How I moved to Zambia to launch a startup.
Okay that was a clickbait title, but I got you didn’t I? lol. I didn’t move here to launch a startup, I moved here for other things and found myself coming up with solutions for certain problems in my head. However, I am launching a startup this year. There, I said it. I don’t like to make announcements like this in case I change my mind. But here we are. This last year has been spent doing research, actually, every day is spent doing research.
The startup ecosystem in Zambia is an interesting one, while not like Kenya or the burgeoning Nigeria (let’s be honest though, Nigeria was always going to come up, Naija no dey carry last and all that), Zambia does have an ecosystem. There are innovation hubs that are mushrooming, like BongoHive — Zambia’s first technology and innovation hub, Jacaranda Hub etc etc.
Last year I was privileged to be a volunteer facilitator for the Solve4X program at BongoHive (over Zoom lol) and being around young people, who wanted to be involved in the development of their country, was so inspiring. It honestly reminded me of what I want to be doing in life, and was just what I needed. I want development for this continent, for the SADC region, for the countries I call home. And I want to be part of building these ecosystems that turn the continent into a powerhouse.
So yes, I’m launching a tech-enabled transportation startup this year. It scares me, and excites me, but my dreams always do. I’m the type of person who needs to know how things will happen, and there are many moving parts with this one, many unknowns. With Covid, and elections this year, we don’t quite know what the future will bring, but I believe it will be good. I’m committing to making a post about the progress at least once week. So yall can follow along with my journey, as I learn, and, in the words of Ben Platt, we’ll grow as we go.
