Giving us back to back, Forbes has again come up with yet another edition of the Forbes 30 Under 30, an annual list that chronicles the entrepreneurs making impacts in their various sectors. The much anticipated 2019 edition features the game changers in Business, Technology, Creatives, and Sport. We celebrate the heroes of our time in the tech ecosystem for making Africa proud.
Electricity/Energy
Schizzo Thomson, 29
Sky Energy, Malawi
The story of Schizzo Thomson is one of a young man who left his job in Ireland to go start a business in Malawi in 2015. The promising Electric Engineer started Sky Energy to supply and install solar energy as an alternative to the constant power outages experienced in Malawi. He presently employs a team of 32 across Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
Nthabiseng Mosia, 28
Easy Solar, Sierra Leone
Like every other child living in developing countries, Nthabiseng Mosia experienced epileptic power supply. But unlike some who resort to murmuring about the situation,
Nthabiseng found Easy Solar alongside Eric Silverman and Alexandre Tourre to salvage the situation in 2015. Today, Easy Solar supplies and installs solar systems across underserved communities in Sierra Leone.
ICT
Fred Oyetayo, 25
Fresible, Nigeria
A Lawyer turned techpreneur, Fred Oyetayo is one example of someone who is not limited by profession. He founded Fresible, an IT company that provides; website development, digital marketing, and software development. The company has served the likes of Afe Babalola University, Dangote Group and First Bank of Nigeria.
Shoriwa Shaun Benjamin, 29
Simba Solutions, Zimbabwe
Shoriwa Shaun is a self-taught computer programmer that has become the co-founder and Head Software Developer of Simba Solutions. His company offers ICT solutions to other businesses in Zimbabwe. He is notable for offering services to the UNESCO ICT Essentials for Teachers Program, the Zimbabwe Power Company, and other smaller enterprises.
Evans Akanno, 29
Cregital, Nigeria
With just N600 000 ($1 600), Evans Akanno founded Cregital website design and development firm in 2015. Having built a reputation of developing a user-friendly website, Evans Akanno has bagged several awards including the 2018 Nigeria Technology Award and the 2016 Future Awards Africa Prize for Creative Professional.
Michael Paul Mollel, 29
Jimz Technologies, Tanzania
At the age of 15, Michael started out selling dongles and flash drivers. This was the beginning of his zeal to provide IT support. He set up Jimz Technologies during his undergraduate days to help both students and professors fix their laptops. Now in their fourth year of operation, Jimz serves companies like Tetra tech and Winrock International.
E-commerce
Nureshka Viranna, 27
ShopLi, South Africa
After teaching for some years, Viranna realized that her passion lies in marketing, technology, and innovation. She quit her job in 2015 and co-founded ShopLi, an e-commerce platform that develops online stores and catalogues for businesses without physical presence. She also founded Lit Academy in 2019, an online video study platform that offers tutorials at affordable rates.
Transportation/Logistics
Jacob Rugano, 29
AfricarTrack International, Kenya
Some entrepreneurs are propelled by passion while others find inspiration in sad ordeals. Jacob Rugano founded AfricarTrack International after losing several members of his family in a motor accident. Jacob developed a mobile-controlled road accident sensor hardware to curb the rate of road accidents in 2014. He has received several awards for the sensor, said to reduce the chances of accidents by over 48.67%.
Chinedu Azodoh, 29
Metro Africa Xpress (MAX), Nigeria
Chinedu Azodoh is the founder of the popular motorcycle-hailing service, Max.ng. He co-founded the company in 2014 with Adetayo Bamiro while studying at MIT Sloan, Massachusetts USA. Today, the platform has about 70 employees offering both delivery and transport services to passengers around Lagos. Max.ng recently raised $7 million funds to expand operations to Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Damilola Olokesusi, 29
Shuttlers Logistics Company, Nigeria
Damilola Olokesusi founded Shuttlers Logistics, an innovative solution to ease the traffic jam in Lagos as an aftermath of a bad experience. Her sister was robbed by disguised armed men on her way back from work. Damilola and her co-founder developed a web and mobile-based platform that enable riders to book trips at 60% – 80% less than other ride-hailing services. It offers ride-sharing and free Wi-Fi services across 22 routes in Lagos
Finance
Alpha Nury, 29
Jamaa Funding, Senegal
After long years of building a career, Alpha Nury took his €10,000 savings to startup Jamaa funding. He left a thriving career, built from long years of working at Chanel, Apple, and L’Oreal to start a crowdfunding site aimed at humanitarian projects. Jamaa has a track record of sponsoring campaigns that have supported over 24 000 people in Africa. They plan to successfully impact 500 000 people by 2020.
Healthcare
Diana Esther Wangari, 27
Sagitarix, Kenya
Diana graduated from medical school to face the dwindling reality of the health care system in Kenya. Instead of specializing as a neurosurgeon, she decided to go into healthtech by co-founding Sagitarix in 2016. It is a digital platform for distributing drugs to patients suffering from chronic diseases. They currently have five clinics and have distributed medical supplies worth over $200 000 last year.
Chika Madubuko, 27
Greymate Care, Nigeria
Chika’s grandmother was bedridden from diabetes and it was difficult to hire caregivers to take care of her. Her grandma’s sufferings made her found Greymate Care in 2016. Her digital platform connects patients to professional caregivers in Nigeria. Presently, Greymate Care employs about 20 staff across Nigeria and plans to expand to Kenya and South Africa.
Vena Arielle Ahouansou, 25
KEA Medicals, Benin
Like every other doctor would, Vena was pained for losing a mother to a death caused by hemorrhage after successfully delivering two babies. She founded KEA Medicals in 2016, a single database that shows the medical history of patients. They currently employ a team of engineers, medical doctors, communications and law specialists and links over 1700 health professionals on the platform.
Aeronautics
Hansley Noruthun, 27
Mauritius Space and Science Foundation, Mauritius
Hansley Noruthun went on scholarship to complete the Space Studies Program hosted by Glenn Research Center in the US in 2015. He then returned to Mauritius to start the Mauritius Space and Science Foundation for aeronautics enthusiasts. He currently hosts the African Space Generation Workshop series in Mauritius and will soon start a National Space Tour that would run across the globe.
To be continued…