Startups

African entrepreneurs share the challenges of being a business pioneer

November 17, 2014

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Press Release:This month on CNN’s ‘African Start-Up’ 30 minute special, viewers are treated to a plethora of business innovators who are familiar with what it takes to run a successful business in Africa and overcome the challenges that come their way. From financial constraints to breaking into new markets, this month’s business pioneers are willing to face their host of challenges head-on.

The show features Tanzanian Moyo Designs founder, Ayesha Mawji who specialises in home décor and accessories crafted out of local textiles like khangas and kitenges. Ayesha explains: “Moyo means heart on a soul level in Kiswahili… I’ve always loved the local textiles here. So, I feel quite privileged that I can work with them. And, I don’t think that the kitenge and the khanga have really been used like this before so that’s quite a nice feeling to come up with that”. A photographer by trade, “when digital photography came along, I lost connection with the medium… I needed something more tactile to work with” she says.

‘African Start-Up’ also revisits two Kenyan entrepreneurs, Kelvin Macharia Curia- founder of a vehicle security solutions company, Sunrise Tracking, and Charles Muchene, co-founder of Clad Light Limited, the first wearable technology company in the African region.

From vibrant coloured bow ties in Rwanda, to cocoa products and skills transfer in Uganda, what these inventors have in common is that they know what it means to start small.

One of the seven entrepreneurs who founded the Pamoja Centre, Innocent Byaruhanga states: “We want to do something that is very durable, the work we are doing is not only helping us to create employment for the vulnerable children, we also want to protect the environment”. As they identify gaps in their markets and find unique solutions, they are also not immune to challenges in business.

The special 30 minute ‘African Start-Up’ programme on CNN International showcases how innovation in Africa is thriving and what it takes to keep afloat in challenging markets.