Limitless Africa

TRUE Africa

Welcome to Limitless, the podcast series that  asks the questions which matter to Africa. Are tech start-ups the answer to Africa's unemployment problem? Can we stop fake news from spreading on the continent? How do we raise a generation of football stars?  These are just some of the topics we’ll be tackling. And we’re not looking for simple answers. Just as Africa’s potential is limitless, so are the possible solutions to any challenges the continent faces. During each podcast episode, we’ll be asking three very different subject experts to give their take on each question. This will come as no surprise but they don’t always agree. Made possible with a grant from the U.S. Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. What happens when the Real Housewives come to Africa

    1 DAY AGO

    What happens when the Real Housewives come to Africa

    "Women like this really do exist." The Real Housewives reality TV franchise has become one of America's biggest cultural exports. But what happens when this franchise lands in Africa? In this episode of Limitless Africa, hosts Claude Grunitzky and Dimpho Lekgeu speak with Portia Hlubi, producer of The Real Housewives of Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Lagos, and Eugene Mbugua, executive producer of The Real Housewives of Nairobi. Together, they unpack how the franchise’s glamor and drama are being reimagined by African producers. From casting and cultural nuance to conflict style and aesthetics, this episode explores the behind-the-scenes decisions that make the show work across African cities. Plus: The difference between the Real Housewives in Joburg and Lagos. 🌟 IN THIS EPISODE: 1:21 The Instagram skit that started it all 2:41 The universal appeal of reality TV 3:34 Adapting the format 4:42 The Real Housewives bible 5:11 From Joburg to Nairobi 7:48 Different rules for glamour 8:25 Drama 10:46 Audience expectations 12:55 Stories that travel 💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:  "It does a number on your own psychology." "As people, we all have universal problems. We're all looking for love." "It's a whole college education on its own on how to make good television." "Nigerian ladies argue or conflict very differently." " There was one crazy scene where a cast member brought a life size casket to a lunch." "The ladies in Nigeria are quite superstars in that they don't really like being told what to do." 🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential ➕ WANT MORE? The producer bringing African stories to the small screen https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/we-need-that-visionary-brave-first-money-in/ The Hollywood moguls investing in African wrestling https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/how-hollywood-moguls-are-investing-in-african-wrestling/ 💗 LOVE LIMITLESS AFRICA? Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out Share with someone passionate about pop culture in Africa 🚀 FOLLOW LIMITLESS AFRICA Instagram: @_trueafrica Website: https://trueafrica.co/ Substack: https://limitlessafrica.substack.com/ Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    15 min
  2. "The VC model is just fundamentally the wrong fit for Africa. You have to do something different."

    5 DAYS AGO

    "The VC model is just fundamentally the wrong fit for Africa. You have to do something different."

    "There's more change that can be made, more impact, more positive impact in people's lives through this kind of work, and plenty of money to be made." On this episode of Limitless Africa, we speak to Luni Libes, CEO and founder of agriculture investment company Africa Eats.  As of December 2024, Africa Eats was listed on the Mauritius Stock exchange. Luni Libes is an intrepid investor and the real deal: the 23 active companies in the Africa Eats portfolio had a combined revenue of $44 million dollars last year - up from only one million when he started investing. Luni has surprising thoughts on what investment model works best for Africa - no VC funds for him. Plus: Why trade barriers on the continent could offer opportunity for growth. 🌟 IN THIS EPISODE: 2:53 Building the largest agro vet supply company in Malawi 3:50 Building the biggest sausage supplier in Rwanda 5:09 From tens of thousands of dollars to a million in six years 9:10 The reality of farming in Africa 11:39 Banks don't lend 12:46 From software to farming 15:19 The problem with VC 19:53 How investors cash out 23:10 Risk in Africa 27:06 Berkshire Hathaway VS Africa Eats 30:49 How trade barriers help 💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER: "We're beating the S&P 500 and we're doing it with chickens and potatoes" "It doesn't have any competition because those borders are there." "There's no charity work here." 🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential ➕ WANT MORE? "Resilience is very African" - The entrepreneur moving 20,000 trucks across Africa https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/resilience-is-very-african-the-entrepreneur-moving-20000-trucks-across-africa/ How I made it: the entrepreneur bringing refrigeration to Africa https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/how-i-made-it-the-entrepreneur-bringing-refrigeration-to-africa/ 💗 LOVE LIMITLESS AFRICA? Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out Share with someone passionate about entrepreneurship in Africa 🚀 FOLLOW LIMITLESS AFRICA Instagram: @_trueafrica Website: https://trueafrica.co/ Substack: https://limitlessafrica.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min
  3. Is venture capital the right choice for African start-ups?

    1 DEC

    Is venture capital the right choice for African start-ups?

    "The VC model is just fundamentally the wrong fit for Africa." In this episode of Limitless Africa, Claude Grunitzky and Dimpho Lekgeu speak with American investor Luni Libes, founder of Africa Eats and Fledge, and Tanzanian entrepreneur Haika Mtei, CEO of Golden Pot. Together, they explore how long-term thinking, patient capital, and culturally adapted funding models are reshaping business across the continent. Plus: How one woman is building the go-to cereal brand in Tanzania 🌟 IN THIS EPISODE: 00:42 Why don't African start-ups exit? 3:13 Why Warren Buffet could hold the answer 4:52 The cereal brand that holds the answer 6:16 The value of travelling to the U.S. 10:24 Small cheques not big ones 12:24 Investors need to get brave 💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:  "The VC model is just fundamentally the wrong fit for Africa. You have to do something different." "Harder than getting to Harvard."  "Far fewer failures in Africa than in the States" 🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential ➕ WANT MORE? Does foreign aid fuel corruption, dependence, weak governance? Interview with investor Maya Horgan Famodu https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/foreign-aid-has-fuelled-corruption-dependence-weak-governance/ Adam Grant on the skills African entrepreneurs need to succeed https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/adam-grant-on-the-skills-that-african-entrepreneurs-need-to-succeed/ 💗 LOVE LIMITLESS AFRICA? Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out Share with someone passionate about entrepreneurship in Africa 🚀 FOLLOW LIMITLESS AFRICA Instagram: @_trueafrica Website: https://trueafrica.co/ Substack: https://limitlessafrica.substack.com/ Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    15 min

  4. SEASON 3 TRAILER

    E-sports, reality TV and money for entrepreneurs: what to look forward to on Limitless Africa Season 3

    We thought we'd give you a taster of what's still to come.  We're still talking to the best and brightest Africans and finding out the surprising ways they're working with American business, tech and creative talent to be the best they can be.  Because Africa is the future. And Americans - and Africans - know that. So tune in for the rest of Limitless Africa, Season 3. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 min
  5. "Resilience is very African" - The entrepreneur moving 20,000 trucks across Africa

    13 NOV

    "Resilience is very African" - The entrepreneur moving 20,000 trucks across Africa

    "We're only now coming around to fully cracking what it takes to reach the African consumer." Jean-Claude Homawoo is the CEO of logistics firm Lori Systems. Founded in 2017, the company has now managed over 20,000 trucks across 12 African countries, moving goods worth more than $10 billion. Jean-Claude is an entrepreneur finding solutions to really practical problems: transport across Africa and across national borders... And that means potholes, border police, and variable road networks. Plus: Why 'Buy Now Pay Later' is key to success in Africa 🌟 IN THIS EPISODE: 2:51 How to transport $10 billion-worth of goods across Africa 7:17 From Harvard back to Africa 11:35 What Lori's done so far 13:45 American money 14:46 Eight and a half years without profit 19:01 The number one problem for founders 23:51 Financing your customer 27:06 Why resilience matters 29:17 Why Africa should prize diversity 💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER: "We're only now coming around to fully cracking what it takes to reach the African consumer." "Resilience... It is something that is truly pretty quintessentially American. And it is also very African." "If you come to the continent, and you speak to a dozen founders, I suspect that 10 of them will tell you that one of the biggest challenges they face is financing working capital." "Keeping the lights on as a CEO is your number one job, period" "What built Silicon Valley was diversity. It was diversity of thinking." 🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential ➕ WANT MORE? How to stop food waste in Africa https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/how-i-made-it-the-entrepreneur-bringing-refrigeration-to-africa/ Adam Grant on the skills needed for African entrepreneurs to succeed https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/adam-grant-how-to-rethink-africas-hidden-potential/ 💗 LOVE LIMITLESS AFRICA? Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out Share with someone passionate about entrepreneurship in Africa 🚀 FOLLOW LIMITLESS AFRICA Instagram: @_trueafrica Website: https://trueafrica.co/ Substack: https://limitlessafrica.substack.com/ Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  6. How I made it: the entrepreneur bringing refrigeration to Africa

    10 NOV

    How I made it: the entrepreneur bringing refrigeration to Africa

    "Every Clark Kent can become Superman" Owusu Akoto is the Ghanaian entrepreneur tackling one of Africa’s most overlooked problems: cold chain logistics. In this episode of Limitless Africa, host Claude Grunitzky speak with Owusu about how his company, Freezelink, is solving food and medicine waste by building Africa’s temperature-controlled transport and storage network from the ground up. Owusu shares what African entrepreneurs need to succeed and why Africa’s uncultivated land may be its most powerful untapped asset. He also breaks down the mindset shift needed to embrace failure, build legacy, and scale solutions across the continent. Whether you're interested in agribusiness, logistics, entrepreneurship or building the future of food in Africa, this episode offers grounded insights from the frontlines. Plus: Why failure can be the best teacher. 🌟 IN THIS EPISODE: 1:40 The problems of mango farmers 3:26 The story of farmer Eric 6:19 The two things needed for success 9:12 The American mindset 11:59 The importance of the African mindset 💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER: "Every Clark Kent can become Superman" "America is the biggest advert in history for how success compounds." "Africa contains the most amount of uncultivated arable land in the world." 🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential ➕ WANT MORE? Adam Grant on the skills African entrepreneurs need to succeed https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/adam-grant-on-the-skills-that-african-entrepreneurs-need-to-succeed/ Has foreign aid fuelled corruption, dependence, weak governance? Interview with investor Maya Horgan Famodu https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/foreign-aid-has-fuelled-corruption-dependence-weak-governance/ 💗 LOVE LIMITLESS AFRICA? Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out Share with someone passionate about entrepreneurship in Africa 🚀 FOLLOW LIMITLESS AFRICA Instagram: @_trueafrica Website: https://trueafrica.co/ Substack: https://limitlessafrica.substack.com/ Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    15 min
  7. "Teaming up with Hollywood would expand the value" - How to export African wrestling to the world

    6 NOV

    "Teaming up with Hollywood would expand the value" - How to export African wrestling to the world

    "The NBA's on the continent. NFL was just here in Cairo, and you also have Formula One thinking about coming." Ibrahim Sagna is a Senegalese businessman and chairman of Silverbacks Holdings, the Mauritius-based private investments firm. It focuses on start-ups in tech, sports entertainment and the creative economy. These include businesses we featured on Limitless Africa, businesses like the FinTech payment system Flutterwave and the online marketplace ANKA. Silverbacks has also invested in the African Warriors Fighting Championship, a martial arts entertainment brand. Plus: How Ibrahim secured the Hollywood film producer Sandy Kleiman as an AWFC investor and advisor. Kleiman has worked with the Oscar-winning Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. It’s a perfect example of how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity. 🌟 IN THIS EPISODE: 2:36 Why African wrestling is the next big thing 4:20 Why Dambe is popular in Brazil 6:09 The size of the African sports market 8:40 The UFC trouble with Africa 12:30 The African companies serving other continents 15:19 Getting Hollywood producers on board 19:29 The one principle guiding Ibrahim's career 27:06 What Rwanda and Singapore have in common 29:47 What people get wrong about Africa 💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER: "When quality manifests itself, capital follows." "Capital is very very selfish: it just looks at quality and sustainability." "No continent that is perfect. Continents make themselves look perfect." "If you look at the data, even the last 50 years, the most profitable companies in Africa are all exporters." "You have this continent that tends to be presented as a dark continent  that's just doubling at all metrics." "We've always contributed, but it just was never recognized." 🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential ➕ WANT MORE? Why Hollywood moguls are investing in African wrestling https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/how-hollywood-moguls-are-investing-in-african-wrestling/ How Africa is basketball’s next big business move https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/why-nba-africa-means-business/ Michael Finley - "If the infrastructure for basketball was anywhere near what it's like in America, Africans would dominate the NBA." https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/if-the-infrastructure-for-basketball-was-anywhere-near-what-its-like-in-america-africans-would-dominate-the-nba/ 💗 LOVE LIMITLESS AFRICA? Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out Share with someone passionate about sports and money in Africa 🚀 FOLLOW LIMITLESS AFRICA Instagram: @_trueafrica Website: https://trueafrica.co/ Substack: https://limitlessafrica.substack.com/ Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min
  8. Why Hollywood moguls are investing in African wrestling

    3 NOV

    Why Hollywood moguls are investing in African wrestling

    "I take your Hulk Hogan and I raise you Coronavirus, one of our best fighters" Imagine a combat sport so ancient its moves were once used in spear and shield warfare. Now imagine it on a global stage. In this episode of Limitless Africa, we interview Maxwell Kalu, founder of African Warriors Fighting Championship. He’s on a mission to build Africa’s UFC, taking Nigeria’s traditional Dambe boxing from dusty marketplaces to packed stadiums and global broadcasts. Discover why fighters like “Coronavirus” are becoming local legends, how American investors from Hollywood are backing African combat sports, and why Maxwell believes Africa’s cultural power is its greatest strength. Plus: 🌟 IN THIS EPISODE: 1:28 What is dambe? 5:08 Dambe fans around the world 6:05 The origins of Coronavirus 9:14 Getting funding from the US 12:42 Why African culture is so popular 💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER: "So he took the name Coronavirus because he came to prominence during COVID. And the fans nicknamed him that because his style was deadly." "We featured the first ever international white Dambe fighter, a guy called Luke Leyland, brought him all the way over from sunny Liverpool and he competed in front of 10,000 people in Katsina, Northern Nigeria." "We have an outsized level of cultural power." 🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential ➕ WANT MORE? Building a basketball industry in Africa https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/why-nba-africa-means-business/ How Africans can build their own NBA with the man leading it in Kenya https://trueafrica.co/article/podcast/if-the-infrastructure-for-basketball-was-anywhere-near-what-its-like-in-america-africans-would-dominate-the-nba/ 💗 LOVE LIMITLESS AFRICA? Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps get the word out Share with someone passionate about sport in Africa 🚀 FOLLOW LIMITLESS AFRICA Instagram: @_trueafrica Website: https://trueafrica.co/ Substack: https://limitlessafrica.substack.com/ Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    15 min
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Trailers

About

Welcome to Limitless, the podcast series that  asks the questions which matter to Africa. Are tech start-ups the answer to Africa's unemployment problem? Can we stop fake news from spreading on the continent? How do we raise a generation of football stars?  These are just some of the topics we’ll be tackling. And we’re not looking for simple answers. Just as Africa’s potential is limitless, so are the possible solutions to any challenges the continent faces. During each podcast episode, we’ll be asking three very different subject experts to give their take on each question. This will come as no surprise but they don’t always agree. Made possible with a grant from the U.S. Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    TRUE Africa
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    116
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © TRUE Africa
  • Show Website
    Limitless Africa

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