Talk with Fred Swaniker

$8 billion dollars later, what have we learned in the past decade about the enduring lessons of investing in and building successful early stage companies in Africa? Africa has seen a complete market cycle of boom and bust in the VC ecosystem, its first few exits and IPO, and a flurry of founders and media coverage. This panel features insights from serial founders, early stage VCs and leading accelerators. Expect to hear riveting insights on key questions including - What early stage investors have gotten right and wrong in choosing winners? How founders are getting wiser on choosing investors and achieving PMF? How the ecosystem will evolve as it unlocks new types of capital like venture debt and new models like studios?

Africa is in the midst of a digital revolution: approximately 473 million Africans are online, and an additional 300 million will likely join them by 2025. Average download speeds in Africa doubled between 2015 and 2019, while data costs halved. Underpinning this growth is the installation of digital infrastructure (fiber optics, data centers, and more) serving the continent. In this panel, we will hear from the folks building that infrastructure. We will understand the history, opportunities, and challenges in this sector.

Africa’s fintech industry is coming of age. In the face of political and economic challenges and a global pandemic, fintech on the continent is booming. Come and listen to what comes next in the fintech space. Join Mayowa Kuyoro and Uzayr Jeenah, partners at McKinsey & Company, as they discuss the recent report on fintech in Africa.

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