreneurs. This vibrant discussion between Paula, Scheaffer Okore, vice-chair of Ukweli Party, and program manager at Siasa Place, and Melissa Mbugua, managing partner of MNM Consulting highlights the opportunities for women entrepreneurs, and is a cheerful introduction. It really is our time!
In the second episode, I get to have a great discussion with Navalayo Osembo the founder of Enda Sports – Kenya’s first running shoe. We discuss ideation; how to know if your business idea is a good one, and how to move past the ideation phase and into doing something about that idea.
Episode 3 is about legal compliance. Paula talks to attorney June Gachui of JGIP Consultants and Tanya Mula Mula of StudioRed Communications (Tanzania), about something entrepreneurs ignore until it is too late – ensuring that our businesses are legally compliant.
In Episode 4, Paula talks to Andia Chakava (investment director of the Graca Machel Trust) and Wakiuru Njuguna (investment manager at HEVA fund) about funding. Statistically, women entrepreneurs tend to shy away from conventional funding opportunities, opting to use their savings. this compromises business growth.
In Episode 5, Siki Kigongo, the co-founder of Amagara Skincare in Uganda talks about how she made the decision to step away as the company’s CEO and return to formal employment. I LOVED this episode, because we do not talk about this often enough – we assume that once one has signed up to be an entrepreneur, any change of direction is failure. The discussion about transitioning from the founder to a second CEO was very enlightening.
In Episode 6, all the women who have featured in previous episodes talk about work-life balance.
Finally, episode 7 deals with the elephant in the room- sexism. The women talk about their experience of sexim in the East African boardrooms and how they navigate a culture that does not believe in women playing big.
This podcast is like sitting with entrepreneurship professionals and having a candid, intimate discussion about things nobody tells you about starting and running a business in East Africa. Do listen!
