Key Africans Unlocked

In this first episode of the Evolution series, we spoke to Zambian director Kenny Mumba about why Africa has a new lens on the world, habits that force you to change and what the pandemic meant for him as a creative and an entrepreneur.

For a passionate doctor like Chido Siame, practicing medicine during a pandemic meant relooking how she spends her time and how parts of the Hippocratic oath extend to how she’s choosing to raise her sons.

Diaspora living is a shared experience and as Africans, it shows up in living colour wherever in the world we are. For Armando, the vehicle is fashion but a lot of the passion is in collaborations among Africans.

He seems like an uncanny fit for TikTok because he’s a lover of words who is not a digital native. But Simon Mwewa Lane is a walking example of how a curious nature means we can thrive on any platform.

The evolution from son to father is one that has peppered Kojo Baffoe’s life with questions that still need to be answered, guidance from an era gone by and the memory of a father who shaped him into the wordsmith he is today. We chatted to Kojo about meaning and he told us about finding it in his most important role yet.

The Fratpack brothers Kitso and Kabelo Moremi together with Mokgethwa have been in the podcast game for half a decade now.

We sat with our brothers and had an amazing conversation about happiness, authenticity and more.

Dr Elna McIntosh is a multi-award winning clinical sexologist.

Renowned and well respected in her field for her research, mentorship and decades long service in woman’s health and activism on behalf of some of the most vulnerable in our society, Dr McIntosh is also an author, academic, media personality and aspiring stand up comedian!

Musa Kalenga is an author, marketer and entrepreneur. He is a lauded speaker and strategist who was recognized as one of the Top 200 young South Africans by the Mail & Guardian.

Kalenga is an enthusiastic entrepreneur who is passionate about using technology to empower the digitally invisible.

We sat with Musa and caught his thoughts on the future, fatherhood and more.

Kaunda Chama is a seasoned journalist who has worked in the business, technology and sports sectors.   He is also a voice artist, radio and TV presenter, and has done work such as being the voice of Big Brother Africa, voicing documentaries, TV and radio adverts, as well as MCing live events. Kaunda was also part of the pioneering group that set up Africa's first commercial internet radio station, Rhythm100 Radio.

A Producer and Director from Malawi, Kalumbu Kapisa is a modern day African storyteller. He defines himself, however, by the relationships he has built with family and community over time.  Zubz and Chilu sat with Kalumbu for a chat about the future of Africa in storytelling, true content ownership, the impact of The Black Panther and more.

Mbeu Kambuwa, popularly known as Snooze, is a Stand-Up Comedian and Copywriter originally from Malawi.   Snooze has won prestigious awards both in the advertising industry as well as in comedy, a true testament to his all-round excellence. He is also a genuinely hilarious guy.  Zubz and Chilu sat down with Snooze for a light-hearted chat about the ad industry, on-stage costume malfunctions, black tax, the gamble of love and more.

Zambian, Carl Chanda Mbao affectionately known as Chanda Mbao, is a financial services professional with over 7 years experience in investment banking and strategy. He is also a very dope emcee!  Currently managing partner at Frontier Capital Partners, Carl has sharpened his business acumen working at industry giants like Goldman Sachs and Leon, Mayer & Co. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree, from the University of Miami (School of Business) majoring in Economics, International Relations with Mathemetics as a minor.  We caught up with him on a business trip in Johannesburg, right after he finished shooting the music video for his latest song. Yes, in addition to his impressive business CV, Chanda Mbao is also an acclaimed and successful rap artist and all-round good dude!   Chilu, Zubz and Chanda chatted finance, life vocations, dreams, formative rap stories, single mom up-bringing, the role of the young African man in family and more.

Two gentlemen, both in their 30’s are making a huge impact in Zambia’s media industry.

Kenny Tonga is the CEO of Power FM Zambia. His holding company owns two radio stations. Costa Mwansa is the CEO of Diamond TV which has been on air for over a year. Both began their careers as presenters and have now built brands from scratch, and employ a number of people.

During a panel discussion at the just ended Lusaka Radio Summit, Chilu sat down with the two to find out what drives them and what it took for them to bring their dreams to fruition.

CEO, mom, sangoma, artist and hip-hop head are some of the many titles that describe Nothando Migogo. But beyond those titles lies a person who is intent on making her way through life in the manner most authentic to her spirit. Nothando spoke to Zubz about the business side of music in Africa, Nas, spirituality, the real tragedy of XXXTenTacion and why yoga is the meditation form that carries her through her colorful and textured life.

Mulenga Brian Mutale is President and CEO of Aguilar Capital Markets Ltd, a Canadian investment bank he founded to provide capital for African companies.  Born in Zambia and educated at Acadia University in Canada, Brian pursued a financial services career before recognizing the opportunity that his business is built on when he took a job with a bank in Zambia in 2010. A recent success Brian’s company has notched is raising $250 Million USD in debt capital for an African petroleum group in Ghana. He assures us that this is the first of many a deal. He is based in Canada but the frequency of his travels across the continent make it feel like he is a Canadian resident in name only and lives at 40,000 feet more than anywhere else. Outside of his business, he is an avid football fan who has played quite seriously and coached a local team in his home city (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia).  We spoke about his journey to his business’ genesis and other experiences along that road.

Musanete Farai Sakupwanya is a jazz vocalist, actor and podcaster from Zimbabwe.  Musa spoke honestly with us about two things he values deeply; his atrtistry and his walk with God. In what proved to be an introductory episode, we learn more about the man, his various passions and the moments that have shaped and continue to change his life.

Fabian Adeoye Lojede is a Nigerian actor, writer, producer and entrepreneur. His journey has been an interesting one filled with artistic pursuits as well as business ones. He is currently running his own production company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. We spoke about the power of names, religion, the link between African spirituality and Greek mythology and why creativity has been at the centre of his success.

Elizabeth Mhangami runs an NGO that helps child-headed homes in Zimbabwe and even though that is very serious work, she has a killer sense of humour and a fun spirit that is contagious and interesting to know more about.  Website: www.vanavevhu.org Twitter: @liznashe

Released on Apr 5, 2018

Kofi Ofori-Boateng is a Ghanaian author, speaker and mentor among many other titles. We were determined to find out what makes him tick and learn a thing or two about how he manages to live such a colourful and textured life.

Zambian entrepreneur, Vatice Mushauko, stopped by to share his story with us. From taking photographs to diversifying his skills and portfolio, we got a glimpse into how he went from behind the lens to the top of his game in business.

Sifiso Nkosi is a young South African Marketing Executive, originally from Soweto. He has made his name working with some of the country’s top brands. We chatted about fatherhood, corporate SA and football amongst other things. Don’t miss out!

Leslie “Lee” Kasumba is a Ugandan media personality who has made her mark on the African media scene through TV and radio.  Her vast media experience has meant she is in spaces that not many have access to. She also hosts a podcast, Africa State of Mind, which focuses on Africans doing amazing work – much like ours.  Lee opened up to Zubz and Chilu about her personal journey and her love for the continent.  

Twitter: @LeeKasumba 

Instagram: @LeeKasumba

Botswana born Keke Matlou is a businesswoman, traveller and mother. She laughs from her belly while knocking out her personal goals, striving for even greater heights and making her mark in the world.   We chopped it up and learned what and who is behind Keke Matlou the brand and Keke Matlou the woman.

We caught up with Helen Herimbi, a music journalist, podcaster and radio presenter who shines the spotlight on South African music.  She gave us insight into her love for music and what she’s learnt from her idols.

We speak to Offie Nxumalo, an award winning Jo’burg-based Sound Engineer about how a health scare made him decide to change his life and how growing up in a township was never going to limit him from tapping into his gift of sound.

Andile Masuku is a Zimbabwean broadcaster and entrepreneur based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He wears many hats including being the executive producer of AfricanTechRoundup.com and being a sought-after speaker and voice-over artist.