Midweek Check-In: Tools African Innovators Are Using to Stay Visible
...because building something great isn’t enough! 🤷
Muli bwanji, Innovator! 👋
That’s “How are you?” in Chichewa, spoken in Malawi and parts of Zambia.
Yunno, it’s been a minute! 😉
**oya scroll slowly…
Did you know: Africa has more than 2,000 living languages, and speaking just two already puts you in the top 1% of multilingual people globally! 🤯
Source: We no fit lie give you
The truth is, we really are a continent of variety and voice, and in a way, standing out has always been in our DNA, whether it’s in how we dress, tell stories, or build ideas….
So, let’s talk visibility. The real kind 👇
Before your mind drifts to another “post more, tweet more” pep talk, relax. That’s not what we’re here for 👀
Tell us…
What do your users REALLY think about your product? When they come across your brand’s name, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Do you even know??? 🤨
Dear Innovator, in case no one’s told you yet, to be visible and to standout in a world such as ours, you must be known for one thing: your message.
This is because the innovators that are doing it best aren’t chasing every platform. They’re anchored to a clear message that’s bigger than their company, bigger than their role, and even bigger than their audience!
Take Temie Giwa-Tubosun for example, founder of LifeBank. Her visibility is built on one clear message: saving African lives through access to essential medical supplies. Whether she’s speaking, tweeting, or mentoring, her story never shifts.
This is what clarity looks like.
When people remember what you stand for, and not just what you sell, you’ve already won half of the visibility game!
2) Your Process Adds Perspective
We live in a time where showing your process is almost as important as the outcome. Why? Because perfection as an African innovator is overrated and everybody knows it!
People are drawn to the real stuff, the behind-the-scenes, the occasional struggles, the hiccups and the human moments.
What your 🫵 users really want is to see you actually build. They want to feel like they’re part of the journey.
So, instead of curating only the highlights, bring ‘em along the process. Let them see how decisions are made, how challenges are solved, and how your vision slowly takes shape. All of it!
It’s scary 👀 but will be worth it ‘cos it’ll help your story stick.
3) Small Stages, Big Leverage 🎙️
Another underrated visibility hack that nobody talks about? Don’t chase the biggest platform. Dominate the smallest ones first.
Some of the most strategic innovators are focusing on micro-prestige. They do this by showing up in niche newsletters (hey, that’s us! 👋), going to related community hangouts, speaking on podcasts, and getting involved in spaces where people actually give feedback.
Why?
Because smaller platforms let you own the room. And from there, credibility compounds. You can’t buy that kind of trust 🤝
***
In case you got lazy and didn’t read the whole thing…
TL;DR:
To stand out, do the following:
Have a message your users know you for.
Carry them along the messy bits of building.
Become a local champion (sort of…) 😜
As you head into the rest of the week, Innovator, remember, visibility isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about being remembered where it matters most.
Mwah! 💙🫰
Tech Ecosystem Updates:
Cassava, in partnership with NVIDIA, unveiled a GPU‑as‑a‑service offering across multiple African countries (including Nigeria and Kenya) during the festival in Cape Town. This positions Africa to host more AI compute locally rather than always relying on overseas infrastructure.
In addition to their recent Google partnership, Cassava Technologies seems to be making all the right moves 😉
Click the headline and link for the rest of the deets!!
The Nigerian House of Representatives has passed the second reading of a bill that would create a single body to regulate fintech companies in the country.
Since regulatory frameworks shape how innovations are built, launched and scaled, changes like this affect everything from compliance costs to entry‑barriers for your next product.
Click the headline for the full gist!
Tweets And Things:
(your weekly feel on how other people are doing this innovation thingy)
Which is your fave, B2C or B2B? Why? 👀
Build solutions that you’re proud of! 💪
Were they just ahead of the times….? 🤷
Want some extra brownie ✨ points? Make your brand your header and share a post about it. People will notice it!
Tech News:
Equinix to build $22 million data centre in Lagos as demand for cloud services soars
Nigeria’s first local stablecoin, cNGN, is growing at 77% MoM
Nigeria has announced plans to expand funding for startups through the iDICE programme
Don’t know what the Bletchley Declaration is? Read about it here
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Coming This Saturday…
African founders are solving real problems, but after the usual “We love what you’re doing,” there’s often just silence where the funding and support should be.
Why???
We’ll get into all the deets on Saturday. Don’t miss it!
Fascinating. This focus on a single, powerful message really resonates, and makes me think, what if we applied this prnciple to how we communicate complex ideas in STEM education or even global AI ethics discussions? It's like debugging a complex system down to its core function; so much more effective than just shouting louder.
Okay! I just have to say I love your newsletter! Such beautiful storytelling, it's refreshing to read.
P.S. We recently founded Linguafrika, a data anotation centre for African languages.
Currently we can tell stories and proverbs in seven African languages, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Swahili, Zulu, Fulfulde and Luganda. I just realised we're not talking enough about our process! Needless to say— Prepare to be sick of us!