Limitless Africa

Chef Fatmata Binta promotes and preserves culture through food in Ghana. Her ‘Dine on a Mat’ experience, where she immerses guests in the full Fulani dining experience, won her the prestigious Basque Culinary World Prize in 2022. Chef Binta has also set up the Fulani Kitchen Foundation for women and girls. The organisation promotes the farming of fonio, an ancient African grain, among rural women. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we asked three African foodies about the dish that reminds them of home. Chef Binta is the founder of Fulani Kitchen Foundation. She is the winner of the Basque Culinary World Prize. Chef Helt Araujo runs the Flor Do Duke restaurant in Luanda, Angola. He’s part of the research project Ovina Yetu which catalogues Angolan ingredients. Food entrepreneur Yasmine Fofana founded the blog Afrofoodie and founded Abidjan Restaurant Week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this extended episode, we hear further from two of the young female agricultural entrepreneurs featured in the previous episode. They are using agritech to provide food security in their communities and combat climate change. Gislaine Matiedje Nkenmayi is a farming entrepreneur in Cameroon. With her company Mumita, she helps farmers grow more and preserve any excess produce. Gugulethu Mahlangu is an aquaponics farmer and the owner of House Harvest, a 14-hectare farm that produces vegetables in Boksburg, Gauteng province in South Africa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Agriculture employs more than two thirds of those working in Africa. But farming is hard as farmers are impacted by extreme weather conditions. In this episode we talk to some young farming entrepreneurs who are rising to the challenge. Gislaine Matiedje Nkenmayi is the CEO of Mumita, an award-winning start-up helping small-scale farmers grow more in Cameroon. Gugulethu Mahlangu is a young aquaponics farmer in South Africa. She is the founder of the smart farm, House Harvest in Gauteng province. Angela Odero is the CEO and co-founder of Rio Fish Limited. She is on a mission to promote sustainable fish farming among women and to end the sex-for-fish trade in Kenya. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes, very rarely, a TV show comes along that captures people’s imagination. The TV show Yellowstone has grown into a cultural phenomenon. And one of those unknown actors has become one the shows most beloved stars. Denim Richards stars as Colby, a faithful cowboy on the Yellowstone ranch, which is run by rancher John Dutton, aka Kevin Costner. It's an all-American show. So why invite Denim on Limitless Africa? Well, four years ago he decided to make a new life for himself and move from California to Botswana. Now he runs successful production companies in Gaborone and Johannesburg, runs masterclasses for actors all over the continent, and has just been named director for Media, Arts and Culture for the African Union. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Streaming is becoming more popular but platforms like Netflix, Showmax and Amazon Prime Video are still pushing a lot of Western content. We asked a Nollywood producer, a Hollywood star, and an arthouse film director: Can we get more African storytelling on these digital streaming platforms? And how can we make money for ourselves, not the fat cats in Hollywood? Denim Richards is an actor in the hugely popular US TV series Yellowstone. Samira Vera-Cruz is a Cape Verdean independent film director, producer and actress. Kunle Afolayan is one of Nollywood's most successful directors and producers, signing a three-film deal with Netflix in 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Limitless Africa correspondent Dimpho Lekgeu talks to Claude about the upcoming election in South Africa and speaks to democracy activist Yanga Malotana. What are the big issues in South Africa's election on 29th May? And how do these affect young people? The views expressed in this episode belong to their speakers. Limitless Africa and its sponsors do not support any of the candidates or parties discussed in the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s a year of big elections in Africa. In South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda to name a few. But in some of those countries, the opposition is weak or non-existent. And the election result isn’t in doubt. So should young people bother voting? We asked three activists working for democracy this very question. No surprise - they don’t all agree. Yanga Malotana is a project officer for the Democracy Development Program in South Africa. Oliver Barker-Vormawor founded the #FixTheCountry movement a non-partisan movement advocating for good governance in Ghana. Seth Karamage is a development economist specialising in peacebuilding and good governance in Rwanda. The views expressed in this episode belong to their speakers. Limitless Africa and its sponsors do not support any of the candidates or parties discussed in the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Africans are known for their hustle – and the data proves it. According to research by the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Stanford University, Africa has the highest percentage of entrepreneurs among working-age adults of any continent in the world. But sadly, we’re not all Tony Elumelu or Elon Musk… We asked three guests: how can we teach Africans to be better entrepreneurs? Rebecca Enonchong is a Cameroonian entrepreneur with technology businesses in the US, UK, Canada, as well as many African countries. She’s known on Twitter as @africatechie where she tweets tech insights to her 140 thousand followers. Professor Bitange Ndemo may teach entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi but he has some reservations about whether the subject can be taught. Thami Pooe founded a social enterprise called Tshimong which teaches young South Africans to debate. But he also found that it helps them learn soft skills vital for entrepreneurship. Did you enjoy the episode? Please let us know what you think here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a region, Africa accounts for around 20% of US aid. In fact, development projects throughout the continent depend on this money. But some argue that there is little evidence that aid produces economic growth. Instead they say aid encourages a culture of dependency and corruption. This week on #LimitlessAfrica we ask an aid worker, an activist and an economist: Does aid create more problems than it solves? Mutemi Wa Kiama an activist from Nairobi, Kenya known for campaigning against aid in the shape of international loans. He thinks aid loans create spiralling debt which only benefits those in power. Pedro Matos has worked for the World Food Programme in Africa and Asia for over a decade, and has a slightly different point of view. Matos was part of the team which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020. He now works in Sudan, delivering food and assistance to over six million people. Albert Honlonkou is the Director of the National University of Applied Economics and Management in Benin. In this episode Honlonkou is interviewed by journalist Rachida Houssou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As James Brown once put it, it’s a man’s world. But in this episode we talk to three women who don’t think that’s true. And they’re proving it by doing the most in male-dominated industries. What challenges do they face? How do they make their voices heard in their place of work? And what are the positives of being one of the only women in those industries? Linda Mabhena-Olagunju runs a wholly African female-owned independent power producer, and operates one of Africa's largest wind farms. DJ Elly is one of Angola’s biggest DJs. Kah Walla, politician and entrepreneur, was the first woman to stand for president in Cameroon in 2011. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to gay rights on the continent, Africans are conflicted. In Nigeria, Uganda, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania and many other countries, it’s illegal. But in South Africa, Cape Verde, Angola, Gabon, being gay is not a crime. Many think that being gay is un-African. In this episode we asked our guests the question: Can LGBT rights ever be part of African values? Kat Kai Kol-Kes is a performance artist, musician, writer and activist. She is known for being the first public figure from Botswana to openly identify as a trans. Va-Bene Fiatsi is a trans performance artist from Ghana who explores gender fluidity. Right now, the Ghanaian parliament is considering enacting anti-gay legislation which could lead to up to 10 years in jail. As an activist, Fiatsi is on the frontlines actively opposing it. Sheba Akpokli from Togo works as a lawyer in Canada and is a strong advocate for LGBTIAQ+ people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Across Africa, young entrepreneurs are making their dreams happen in challenging circumstances. Here three very different young Africans explain how they made their first million. Maya Horgan Famodu is an American-Nigerian venture capitalist, originally from Minnesota in the US. She has a VC firm called Ingressive Capital. Her latest fund is worth $50m. She’s invested in some of the biggest startups in Africa. Moulaye Tabouré is the Malian CEO and founder of ANKA, an online sales platform for African fashion and crafts based in Cote d’Ivoire. The company has raised $6.2 million in its series A funding although it has since announced it is closing its marketplace. Moutagna Keita is a Guinean-born inventor and successful businessman. He studied at Harvard University and worked in America. He came back to Guinea to launch his portable ultrasound machine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Souleymane Bachir Diagne is one of the foremost scholars of Islamic and African philosophy. Currently a professor at Columbia University in New York, he remains deeply connected to the continent and to his home country Senegal. Before moving to the US, he taught in the humanities department at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar for 20 years. During our conversation, he gave illuminating historical context to the democratic crisis in Senegal. He explained why Senegalese democracy is so resilient. This interview was recorded before the election so forgive us for not discussing the result. We also talked about the situation in Israel and Gaza and the relationship between Jews, and Muslims. We also discussed the wedge this conflict has driven between the black and Jewish communities. And we talked a lot about the concept of Ubuntu, the idea of a common humanity, and how that idea can help us frame our attitude towards the current conflict in the Middle East. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many wars have been waged on African soil. But it also means that Africans have something to say about conflict resolution. At a moment in time, where conflict seems to be all around us, Limitless Africa wanted to highlight three approaches to peace. Souleymane Bachir Diagne is one of the foremost scholars of Islamic and African philosophy and a professor at Columbia University in New York Joseph Nkurunziza is a medical doctor and CEO of Never Again Rwanda, a peace-building NGO which works in 22 out of the 30 districts of the country. Former refugee Victor Ochen supports local communities still affected by war with his organisation AYINET, the African Youth Initiative Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Novuyo Rosa Tshuma is an award-winning Zimbabwean novelist who teaches at the acclaimed Iowa Writers Workshop in the US, like many literary icons before her. And she's only 36 years old. Her debut novel House of Stone is set during the Gukahurundi massacres that took place immediately after Zimbabwean independence and remain shrouded in secrecy. Her second novel Digging Stars also received glowing reviews. It deals with an equally uncomfortable history. She charts the similarities between the reserves allocated to native Americans in the US and those allocated to indigenous people in South Africa and Zimbabwe. This is a must listen for anyone interested in African fiction, interested in reading it of course but also interested in how it is produced. Novuyo gives us a peek behind the scenes of some of the most prestigious writing institutions in the US, telling us what it's like to be a young African woman professor there. She's equally clear-sighted about the situation in Zimbabwe and what it's like to come back home with your partner when you are queer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many diaspora Africans are choosing to return to the continent. These ‘repats’ - as they’re often known - are keen to seize new opportunities. But they also return to give back - building businesses, families and fulfilling lives on the continent. In this episode, three repats tell us how and why they moved to Ghana, Cape Verde and Cote d’Ivoire. Joli Moniz left New York for Cape Verde to set up a tourism business called A Vontade Tours. She helps other repats settle into their new life. Paola Ndengue is originally from Cameroon though she spent most of her life in France. She runs a popular newsletter on media and the creative industries in Africa called Africa Digest. Abdul Abdullah is a Ghanaian American cultural entrepreneur and founder of the AfroFutures Festival, a music and culture festival based in Accra. He grew up in the Bronx but now does business in Ghana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Extended episode: Mmeli Hlanze and Sizo Hlophe are part of the team behind Antidote Music - an independent record label and music consultancy company based in Eswatini. In business since 2012, Antidote Music is now one of the most established labels in the country. They focus on Eswatini electronic music. Music from Nigeria and South Africa is taking over the mainstream, you can’t deny it, but what about the other rich cultural influences on the continent? In this episode, Claude talks to those who are fighting to get their sound heard and asks them which African artists are going to blow up this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Extended episode: Moses Bwayo is a filmmaker from Uganda. His documentary feature Bobi Wine: The People's President has been nominated for a 2024 Academy Award. But first, a little on his subject, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, otherwise known as Bobi Wine. Popstar turned politician, he's the current leader of the National Unity Platform, and ran against President Yoweri Museveni in the 2021 presidential elections. Bobi Wine has been imprisoned and intimidated countless times for challenging a man who has been in power in Uganda since 1986. Documentary filmmaker Moses Bwayo spent five years following Bobi Wine and documenting his activism. Moses was arrested, imprisoned, and shot in the face with rubber bullets by police while filming. I spoke to Moses Bwayo about Bobi Wine and why he means so much to young people in Uganda. But we also talked about Moses’ own path and what he’s sacrificed to bring Bobi Wine’s story to the silver screen. This is an episode about the importance of telling stories and how imagining a different narrative can get you in trouble with the status quo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My name’s Claude Grunitzky and I'm a journalist and investor. I’m also the host of Limitless Africa, the podcast that asks the questions that matter to Africa. And exciting news: we're back! In season two, we're still having conversations with some of the most fascinating people on the continent. We're still releasing 15-minute episodes that get right to the heart of the matter with some of Africa's best minds. But we'll also be going deeper, I'll be talking to our guests in longer episodes. We're doing something that I don't think any other podcast does: we're giving the amazing people shaping the continent the time and the space to really have their say. We'll be talking food, fashion, football. Coups, fake news and climate change. Social media, malaria and making money. Series two is out soon so please subscribe on Apple, Spotify or whichever podcast platform you prefer to get each episode as soon as it drops. That's Limitless Africa, the podcast which lets Africans have their say. And thanks as always to our sponsors - the US Department of State and the Seenfire foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.