I really hope that this book inspires many more people to use their entrepreneurial energy to change the world through creating opportunities for others.'

From the founder of the award-winning website (www.howwemadeitinafrica.com) comes the stories of 25 entrepreneurs who''ve built thriving businesses. * Be inspired by the experiences of Africa''s most dynamic entrepreneurs * Gain insight into the continent''s business opportunities * Find the courage to make your own dreams and ambitions become a reality Discover why Ken Njoroge is building a billion-dollar pan-African digital payments company (it is not because he wants to drive a Ferrari); Find out how Jean de Dieu Kagabo grew a Rwanda-based industrial group from a simple product: toilet paper; And be inspired by the extraordinary tale of Hassan Bashir who created a booming insurance company from nothing but grit and persistence. Each entrepreneur''s story is told in an honest manner, not shying away from the mistakes made and the considerable hurdles they had to overcome. And there were many tough times: from being betrayed by long-time senior managers to losing vast sums of money because of poor market research. Pursuing their business ambitions also had a toll on their personal lives: one entrepreneur was too broke to afford diapers for his baby, while another had to sell her house to keep the company alive. MEET THE ENTREPRENEURS 1. Ken Njoroge (Kenya): The long, hard journey to build a billion-dollar company 2. Tseday Asrat (Ethiopia): A modern twist on Ethiopia''s coffee culture 3. Tumi Phake (South Africa): Flexing his entrepreneurial muscles to exploit a gap in the fitness industry 4. Monica Musonda (Zambia): Instant noodle pioneer 5. Hassan Bashir (Kenya): An insurance firm created from nothing but grit and persistence 6. Ebele Enunwa (Nigeria): A $50-million food and retail empire 7. Tayo Oviosu (Nigeria): The entrepreneur who traded in his Silicon Valley life to bring mobile money to Nigerians 8. Navalayo Osembo (Kenya): How to make a Kenyan running shoe 9. Jean de Dieu Kagabo (Rwanda): Rwandan industrialist always hunting for the next big business idea 10. Addis Alemayehou (Ethiopia): Serial entrepreneur bringing the world to Ethiopia 11. Kasope Ladipo-Ajai (Nigeria): Nigerian cooking made convenient 12. Chijioke Dozie (Nigeria): Leveraging past experiences to disrupt the banking industry 13. Sylvester Chauke (South Africa): Marketer with a passion to take African brands global 14. Yoadan Tilahun (Ethiopia): Showing Ethiopia how to throw an event 15. Mossadeck Bally (Mali): West African hotel group built on an appetite for risk 16. Jennifer Bash (Tanzania): Adding value to everyday staples 17. Jesse Moore (Kenya): Thinking out of the box to power over 600 000 homes with solar energy 18. Twapewa Kadhikwa (Namibia): How one hair salon became a group of companies 19. Jacques de Vos (South Africa): Growing a high-impact tech business one problem statement at a time 20. Nana Akua Birmeh (Ghana): Architect breaking glass ceilings 21. Nelly Tuikong (Kenya): Kenyan beauty brand taking on global giants 22. Dr Hend El Sherbini (Egypt): From a small Egyptian family business to a London-listed healthcare giant 23. NJ Ayuk (Cameroon): A lawyer on the road less travelled 24. Polo Leteka (South Africa): The investor who spots opportunity where others see risk 25. Ashley Uys (South Africa): Diagnostic hustler ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jaco Maritz is CEO of Maritz Africa, publisher of the award-winning pan-African online business publication How we made it in Africa. Jaco holds a BA in Information Science from USB. He started his career at South African media company Media24, working on the websites of some of the country''s most well-known newspapers. He went on to become editor of TradeInvestNigeria, after which he founded Maritz Africa. When not building Maritz Africa, Jaco enjoys investing in other businesses. He is a regular speaker on business in Africa.

Comprises of a series of profiles on some of the most successful and dynamic businesspeople operating in Africa. This work focuses on the personality as well as the story of how they achieved their success in their particular environment or field.

The Definitive Guide to Doing Business in Africa For global and Africa-based companies looking to access new growth markets, Africa offers exciting opportunities to build large, profitable businesses. Its population is young, fast-growing, and increasingly urbanized--while rapid technology adoption makes the continent a fertile arena for innovation. But Africa's business environment remains poorly understood; it's known to many executives in the West only by its reputation for complexity, conflict, and corruption. Africa's Business Revolution provides the inside story on business in Africa and its future growth prospects and helps executives understand and seize the opportunities for building profitable, sustainable enterprises. From senior leaders in McKinsey's African offices and a leading executive on the continent, this book draws on in-depth proprietary research by the McKinsey Global Institute as well as McKinsey's extensive experience advising corporate and government leaders across Africa. Brimming with company case studies and exclusive interviews with some of Africa's most prominent executives, this book comes to life with the vibrant stories of those who have navigated the many twists and turns on the road to building successful businesses on the continent. Combining an unrivalled fact base with expert advice on shaping and executing an Africa growth strategy, this book is required reading for global business executives looking to expand their existing operations in Africa--and for those seeking a road map to access this vast, untapped market for the first time.

The road to success is rarely linear and never easy. Despite countless setbacks, Jim Ovia, founder of Zenith Bank, was able to achieve the unthinkable. Africa Rise and Shine is the story of Ovia's business and banking success and how he was able to create one of Africa's largest banks. Spanning decades of both world and Nigerian history, Africa Rise and Shine dives deep into the events that led to Ovia's triumph. Drawing upon his educational experiences and relentless determination, Ovia was able to overcome every hurdle that stood in the way of his bank becoming the national icon that it is today. Africa Rise and Shine outlines the tough, yet necessary business decisions that were essential to Zenith's prolonged success and is filled with valuable takeaways for every businessperson. Learn from one of the best in banking what it takes to truly be successful.

A masterclass in becoming a wealth-generating entrepreneur! Do you have what it takes to become a billionaire? Written by the founder of Forbes Africa, this is a masterclass on how the brightest and most successful entrepreneurs across Africa made their fortunes, as well as a timely look at how the work of entrepreneurs can influence lives in Africa and create the jobs that empty state coffers can no longer afford. Chris Bishop gets up close and personal with the biggest names in business on the continent: Aliko Dangote, Patrice Motsepe, Nicky Oppenheimer, Christo Wiese, Wendy Appelbaum and Stephen Saad, among others. These are the stories of how they not only survived, but thrived, in the fast and furious world of African business: Narendra Raval, the penniless priest who became a steel baron; Tim Tebeila, the barefoot apple-seller who turned into a mining millionaire; Herman Mashaba, the ‘knocksman’ who went from running dice games and dealing drugs to running a city; Pascal Dozie, the economics student who studied with Mick Jagger ... This is a rich tapestry of stories about the super-wealthy and the qualities that make them so spectacularly successful, in arguably the most challenging economic arena in the world.

In Pursuit - Journeys in African Entrepreneurship chronicles the journeys of two friends whose experiences in America shaped their approach to starting their own businesses in Nigeria. Drawing on their experiences of working, building and supporting business, and exposure to multimillion-dollar projects around the world, they uncover what it takes to own, run, and grow a profitable business. Through their personal insights, they relay information relevant not only to entrepreneurs and investors seeking to do business in Nigeria, but anywhere on the globe--after all, the heart of business is human interaction. Their conversational banter-jab style, for which they're known in person and on social media, invites readers into their circle where they can share the wisdom gained through continuous pursuits to fulfill their dreams. Business and life intersect. No matter your goal, you're not crazy, and no, you're not alone! Through In Pursuit, two Bendel boys invite you to laugh, yell, and reflect, as they converse from head and heart.

Since it was founded in 2003, Good African Coffee has helped thousands of farmers earn a decent living, send their children to school and escape a spiral of debt and dependence. Africa has received over $1 trillion in aid over the last fifty years and yet despite these huge inflows, the continent remains mired in poverty, disease and systemic corruption. In A Good African Story, as Andrew Rugasira recounts the very personal story of his company and the challenges that he has faced – and overcome – as an African entrepreneur, he provides a tantalising glimpse of what Africa could be, and argues that trade has achieved what years of aid have failed to deliver. This is a book about Africa taking its destiny in its own hands, and dictating the terms of its future.

Profiles a variety of African American entrepreneurs, from the early years, through the Civil War and Reconstruction, to modern times.

A tapestry of innovation, ideas, and commerce, Africa and its entrepreneurial hubs are deeply connected to those of the past. Moses E. Ochonu and an international group of contributors explores the lived experiences of African innovators who have created value for themselves and their communities. Profiles of vendors, farmers, craftspeople, healers, spiritual consultants, warriors, musicians, technological innovators, political mobilizers, and laborers featured in this volume show African models of entrepreneurship in action. As a whole, the essays consider the history of entrepreneurship in Africa, illustrating its multiple origins and showing how it differs from the Western capitalist experience. As they establish historical patterns of business creativity, these explorations open new avenues for understanding indigenous enterprise and homegrown commerce and their relationship to social, economic, and political debates in Africa today.