AfricanOptimist - how we thrive against great odds

About AfricanOptimist - how we thrive against great odds

What does it take to survive and thrive in Africa? This and other questions are answered weekly as we dive into the worlds of dynamic doers and thinkers who are changing the future of the continent. Join Sanja Gohre in conversation with a wide range of people as they share their journeys of triumphs and tribulations, tips and tricks, analysis and insight, and most of all their inspiration on how and why they survive and thrive. For the back story of all guests, transcripts and show notes, visit www.africanoptimist.co.za (www.africanoptimist.co.za), where you can also sign up for the AfricanOptimist newsletter (https://africanoptimist.co.za). The AfricanOptimist podcast is proudly hosted by Afripods, the world's Nr 1 podcast for African stories.

Publisher

AfricanOptimist

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

14 Jan 2024

Latest episode

26 May 2026

Latest episodes

17 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 May 2026

   #17 Linda Mabhena Olagunju - 'Every Opportunity is an Audition.'

   Linda Mabhena-Olagunju saw the map of Africa when she was eight - all the gold, the oil, the diamonds - and couldn't understand why CNN kept telling her we were poor. That question never quite left her. Today she's on track to become Africa's largest Black female-owned independent power producer. A few things she said that I'm still thinking about: that every opportunity is an audition. That being underestimated has been her biggest power move. That business, at its core, is theatre - negotiation is posturing, deal-making is a dance, and the boardroom is just another stage. This is the story of a young girl from a village in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, who went to drama school, became a lawyer, helped take on Donald Trump in Aberdeen in her twenties, and is now quietly building an energy empire across the continent. Generous, sharp, and clear-eyed. Settle in.

2. 

   30 Apr 2026

   #16 Melusi Mhlungu - From Soweto to the Super Bowl and back again.

   This episode is a behind the scenes look at the man behind the brand JozimyJozi and the unbelievable story of his rise to the top of the advertising industries in both South Africa and the United States before his return to home town Johannesburg to start a movement of hope and regeneration. In a candid conversation, Melusi speaks about his near-miss as a lawyer, early influences on his advertising career, and how 'stalking' local and international advertising heroes ultimately led him to work in the United States, where he continued his award-winning streak. He talks about his creative process, how 'letting go' of ideas is his secret to success, and that he once scored a perfect 10 out of 10 for his optimism in a psychometric test but was warned that could be considered 'dangerous'. It is in the second half where he tells the story behind the branding of JoziMyJozi, a movement 'of the people', with a vision to fix something that many had abandoned as 'broken', and the relationship between two men that gave birth to it. As a founding partner, Melusi Mhlungu describes the moment on Constitution Hill when the seeds were sewn for the creation of JoziMyJozi as a brand that nobody owns. He shares a love letter to his home town Johannesburg that inspired the branding of JoziMyJozi, and explains why the movement decided to 'start with the actions' (not bragging about what they were intending to do, but just 'getting shit done'). He explains why patience is the superpower of the motley crew of JoziMyJozi doers, and how when they got a no, they just carry on, not waiting to get a yes. The episode is infused with Melusi's infectious and enduring optimism, about life, South Africa's youth ('people who are not stuck in the reality of now') and ultimately, South Africa's City of Gold. If you feel down about Joburg, and the world in general, this episode is for you. People here can 'geshido'!™. For more information, show notes and time stamps, go to www.africanoptimist.co.za.

3. 

   11 Apr 2026

   #15 Melusi Mhlungu. What do a Creative Optimist & a South African Optimist have to do with Jozi?

   After a long break, I am cranking up the AfricanOptimist podcast again. I have spent the last while working on the 'economic engine' (thanks coach Karl Gostner!) behind the podcast, my business 'StoryBanking'. But I have missed the people who are shaking things up all around us, so am back with the headphones, recording and listening to some pretty amazing stories. I waited quite a while for this first interview. The aim was to start with something that involves something bigger being built than a business or service. Something that could set the tone for the rest of the interviews going forward, based on community and a fighting spirit. When I stumbled upon JoziMyJozi, I knew I had found it. A movement 'of the people', with a vision to fix something that many had abandoned as 'broken'. And a relationship between two men, that gave birth to it. In this episode, founding partner Melusi Mhlungu describes the moment on Constitution Hill when the seeds were sewn for the creation of JoziMyJozi as a brand that nobody owns. He shares a love letter to his home town Johannesburg that inspired the branding of JoziMyJozi, and why the movement took a decision to 'start with the actions' (not brag about what they were intending to do, but to just 'get shit done'). He explains why patience is the superpower of the motley crew of JoziMyJozi doers, and how when they got a no, they just carry on, not waiting to get a yes. The episode is infused with Melusi's infectious and enduring optimism, about life, South Africa's youth ('people who are not stuck in the reality of now') and ultimately, South Africa's City of Gold. If you feel down about Joburg, and the world in general, this episode is for you. People here can 'geshido'!™ For the guest bio, show notes and the transcript, visit www.africanoptimist.co.za.

4. 

   4 Aug 2025

   #14 Lita Miti-Qamata - How African Entrepreneurs & Creatives Can Protect Their Ideas and Commercialise Them

   Masterclass on intellectual property with IP lawyer Lita Miti-Qamata from law firm Adams & Adams. Two years ago, Mita stood up at an IP workshop in Johannesburg, pulled out a Coke can, and made intellectual property law make sense to me for the first time. 'Everything you need to know about IP is right here on this can,' she said, and then delivered the clearest explanation of trademark law probably everyone in that room had ever heard. I knew right then I had to get her on the podcast. Here's something that might surprise you: while 'protect your IP' has become a rallying cry among African entrepreneurs and business owners, African brands account for just 2% of the world's 11.6 million trademark filings. There's clearly a gap between knowing we should protect our intellectual property and actually doing it. In this conversation, IP lawyer Lita Miti-Qamata from Adams and Adams walks us through why that Coke can holds the key to understanding intellectual property protection. She explains why Coca-Cola's CEO would grab the company's trademark certificates before anything else if their building was on fire, and tells us how bizarre it can get - somebody actually managed to trademark the smell of freshly cut grass. This is the first episode in our IP series. Lita breaks down the five types of intellectual property you can protect, then takes us deep into trademarks: what they are, how to apply for them, how to think strategically about international protection, and why having a long-term IP strategy isn't just legal housekeeping—it's essential for building real wealth over time from your ideas. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by intellectual property law or wondered whether it's worth the effort, this conversation will change how you think about protecting the intangible assets that could—and should—become your most valuable business assets. For more info on Lita, a transcript and show notes, visit Lita's guest page on the AfricanOptimist website (africanoptimist.co.za (http://africanoptimist.co.za/)). TIME STAMPS 00:26 – What is Intellectual Property (IP)? 00:53 – Africa's share of registered trademarks 01:15 – Guest Introduction: Lita Miti-Qamata 02:40 – Workshop for creatives and IP 05:25 – The Five Types of Intellectual Property 08:51 – Trademarks vs. Brands 11:17 – Copyright explained 12:21 – Trade secrets and confidential information 14:43 – Patents and designs 16:45 – How long does IP protection last? 19:31 – Registering and protecting your trademark 22:00 – The value of a registered trademark 25:20 – Trademarks as business assets 27:55 – Enforcing your rights without registration 31:20 – How to start the trademark application process 34:20 – Choosing the right owner for your trademark 36:13 – What can be trademarked? 38:20 – The Nice Classification system 41:00 – Prioritizing what to protect 44:09 – Staggering protection as your business grows 47:08 – Trademark ownership and rights 50:59 – Registering in other countries and regions 54:02 – WIPO and international registration 57:36 – First to file vs. first to use 01:00:14 – Working with Thebe Magugu (fashion designer) 01:08:26 – Cultural appropriation and IP 01:13:48 – Can you trademark common terms? 01:17:12 – What fails to get registered? 01:21:25 – The state of trademark registration in Africa 01:24:48 – Closing remarks and where to find more information

5. 

   18 Jul 2025

   #13 Claudia Castellanos - How you dust off an old family recipe and build it into a super hot brand

   AfricanOptimist #13 Claudia Castellanos - How you dust off an old family recipe and build it into a super hot brand, while being fair to suppliers and the planet. We hold a delightful conversation with entrepreneur and self-proclaimed food rebel Claudia Castellanos who takes us on the rollercoaster ride of growing an international business that started with her and her husband's first sell out of 400 bottles of chilli sauce from a tiny stand at a music festival in Eswatini, southern Africa. What follows is nothing short of a gutsy tale of what it really takes to turn a single recipe, on a fat-stained paper, into an international, super hot brand with a venomous bite. This, despite insisting on local production, permaculture training, organic certification, glass bottles, pure ingredients, and facing revolving staff at retailers, naysayers who don't get it, crazy deadlines and serious competition from rows and rows of other chilli sauces sitting neatly on supermarket shelves. Claudia was very generous in her sharing of every detail. It is a rare insight into how a couple who knew nothing about retail, and manufacturing, in a country not known for its chillies, managed to build something truly special. If you need a touch of inspiration, and a load of really well-earned and practical business advice - this episode is for you! For more info on Claudia, a transcript and show notes, visit Claudia's guest page on the africanoptimist website (africanoptimist.co.za (http://africanoptimist.co.za/)). TIME STAMPS 00:00 Introduction to the African Optimist Podcast 00:23 Claudia Castanos: The Birth of Black Mamba 01:21 Values Over Profit: The Philosophy Behind Black Mamba 02:52 Claudia's Journey: From Colombia to Eswatini 12:04 The First Recipe and Launch at Bushfire Festival 21:19 Building the Brand: Challenges and Successes 31:01 Expanding Distribution and Overcoming Obstacles 39:34 Sourcing Chillies from Smallholder Farmers 42:36 High Value Crops and Farmer Partnerships 43:59 Initial Farmer Reactions and Market Access 46:38 Challenges and Solutions in Crop Production 54:50 Scaling Production and Food Safety 01:09:41 Recipe Development and Product Innovation 01:17:10 Future Challenges and Optimism

6. 

   5 Dec 2024

   #12 Dr Thebe Ikalafeng - 'The African who travelled from his small town in Kimberley, to the top of Kilimanjaro, to the rest of the continent.'

   Dr Thebe Ikalafeng shares his inspiring journey from corporate marketing to promoting African brands, highlighting the importance of putting Africa first and marketing a continent through brands.

7. 

   4 Sept 2024

   #11 Sarah Dusek - on becoming an entrepreneur who thinks BIG, and a VC who helps African women think BIGGER

   #11 Sarah Dusek - on becoming an entrepreneur who thinks BIG, and a venture capitalist who helps African women think BIGGER - an insider's guide to scaling and pitching your business. Take a wild entrepreneurial ride with Sarah Dusek, entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author of Thinking Bigger, a powerful guide to growing a business, scaling a business and pitching a business for more money than most women dare to imagine. In this episode, Sarah shares tactical advice on the shift in mindset that is required to grow big businesses as a female entrepreneur, and candidly speaks about how she had to come unstuck from outdated notions on motherhood and a woman's traditional 'helper' role in order to build her business - which she sold for a whopping $100 million ten years after she launched it. In her book, Sarah highlights the fact that currently less than 2 percent of women-owned businesses do more than $1 million in revenue annually and only 2 percent of all venture capital dollars yearly goes towards funding female entrepreneurs. The book, and this interview, are part of Sarah's mission to demystify the world of fundraising and the basic building blocks needed to systematically and tenaciously pivot and push until a minimum viable product is created that can ultimately scale. If you read one entrepreneur book this year, let it be Thinking Bigger, and if you only listen to one entrepreneur's intrepid and inspiring journey, let it be this episode. Sarah masterfully weaves her thoughts on why female entrepreneurs play too small, with practical advice on how to draft a winning pitch deck for something big, all the while sharing her personal success story of growing a business from four tents on a family farm to an international luxury lifestyle brand known for pioneering glamping. For more information on Sarah Dusek, visit her page on the AfricanOptimist website (africanoptimist.co.za/guests/sarah-dusek), where you can find her bio, show notes and episode transcript. Never want to miss an episode? Visit our website and subscribe to the AfricanOptimist (africanoptimist.co.za) newsletter. Time Stamps 00:00 Introduction to the AfricanOptimist Podcast 01:18 Sarah Dusek's Journey: From Zimbabwe to Montana 06:00 The Birth of Under Canvas 09:57 Challenges and Pivots in Entrepreneurship 20:16 Overcoming Doubts and Embracing Risks 29:24 The Tent Rental Business 33:10 Creating a Tented Hotel Experience 36:57 Overcoming Initial Challenges 37:48 Living Conditions and Staff Dynamics 38:37 Realizing the Business Potential that Can Scale 41:14 Understanding Venture Capital 42:47 Shifting Mindsets and Building Value 49:56 The Importance of a Pitch Deck 54:44 Facing the VC World 01:02:02 Embracing Thoughtful Capitalism 01:05:41 Empowering Female Entrepreneurs 01:11:58 Conclusion

8. 

   18 Jun 2024

   #10 Gus Le Breton - On influencing EU law, the challenges of processing wild-harvested fruit, the future power of baobab harvesters and the need for 'courage, my son'

   AfricanOptimist Episode #10 Gus Le Breton - On influencing EU law, the challenges of processing wild-harvested fruit, the future power of baobab harvesters and the need for 'courage, my son' It is hard not to think of the Greek myth of Sisyphus when you listen to Gus le Breton tell the unfolding story of the production and sale of the African indigenous baobab fruit. Much like the Greek king Sisyphus who was condemned by the Greek god Zeus to keep rolling a stone up a hill only to see it roll back down again when he reaches the top, Gus seems to face a new challenge just as he deals with an old one in this telling of his baobab tale. At face value, this episode seems like an entrepreneur's story of how to create and export an indigenous food. But it is so much more than that. It is the open account of the struggles and successes of an almost 30-year journey to make the unique African baobabs (a keystone species of the planet) economically viable, in the hope that this can reduce poverty for its wild harvesters and lead to the long-term preservation of this ancient resource. It is also a masterclass in the details of what it takes to get to market, influence legislation and create demand for what nature has to offer, but many take for granted. And unlike Sisyphus, Gus did manage to successfully push some big boulders over the hill, and also loves his work and does not see it as punishment. But his cautionary tale still holds. Perseverance is key. For more information on Gus Le Breton, visit his page on the AfricanOptimist website (africanoptimist.co.za), where you can find his bio, show notes and episode transcript. Never want to miss an episode? Visit our website and subscribe to the AfricanOptimist newsletter. TIME STAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Baobab and Initial Reactions 00:38 Welcome to the African Optimist Podcast 00:51 The Baobab Tree: A Natural Marvel 02:06 Gus le Breton: The African Plant Hunter 03:52 Challenges in Commercializing Baobab 05:23 Early Efforts and Setbacks 07:11 The Struggle with Industrial Agriculture 10:31 The Journey to Market Baobab 20:16 Navigating Regulatory Hurdles 31:46 The Importance of Wild Harvesting 34:04 Processing Baobab: Challenges and Solutions 38:36 Challenges of Traditional Baobab Processing 39:43 Ensuring Quality and Standardization 40:35 Formation of the African Baobab Alliance 42:11 Collaboration vs. Competition 44:11 Creating Demand for Baobab 48:14 Marketing Challenges and Success Stories 54:37 The Superfood Debate 57:13 Importance of Research and Consumer Awareness 59:25 Fair Trade and Value Distribution 01:07:29 Future Prospects and Investor Insights 01:08:38 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

9. 

   2 May 2024

   #9 Joséphine Katumba - The rise (and importance) of the Intrapreneur, jumping on rocket ships without a reserved seat and 'weighing and paying' as a retail model of the future

   AfricanOptimist Episode #9 Joséphine Katumba - The rise (and importance) of the Intrapreneur, jumping on rocket ships without a reserved seat and 'weighing and paying' as a retail model of the future In this episode, you will learn a couple of things. Firstly, you will get a behind the scenes look at how you take an idea (let's face it, haven't we all had them - 'One day I will open…' 'Some day I will sell…') and turn it into reality. And secondly, how you can do this not only as an entrepreneur, but as an intrapreneur within an organisation. Just as exciting, at much less personal risk. Our guest Joséphine Katumba shares how, while growing her own small business, she was recruited by celebrity entrepreneur himself, Miles Kubheka (from 'Vuyo' fame and founder of the Wakanda Food Accelerator) to help create Gcwalisa, an exciting 'weigh and pay' mini retail model first piloted in Johannesburg's Alexandra township (developed in 1912 as the only place where Africans could buy freehold land, and now adjacent to Sandton (one of the richest suburbs of Johannesburg). Joséphine takes us on the two-year journey of growing Gcwalisa into a model pilot mini retailer that is now on the brink of scaling up and expanding its horizons. With her signature calm voice and in matter-of-fact detail, we get a glimpse of the iteration and patience required to birth a brand new baby, that lets you buy food for the money you have in your pocket or in exactly the quantities you need. Joséphine is the picture of Zen, and could grow anything she puts her mind to. Join me in finding out how she does it. And why. For more information on Joséphine Katumba, visit her page (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za/guests/joséphine-katumba) on the AfricanOptimist website, where you can find her bio, show notes and episode transcript. Never want to miss an episode? Visit our AfricanOptimist website (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za/) and subscribe to the AfricanOptimist newsletter. TIME STAMPS 00:00 Embracing the Unknown: Cheryl Sandberg's Google Analogy 00:41 Introducing the African Optimist Podcast 00:54 The Journey of an Intrapreneur: Meeting Joséphine Katumba 01:07 Josephine's Entrepreneurial Spirit Meets Miles Kubheka 12:56 Designing and Implementing the Gcwalisa Model 18:03 Community Feedback and Adjusting the Offering 21:31 Understanding Gcwalisa's Impact and Philosophy 28:24 Exploring the Poverty Tax and Packaging Solutions 28:47 Customer Journey and Packaging Innovations at Gcwalisa 29:48 Shifting Consumer Behaviour and Environmental Impact 31:19 Understanding Gcwalisa's Customer Demographics 33:57 Real-life Customer Stories: Impact and Gratitude 40:50 The Business Model and Scaling Up 41:21 The Importance of Patience in Business Growth 43:57 Facing Competition and Maintaining Originality 46:51 Challenges and Learnings 49:55 From Entrepreneur to Intrapreneur: A Personal Journey 55:37 Closing Remarks and Resources

10. 

    5 Apr 2024

    #8 Adam Welz - why 'climate change' should be renamed 'climate breakdown', how humans have disrupted 11,000 years of relative stability, how nature is reacting to this and why we should care

    Introducing naturalist David Attenborough's successor... In this episode, ecologist Adam Welz gives us a peak into the writing of his first book The End of Eden and his intentions as well as his difficulties in writing it. He explains why he chose to focus on wild species as the characters of the bigger climate change story, and how he told small stories within a bigger context, and supported by scientific research, to paint the grim picture of a planet breaking down. We delve into why he sees it as important to reframe the 'limp' phrase 'climate change' and to understand the many linked effects global warming has on all the wild species around us. Adam's book and this interview helped me look past the usual clichés that are splashed across the mass media pages, and see a different world, with different eyes, and a much better understanding of how to make sense of the isolated shifts that are happening in nature. Shifts that are small, but taken as a networked whole, create a looming terrifying instability and 'age of uncertainty' befalling our world. I knew Adam over 30 years ago, but that is not why I am encouraging you to read his book. As a communicator and writer myself, I understand how hard his job was and how magnificently he has done it. Enjoy this conversation, but the meat is in the book. For more information on Adam Welz, visit his page (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za/guests/adam-welz) on the AfricanOptimist website, where you can find his bio, show notes and episode transcript. Never want to miss an episode? Visit our AfricanOptimist website (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za/) and subscribe to the AfricanOptimist newsletter. Time Stamps 00:00 Into Quote Adam Welz 00:54 Podcast intro 02:51 Adam Welz gives an overview of his first book 'The End of Eden' 05:40 Why Adam focuses on wild species and not humans to tell the story of climate change 07:33 Bridging the gap between micro stories of wild species and a greater context of their situation 08:48 'I want you to try and understand what it's like to be a non-human.' 10:16 Adam as naturalist filmmaker David Attenborough's successor 11:29 Why the intro of the book is based in new York City 12:50 You can see the effects of climate change all around you, if you just look, even in big cities 15:57 The lessons we can learn from surviving species 18:15 What we need to survive in this Age of Uncertainty 20:04 Stability of nature in the past 11.000 years 22:49 Climate breakdown as a more accurate description than climate change 24:28 The role of cognitive linguistics framing 'climate change' in a particular way in our minds 29:38 The 200,000 - 300,000 years: Earth's Eden 31:34 How South Africa saved homo sapiens from extinction 31:34 How Adam crafted stories that elicit empathy for wild species in the reader 40:58 How writing the book affected Adam personally 41:40 Adam's 'oh shit' moment regarding climate breakdown 42:57 The effect of seeing Australia's 2019/2020 bushfires personally 45:30 The isolation felt by scientists who are constantly exposed to climate change data 47:33 New opportunities present themselves as we all have to move away from fossil fuels 50:09 Earth-changing events do happen - think of Apartheid and the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the ubiquity of cell phones within a very short period of time 53:40 Before you come up with solutions, you have to understand. 55:45 'You actually have got to be quite careful where you plant trees. They're not all just a great thing everywhere - you have to plant the right trees in the right places. 57:10 The response to the book 58:39 Adam's next book

11. 

    15 Mar 2024

    #7 Sithuli Mbeje - on mobile abattoirs, bringing processing closer to home and doing what needs to be done

    In Episode 1, disruptive thinker and author Efosa Ojomo highlighted that the potential for prosperity in Africa lies in finding solutions to persistent problems and in doing so, creating new markets. In this episode, we shine a light on Sithuli Mbeje's journey to developing a mobile abattoir - his response to the problems faced by livestock farmers across Africa when they want to convert their cows to meat. In graphic details he outlines the different steps involved in this process, both in the large industrial abattoirs, as well as his much smaller and compact roving mobile unit. In our conversation he speaks about what gave him the idea for a mobile abattoir, how it fits into his philosophy on food waste and food security and how it is still possible to create value even if you do not follow a linear growth model. He highlights how mobile abattoirs can also serve an important role during outbreaks in foot and mouth disease, a recurring problem across many countries in Africa, as well as in conservation projects that rely on collaborative efforts between farmers and conservation agencies. He speaks of his drive to combine knowledge gained from years in the food processing and retail space with his understanding of food practices back home in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, to create new food processes and systems to ensure a more sustainable meat supply chain across Africa. For more information on Sithuli Mbeje, visit his page on the AfricanOptimist website, where you can find his bio, show notes and episode transcript. Never want to miss an episode? Visit our AfricanOptimist website (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za/) and subscribe to the AfricanOptimist newsletter.

12. 

    3 Mar 2024

    #6 Erica de Greef - on Vogue Business' accolade as one of 100 global fashion 'disruptors', using African fashion as a decolonial tool, re-imagining western 1960s dresses and Africa's 'folded' fashion

    In 2023, Vogue Business named Erica de Greef and African Fashion Research Institute (AFRI) co-founder Lesiba Mabitsela as part of a group of 100 'next-gen entrepreneurs and agitators' in the global fashion world, who are overhauling the current system and designing a different future. In this episode, we unpack why Vogue gave them that accolade, how Erica sees fashion as a decolonising tool, what different stories need to be told and how a different approach to fashion can tell those, what to do with White clothes collections buried inside South African and other museums, and how a single archived dress can be re-imagined to fill the gaps in Africa's fashion history. It is only as recent as 2016 that 'Africa' and 'Fashion' were used together in the same sentence, and Erica very evocatively explains why. She also explains why the term 'slow fashion' might not be the most suitable, or chosen, term for fashion in Africa. It is only in the last twenty years that South Africa started to develop its own local fashion brands, and in this episode Erica reveals the part she played in that development. For those wishing to understand the past erasure of African fashion and its relegation to ethnographic museums and descriptions - and the work being done to change that - this episode is for you. For more information on Erica de Greef, visit her page (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za/guests/erica-de-greef) on the AfricanOptimist website, where you can find his bio, show notes and episode transcript. Never want to miss an episode? Visit our AfricanOptimist website (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za) and subscribe to the AfricanOptimist newsletter.

13. 

    18 Feb 2024

    #5 Hamza Chaham - what it takes to get AI powered tools into the hands of smallholder farmers

    In this episode, we could have focused on the tech side of agriculture with Moroccan agripreneur Hamza Chaham, because it is digital technology that is really turning agriculture into an exciting scientifically based business. And his company, SOWIT, is using AI powered tools like sensors and probes, trackers and drones, in their work with farmers, government and food producers to successfully help optimize yields. For Hamza, however, this is not where the hope for food security lies. Agritech involves powerful tools, but it is the farmer who ultimately needs to use them. And given that the majority of smallholder farmers grow their crops on a mere 12% of the worlds farmland, yet feed 80% of people in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, it is with these smallholder farmers, where tech can have the biggest impact in the future. But how to get this tech into the hands of farmers, who often are not digitally savvy and rely on traditional methods to grow their food? That is the focus of today's insightful conversation with Hamza as he shares his journey to understanding that the farmer, is at the centre of the push for innovation and food security, not technology. For more information on Hamza Chaham, visit his AfricanOptimist guest page (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za/guests/hamza-rkha-chaham), where you can find his bio, show notes and episode transcript. Never want to miss an episode? Visit our AfricanOptimist website (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za) and subscribe to the AfricanOptimist newsletter.

14. 

    4 Feb 2024

    #4 GG Alcock - how the informal economy can disrupt the formal economy, how humans are not dots and slashes and how we are incentivised to be successful not brave

    South African GG Alcock has made it his life's mission to help people understand how informal economies work and to relieve you of the prejudices and stereotypes you may harbour about this sector. As somebody who has a foot each in the informal and the formal economy, and because of his unique upbringing and 'first-person' understanding of Zulu culture in South Africa, he is in a unique position to be a messenger on both, to both sides. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, and includes his thoughts on the misunderstood stigma of South Africa being the most unequal country in the world, what the biggest import - hair extensions! - tells us about the SA economy, why families from other countries seem to dominate the spaza (small grocery store) sector, and how rich township business owners would rather go cashless and pay tax, than bear the risk of storing and carrying millions of rands, in cash. Visit GG's AfricanOptimist guest page (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za/guests/gg-alcock) for his bio, show notes, transcripts and more or africanoptimist.co.za (http://africanoptimist.co.za) to sign up for the AO newsletter.

15. 

    17 Jan 2024

    #3 Sipamandla Manqele - exploring African wholefoods, being seen as a 'fallen soldier', about African and global banquet tables and connecting conscious consumers with small-scale producers

    South African Sipamandla Manqele is a food alchemist, transforming wholesome African ingredients into delicious, nutritious - and convenient - products. She is the co-founder of localvillageafrica, whose mission it is to secure a seat for African food at the global banquet table. For more information on Sipamandla Manqele, visit her AfricanOptimist guest page (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za/guests/sipamandla-manqele). Never want to miss an episode? Visit the AfricanOptimist website (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za) and subscribe to the AfricanOptimist newsletter.

16. 

    17 Jan 2024

    #2 Jesse Naidoo - about the most exciting time of his life, bringing an engineer's approach to waste, thoughts on Shared Value vs Shareholder Value

    Former South African engineer turned Social Entrepreneur Jesse Naidoo shares his journey to Master of recycling textile waste, explaining the opportunities that exist for a single item of clothes in a circular economy. He talks to the AfricanOptimist about the exciting new developments in waste recycling and about creating shared value among communities, not shareholder value. For more information on Jesse Naidoo and Clothes to Good, visit his AfricanOptimist guest page (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za/guests/jesse-naidoo). Never want to miss an episode? Visit the AfricanOptimist website and subscribe to the AfricanOptimist newsletter.

17. 

    14 Jan 2024

    #1 Efosa Ojomo - about the 'Prosperity Paradox', Disruptive & Market-Creating Innovations and Why Capital has to be patient in Africa

    Nigerian Efosa Ojomo, co-author of 'Prosperity Paradox', sits down with the AfricanOptimist to share insights into the power of market-creating innovations across Africa and the potential they have to lift African countries out of poverty at scale. For more information on Efosa Ojomo and his book, visit his AfricanOptimist guest page (https://www.africanoptimist.co.za/guests/efosa-ojomo). Never want to miss an episode? Visit the AfricanOptimist website and subscribe to the AfricanOptimist newsletter.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

6,679

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

34

Social presence

0

YouTube

74

Engagement

60

Contact AfricanOptimist - how we thrive against great odds

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.