Why I am sharing this with you
Last year, in 2014, I published a blog post titled “TOP 10 Africa Business Websites that Help You Identify Africa Business Opportunities”. It was so popular that I decided to make a new and updated version for you in 2015. Be ready, because I included some exciting sites in this new list! But before I share them with you, please bear with me for a minute….
I want you to know that this blog post is much more than just a ‘Top 10 list’ for the sake of it. I am less interested in ‘listing’ than I am in assisting you with accessing the information you need to move your African business endeavours forward more confidently.
I am honored to receive so many e-mails with questions and inquiries from our Africa Business Jumpstart Community. Yet, each time I realize how the lack of understanding of Africa’s emerging markets and business climate is hampering your progress. When the clarity is missing, too many never move and miss out, or they make hasty business decisions that can literally cost them a lot.
What you need to know about this list
I know what that means. The lack of clarity got me stuck a few years ago. Frankly, this is exactly why I founded Africa Business Jumpstart. There is such a huge and painful lack of information out there! Information that is truly relevant to us as aspiring entrepreneurs, startups, SMEs, or first entry investors. We need the ‘how to’. We need someone who navigates us through the business climate on the continent, shares market strategies that work, business tips, and step-by-step guidance – not 100 Million Dollar investment news!
When I started my own Africa business ambitions, that ‘small stuff’ was no-where to be found. After having researched every corner for over a year I wanted to package it and make the information available to thousands more knowing that they, too, shared my pains and my confusion.
And I can confidently say that my blog remains unique in that endeavour.
But I could not have done it without other bloggers and publishers out there who do an amazing job in their space and have created a large audience. They were my most important sources – well, alongside the many scientific and market reports I read.
If you are planning to get started in Africa many of these sites may be of use to you. So I thought I continue sharing them. I focus on the ones I believe will bring the most concrete, practical value to you.
I believe in our mutual good will and cooperation with those publishers, even if I have only met a couple of them. I have huge respect for their important work.
Here are the Top Ten Websites informing you about Africa Business Opportunities and markets in 2015:
#1 How We Made It In Africa
Howwemadeitinafrica.com has been my favourite online publication for a long time and it remains my personal top choice for Africa business news and inspiration in 2015. What I love about the site is that it brings us very close to real people and their experiences on the ground – and in this regard the site is truly a gem. I suggest you make it your top choice, too! Howwemadeitinafrica.com publishes only original and professional content. It features a couple of new articles each day, except for weekends. It is sponsored by DHL and managed from South Africa. After having been a true fan for a long time, I am now a proud and regular contributor to the site, too.
Best for: Entrepreneurs, start-ups, investors, companies – it’s truly an all-rounder!
#2 CNN African StartUp
Frankly, CNN African Startup is doing a fantastic job featuring and presenting African entrepreneur success stories, and they are doing it in form of short videos on the CNN African startup website. What better way is there to advance your Africa business ambitions than learning from those who have done it. When you watch, you get inspired. On CNN African Startup you will get access to start-up stories and wonderful niche ideas no-one else is featuring. Why not replicate some of it in other markets ?!
Best for: Entrepreneurs, social enterprises on the ground
#3 Small Starter
Smallstarter.com – what can I say?! I followed founder and business blogger John-Paul Iwuoha when I needed answers. And today I am proud to tell you that we have become close business partners (yep, my partner in crime). We co-authored the book ‘101 Ways To Make Money In Africa’ and have many more exciting plans and business tools in the pipeline for you – so watch this space! Smallstarter.com stands out, because John-Paul is able to walk you through the steps of starting a small business in Africa – he is immensely practical! He is writing all blogs himself and his dedication to detail is second to none. John-Paul also provides motivation and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and like me takes a very personal approach to his Africa business blog.
Best for: Entrepreneurs, small business, those starting on a shoestring budget
#4 All Africa
I am using the site extensively as it provides a gigantic range of Africa business information across various countries and sectors under its ‘BizTech‘ Section. AllAfrica.com is one of the first Africa websites that made it internationally and it remains one of the most popular. AllAfrica.com is a news aggregation site for business news across the continent, most of it published by national media outlets, so it is the kind of business news you should not miss!
Best for: Everyone who wants to research latest market & business developments by sector or country.
#5 AFK Insider
AFK Insider is another popular Africa business publication featuring interesting business news for investors and the general public. It keeps you informed and entertained using a conventional approach and shares news across a variety of key sector and country categories. A great business news site to have on your list. The management of AKF Insider is based in New York.
Best for: Investors and entrepreneurs
#6 Lionesses of Africa
Lionesses of Africa is an amazing newcomer from South Africa featuring African women entrepreneur stories across countries and industries. The founders are massively dedicated and professional in their approach, it’s a beautiful site, and full of inspiration and advice from African women entrepreneurs at different stages of their journey. In my view, another rare gem, you can’t miss. In fact if you are a female African entrepreneur you can get featured on the site yourself or connect with other members for networking purposes. Go for it!
Best for: African women entrepreneurs
#7 Africa.com
Africa.com was founded by Theresa Clarke, who was born in Los Angeles of Afro-American parents and who has become a committed ambassador for Africa. She even joint Barak Obama during his Africa visit and also gave a speech at the White House. It is a colourful site that runs news, but also serves your curiosity and the soul with wonderful articles. It is actually one of my favourites, but business is only one aspect among other news and topic. It may be of particular use to you if you want to pursue a business in the travel or creative industry, as it covers these areas better than most other Africa business sites.
Best for: Entrepreneurs, businesses, and people generally interested in finding out more about general business developments.
#8 African Business Magazine
AfricanBusinessMagazine.com is both a digital and print publication run by the UK-based IC Publishing Group, which also publishes a few other African magazines. What makes this publication stand out is that it shares not only business news across the continent, but it features some great and rare analysis of certain developments and provides some different perspectives.
Best for: Entrepreneurs, investors, and companies
#9 Africa-Ventures.com
AfricaVentures.com is a Nigeria based online and offline magazine publication that recently had a make-over featuring now more general news as well. The site delivers Africa business, investment news, and innovation. Much of it is based on macro level, outlining major industry developments and deals, and it may be hard to accommodate such large-scale perspectives in your own Africa business plans, that’s why this year I moved it down a few places in the list of relevance. But such news items can still be of value to beginners and investors, as they demonstrate the grander trends and dynamics in Africa’s economy and your business will always fall under those.
Best for: Investors
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#10 Africa Business Pages
Last but not least: the Africa-business.com managed by a team in the UAE. This is not a business news site, but a directory that aims to boost business partnerships among Traders and African distributors. So if you need some guidance with that, have a look what the site has to offer. You need to pay for some of the publications and services, but it is another rare gem for those looking for contact details of potential Africa business partners and clients.
Best for: Companies in manufacturing, engineering, tourism, and marketing industries
I hope you found my post useful to your own endeavours and that you enjoy strolling through the Africa business garden out there. The list could certainly be extended. If you think the list could be useful to colleagues and friends who want to do business in Africa, please feel free to share it – and if you have another minute to spare, please spread the word about my own humble undertakings with Africa Business Jumpstart.
Best for? Let me sum it up this way:
“I help ambitious aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners to get started in Africa’s new emerging markets. I show you how to apply smart strategies to build Africa business concepts that work and offer rare market tips, guidance, and actionable tools enabling you to start your Africa business faster and more confidently”
And now we would love to hear from you in the comment section below, and please feel free to share other African business sites that you use!
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Hello Dr. Harnet,
It’s always an honour to be counted among the heavyweights. It gives me great joy that we’re united in our passion to light the path to entrepreneurship and prosperity for our people.
The challenges and opportunities before Africa are huge. But I’m confident that with the crop of websites on this Top 10 List, millions of Africans will find the information and inspiration they need to reach their dreams.
Our journey will be long and hard, but I’ve never been so excited about anything else in my life!
Africa Rising…
Cheers and keep up the good work, partner! 🙂
John-Paul,
Founder, Smallstarter Africa