Africa's Best -10 under 30 Entrepreneurs

2. Oluwaseun Osewa, 30, Nigeria
• At the age of 23 he started Nairaland.com which
has become the most popular website in Nigeria
• Nairaland.com has more than 1 million
registered users
• It is the most visited website in Africa as per
Alexa rankings
• In 2003 he attempted to start a web hosting
business but failed
• Undaunted he opened Nairaland.com in the year
2005
• His approach was to try and provide solution to
something you need, or want to be solved
• Nairaland.com was started to address issues in
Nigeria
• It was to be a general purpose forum with focus
on issues of interest to Nigerians
• Nairaland.com generates revenue through its ad
inventory

3. Ola Orekunrin, 27, Nigeria
• At the age of 21 Orekunrin graduated from the
University of York as a qualified doctor
• She was awarded Japanese Government Scholarship
and moved to Japan to conduct research
• After coming back to Europe she decided to work for
improving healthcare in Nigeria and Africa
• It was the death of her sister due to anaemia which
prompted her to take this decision
• She started Flying Doctors Service and also consults
government and private agencies on aesthetic and
emergency medicine
• Flying Doctors is west Africa’s first indigenous air
ambulance
• It offers national and international evacuation
services
• They have 4 aircrafts strategically located at 4 major
airports in Nigeria
• They also provide health and safety audit services,
clinic staffing, telemedicine, and first aid training

4. Jonathan Liebmann , 28, South Africa
• Liebmann is the Managing Director of Propertuity, a
South African real estate development company
• He had started 5 businesses by the age of 24 and
Propertuity was the most successful one
• Liebmann found Propertuity in 2007 with which he
launched property investments
• Liebmann studied business and accounting from
Monash University
• But according to him bulk of education came from
hands-on experience and entrepreneurship
• Maboneng Precinct in Johannesburg was his
brainchild
• Maboneng is a vibrant urban community with Art
galleries, Art museums retails space and offices
• He thinks entrepreneurs need unrealistic optimism,
perseverance, design and lifestyle exposure, and
passion to do what he does
• “Practice what you preach, Live the vision”, is his
advice to all budding entrepreneurs

5. Lorna Rutto , 28, Kenya
• Lorna after graduating in commerce and accounting
started a career in banking
• In 2009 she resigned her banking job and pursued
her interest in environmental science
• She along with Charles Kalama, a biochemical
engineer, started small business called EcoPost
• To start with it was a small plastic recycling
business
• Plastic waste collected across Nairobi was used to
manufacture durable and environmental friendly
fencing posts and sign posts
• Some of the products are used for building and
construction purposes
• Lorna saw opportunity where others saw trash
• She won numerous awards like 2009 Enablis
Business Award, 2010 SEED Award, and 2010 Bid
Network Nature Challenge Award

6. Evans Wadongo , 27, Kenya
• This Kenyan engineer is the Chairman of
Sustainable Development For All-Kenya (SDFA-Kenya)
• As a child he grew up in rural Kenya and with his
four brothers studied using a kerosene lamp
• His eyesight was permanently damaged due to
poisonous gas emitted by kerosene lamp
• This experience lead to his development of
MwangaBora solar lamp
• MwangaBora was first African designed and
produced lamp and was built from 50% recycled
material
• He featured on Forbes and CNN as one of Africa’s
Best Young Entrepreneurs
• In 2011, Evans launched Just One Lamp, a
campaign to raise funding and awareness for
MwangaBora lamps
• In 2012 he received the African International
Achievers Award

7. Sizwe Nzima, 21, South Africa
• Sizwe Nzima graduated from Raymond Ackerman
Academy of Entrepreneurial Development
• He aspires to eliminate the problem of queuing at
clinics and hospitals with his venture Iyeza Express
• Iyeza Express is a business where chronic medication
is transported using cycles from local clinics to
doorsteps of residents
• This solution seems to be solving problem by saving
time and money for his clients
• This business has managed to employ many young
men
• The only skills requirement here are ability to ride
bicycle and to know the town well
• Sizwe sees entrepreneurship as a way to combat
social issues in South Africa

8. Andrew Mupuya, 21, Uganda
• It was in the year 2008, at the age of 16 when
Mupuya decided to launch his company
• It was a paper bag production company and was a
result of ban on plastic bags by government
• Mupuya was only in secondary school when he
decided to take up this challenge
• He realized a capital of 36000 Ugandan shillings
were needed and it was raised selling used plastic
bottles and borrowing from school teacher
• With just $14 (36,000 shillings) he started his
entrepreneurial journey
• At the age of 21, he is the owner of Youth
Entrepreneurial Link Investments (YELI)
• YELI was the first registered company to make
paper bags
• He employs 16 people and have 72 clients

9. Farai Gundan, NA, Zimbabwe
• Farai is the co-founder of FaraiMedia.com and
AfricanTripDeals
• FaraiMedia is an online and mobile advertising
platform focused on Africa
• She completed her MBA from The School of
Business & Industry at Florida Agricultural &
Mechanical University
• She guest writes for Forbes and is a leading expert
on African women in Media and Technology
• AfricanTripDeals is an end-to-end online
marketing and reservation system for African
hotel, travel & tourism industry
• She is a producer and a lead anchor of women’s
talk show “Point Of View” and “AfroHits Top 10”
for Afrotainment Television Channel
• “Don’t be afraid to raise your hand and ask. Let
your presence be known.” is her advice to business
women from Africa

10. Mark Kaigwa, 25, Kenya
• Mark Kaigwa is much travelled and recognized IT
guru
• He describes himself as a consultant, strategist, and
speaker with a liking for solving problems and
applying ideas
• He is the co-founder and partner of Afrinnovator
• Afrinnovator is a venture to put Africa on the map
by publishing about African innovation, technology,
and start-ups
• Kaigwa is also a partner at African Digital Art
which is the leading resource for creative design,
photography and animation from Africa
• Afrinnovator is selected by CNN as one of the Top
African Voices to follow
• In 2007 he led creative direction of video game for
Warner Brothers titled Pamoja Mtaani
• Also an Actor and director of live action films
• He is the African Ambassador for the Sandbox
Network

11. Ashley Uys, 30, South Africa
• Uys completed his B.Sc honours degree in
Biotechnology and a MAP certificate from Wits
University
• Uys started Real World Diagnostics to develop
products which are affordable for people who need
them
• Reliable and affordable medical kit is one way to a
more promising and healthy future in Africa
• He is recognised and appreciated for his efforts in the
field of healthcare
• He won the Breweries Innovation Award and was
selected among Africa’s Best Young Entrepreneurs by
Forbes
• Even today he continues to research on ways to
develop new products
• Uys is a great believer of giving back to the society
• Along with Real World Diagnostics, he is also the
Managing Director of Medical Diagnostech and Oculus
ID

12. Mara Foundation’s Ambition
We enable, inspire and empower ambitious entrepreneurs in Africa. With the support of our Mara Mentors we will:
Inspire millions of young people in Africa to become
entrepreneurs.
Teach entrepreneurs new skills.
Enable entrepreneurs to turn business ideas into a
reality.
Guide business owners to grow businesses and hire
(more) employees.
Empower entrepreneurs by providing a platform to
showcase their business and build their network.

13. THANK YOU
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