The phrase “NEPA took the light” is something that you hear quite often in Nigeria. The acronym stands for the National Electric Power Authority, the former name for the company that keeps the power running in the country. Now, named the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, electricity cutting off sporadically continues to be an ongoing issue. In 2014, Beacon Power Services (BPS) founder and chief executive officer Bimbola Adisa launched his company to help improve electricity access in not only Nigeria but across Africa, TechCrunch reports. A report says that in 2020, 77 percent of Sub-Saharan African countries had no access to electricity, having to turn to alternatives like generators. After eight years invested in providing energy management software and analytics for utilities, BPS has recently raised $2.7 million, according to the outlet. “Africa is home to the fastest growing cities in the world, but when most people think of energy access in Africa, they think of the rural...

As an entrepreneur with a new idea, before the investors and capital come, you become your own biggest hype man. When Amira Rasool first launched The Folklore Group — an e-commerce retailer for African fashion brands — in 2018, she full-heartedly believed in her platform with the mission of helping African designers gain more support from retailers and consumers around the world. Coming from the world of fashion and deeply familiarizing herself with African clothing after traveling to South Africa, Rasool recognized that she possessed the network, knowledge, and passion to solve the issue of the lack of direct-to-consumer platforms across the continent. Her realization turned to action once she envisioned just how wide the door of economic opportunities could be for African designers with her creating a platform to make it happen. “They don’t need another magazine article if they can’t link back to a website where customers can purchase [their brand.] I didn’t want to just be there...