Real stories of entrepreneurs turning opportunity into profit
Following the success of the widely acclaimed first book, How we made it in Africa is back with 15 fresh deep dives into the journeys of entrepreneurs building remarkable companies.
Each story takes a frank look at the path from idea to established business. The mistakes. The challenges. The lessons learnt.
Discover how Rwanda’s Herve Tuyishime went from losing his home when his sausage company couldn't pay its debts, to listing the business on the stock exchange. Find out how Kenyan real estate developers Leonard and Emily Mcharo were able to stop worrying about money by their 40s. And learn how Calisto Radithipa evolved from selling fake jeans to becoming a major supplier to mining companies in the Congo.
These are the stories of the people making it happen – from Johannesburg to Lagos, Cairo to Harare.
Commissioned by:
Meet the Entrepreneurs
Katlego Maphai
South Africa
The story of the blue card machine
Herve Tuyishime
Rwanda
Betting the family home on sausages in Rwanda
Affiong Williams
Nigeria
Persistence pays off for dried fruit entrepreneur
Calisto Radithipa
Botswana
Trading knock-off jeans for mining contracts in the Congo
Lesly Marange
Zimbabwe
Entrepreneur braves multiple obstacles to build food company
Leonard and Emily Mcharo
Kenya
The Kenyan real estate company selling financial freedom
Debby Lawson
Nigeria
Cookie company cracks the Nigerian market
Seid Mohammedbirhan
Ethiopia
Entrepreneur turns a single sewing machine into factories, a hotel, and a mall
Joël Sikam
Cameroon
The quest to create the Procter & Gamble of Africa
Wandia Gichuru
Kenya
The business of fashion in East Africa
Ismael Belkhayat
Morocco
Groceries supplier becomes something that looks more like a bank
Charles Antwi-Boahen
Ghana
Side hustle becomes nationwide retailer
Hadija Jabiri
Tanzania
Exporting Tanzania's agricultural produce to Europe and beyond
Magda Habib
Egypt
The Starbucks – or rather the McDonald’s – of healthcare
Godiragetse Mogajane
South Africa