How We Made It In Africa

Founded by Jaco Maritz in April 2010, How We Made It in Africa is an online business platform that serves the entire African continent.

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Articles

Ghana: From side hustle to 16 stores - a retail entrepreneur’s story

3 weeks ago | howwemadeitinafrica.com | Jaco Maritz

Interview with Charles Antwi-BoahenFOUNDER and CEO, KAB-FAMLives in: GhanaCharles Antwi-Boahen is the founder of Kab-Fam, an electronics and home appliance retailer that has grown from humble beginnings to a 16-store chain across Ghana. But getting there was no easy feat. From power cuts that crippled sales to a volatile economy that tested his resolve, Antwi-Boahen has faced an array of challenges along the way.
Entrepreneur spots opportunity in Nigeria’s informal retail market

3 weeks ago | howwemadeitinafrica.com | Jaco Maritz

Over the past two decades, modern shopping malls and air-conditioned grocery stores have been popping up across Nigeria. Yet, this is not where most Nigerians shop. An estimated 90% of retail transactions still take place through informal channels – a vibrant ecosystem of roadside vendors, open-air markets and hawkers weaving through traffic. These informal retailers are believed to number in the millions.
DRC could be lucrative market for Zambia and other neighbours

1 month ago | howwemadeitinafrica.com | Jaco Maritz

Published by Jaco Maritz on 22 May 2025 The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of Africa’s largest and most populous nations, offers untapped export opportunities to firms in neighbouring countries, despite its long-standing challenges. There remains substantial potential to export goods to the DRC, according to Zambia-based entrepreneur Marion Peterson, co-founder of clean cooking solutions company SupaMoto. “There is a huge market up there for everything.
Tanzania: From rejections to $40m - an entrepreneur’s rocky road to success

1 month ago | howwemadeitinafrica.com | Jaco Maritz

Published by Jaco Maritz on 14 May 2025 When Benjamin Fernandes returned to Tanzania in 2017 after completing his MBA in the US, he had a plan: build a digital payments company from the ground up. What followed was a turbulent path marked by investor rejections, threats from large competitors and a failed first product. Yet last year, Nala – his cross-border payments startup – raised $40 million from global investors.
Nigeria: Entrepreneur turns 960 naira (less than $1) into national food business

1 month ago | howwemadeitinafrica.com | Jaco Maritz

Interview with Debby LawsonFOUNDER, FASTIZERS FOOD AND CONFECTIONERYLives in: NigeriaFastizers Food and Confectionery, a Nigerian snack food company best known for its cookies, was founded in 2010 by Debby Lawson. She started the business with just 960 naira – about 60 US cents at today’s exchange rate.
Nigerian entrepreneur adapting to a tough business environment

1 month ago | howwemadeitinafrica.com | Jaco Maritz

Published by Jaco Maritz on 4 May 2025 Nigeria’s difficult economic environment is forcing snack food manufacturer Fastizers to rethink aspects of its operations – from shrinking pack sizes to launching new product lines such as bread – as it grapples with rising input costs and pressure on consumer spending. “It’s a really tough terrain now. It’s very, very tough,” the company’s founder, Debby Lawson said in a recent interview with How we made it in Africa.
Changing how Zambia cooks - and building a business around it

1 month ago | howwemadeitinafrica.com | Jaco Maritz

Interview with Marion PetersonCO-FOUNDER, SUPAMOTOLives in: Lusaka, ZambiaCharcoal remains the dominant cooking fuel for many Zambian households, despite its environmental and health costs. Emerging Cooking Solutions – operating under the brand SupaMoto – offers a cleaner and cheaper alternative. The company was founded by American-born Marion Peterson and her husband, Mattias Ohlson.
Businessman sees global opportunity for Nigeria's cassava

2 months ago | howwemadeitinafrica.com | Jaco Maritz |Tony Bello

Interview with Tony BelloFOUNDER, SHINE BRIDGE GLOBALLives in: United StatesNigerian-born Tony Bello, a food scientist by training, played a key role in developing the low-fat Baked Lay’s and Lay’s Stax potato crisps during his time at US snack giant Frito-Lay. He now wants to apply that experience to products made from Nigerian-grown cassava, with ambitions to take them to both international and African markets.
Botswana - a medical tourism hub?

Mar 21, 2025 | howwemadeitinafrica.com | Jaco Maritz |Matlhogonolo Mongwa-Mouwane

Published by Jaco Maritz on 21 March 2025 Botswana has the potential to establish itself as a regional hub for medical tourism, says Dr Matlhogonolo Mongwa-Mouwane, founder of Gaborone-based Kalafhi Medical Center. She points to the country’s central location, stable political climate, low crime rate, and relatively affordable healthcare as key advantages in attracting patients from neighbouring countries.
Lesotho gains global attention after Trump's remark

Mar 12, 2025 | howwemadeitinafrica.com | Seth Onyango

Published by Seth Onyango on 12 March 2025 By Seth Onyango, bird story agencyUS President Donald Trump’s recent quip about Lesotho as a nation “nobody has ever heard of” has inadvertently catapulted the small African kingdom into the global limelight. An offhand remark by US President Donald Trump about Lesotho has unwittingly ignited a surge of curiosity and travel interest in the tiny southern African nation.