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Beyond the Pivot Amplifying the voices of successful African entrepreneurs, emerging founders, and investors.

13/03/2026

Big congratulations to Nankhonde Kasonde-van den Broek, who was recently recognised among the Top 5 Coaching Experts in the World by Global Gurus.

Nankhonde joined us on the Beyond the Pivot Podcast last year, where she shared insights from her remarkable journey.

An internationally acclaimed Executive Coach and CEO of Zanga African Metrics, she brings more than two decades of experience from global institutions such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

Her work has earned global recognition, including:

• Thinkers50 Marshall Goldsmith Coaching & Mentoring Award (2021)
• Global Gurus World's Top 30 Coach (2021–2023)
• Thinkers50 Coaching Legends Inductee (2023)

In the episode, she talks about:

• Building culturally relevant solutions for African markets
• Leading with purpose while scaling across the continent
• Her transition from global institutions to entrepreneurship

🎧 Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel.

09/03/2026

This Women’s Month, we’re honoured to spotlight a woman who continues to shape Africa’s future through media, investment, and leadership.

A couple of months ago on Beyond the Pivot, we sat down with Biola Alabi for a powerful conversation on leadership, investment, and building Africa’s future.

This Women’s Month, we’re honoured to spotlight a woman who continues to shape Africa’s future through media, investment, and leadership.

A couple of months ago on Beyond the Pivot, we sat down with Biola Alabi for a powerful conversation on leadership, investment, and building Africa’s future.

Biola is a trailblazing Nigerian businesswoman, media leader, investor, and storyteller helping redefine Africa’s creative and technology landscape.

As the Founder of Biola Alabi Media (BAM), she is behind some of Africa’s most loved stories, including Bukas and Joints, Banana Island Ghost, and Lara and the Beat.

With over 25 years of experience across media, business, and venture building, she has:

- Led M-Net Africa, where she launched several Africa Magic channels and created the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards
- Backed transformative founders as General Partner at Acasia Ventures and Investment Partner at Delta40 Venture Studio
-Served on several boards, including as Chairwoman of Big Cabal Media and Non-Executive Director at Unilever Nigeria PLC
- Founded Grooming for Greatness, a leadership and mentorship platform empowering young African professionals

In this episode, Biola shares a powerful reminder: Africa must believe in and invest in itself if it is to build the kind of future its people deserve.

If a continent will be home to 40% of the world’s population, then it must build the infrastructure, opportunities, and ecosystems that allow people not just to survive, but to thrive. Watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel.

09/03/2026

This Women’s Month, we’re honoured to spotlight a woman who continues to shape Africa’s future through media, investment, and leadership.

A couple of months ago on Beyond the Pivot, we sat down with Biola Alabi for a powerful conversation on leadership, investment, and building Africa’s future.

Biola is a trailblazing Nigerian businesswoman, media leader, investor, and storyteller helping redefine Africa’s creative and technology landscape.

As the Founder of Biola Alabi Media (BAM), she is behind some of Africa’s most loved stories, including Bukas and Joints, Banana Island Ghost, and Lara and the Beat.

With over 25 years of experience across media, business, and venture building, she has:

- Led M-Net Africa, where she launched several Africa Magic channels and created the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards

- Backed transformative founders as General Partner at Acasia Ventures and Investment Partner at Delta40 Venture Studio

-Served on several boards, including as Chairwoman of Big Cabal Media and Non-Executive Director at Unilever Nigeria PLC

- Founded Grooming for Greatness, a leadership and mentorship platform empowering young African professionals

In this episode, Biola shares a powerful reminder: Africa must believe in and invest in itself if it is to build the kind of future its people deserve.

If a continent will be home to 40% of the world’s population, then it must build the infrastructure, opportunities, and ecosystems that allow people not just to survive, but to thrive. Watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel.

26/02/2026

How Did 260 Brands Become the First Proudly Zambian Brand to Break Into the U.S. Market?

In this episode of Beyond the Pivot, Gaurav Vijayvargiya shares the incredible journey of how 260 Brands became the first proudly Zambian brand to export products to the U.S.

In 2021, 260 Brands made history by getting recognised as Amazon's choice in the strips and crumbles category, cementing its place on the international stage. Gaurav walks us through the challenges and triumphs of adapting locally manufactured products for a global market.

Looking to take your Zambian products to international markets? Watch the full episode for invaluable insights on expanding globally and breaking into new territories!

🎧 Listen now on YouTube and all streaming platforms! Link is in the comments section

24/02/2026

Now Live on Beyond the Pivot

In this episode of Beyond the Pivot, we sit down with Gaurav Vijayvargiya, the visionary CEO of 260 Brands (formerly Seba Foods), one of Zambia's most innovative food and beverage companies!

260 Brands is behind household names like Golden Goodness, Emilios, and Nutramilk, and their focus on locally sourced, nutritious, and affordable products is revolutionising the market. Tune in to hear how Gaurav is leading the charge in reshaping the Zambian food scene, working with local farmers, and expanding internationally!

In our conversation, we explore the background of the man behind 260 Brands. We discuss his early days as a national 4x4 rally driver and his pivotal decision to pivot from Mechanical Engineering at Purdue to Industrial Management. Gaurav also shares how his experience managing global supply chains for a Swiss-listed multi-billion dollar firm prepared him for the leap back home to Zambia.

🎧 Listen now on YouTube and all streaming platforms!

From National Rally Driving to CEO of 260 BrandsHow do you turn a 30-year family legacy into a regional powerhouse? You ...
19/02/2026

From National Rally Driving to CEO of 260 Brands

How do you turn a 30-year family legacy into a regional powerhouse? You stop managing by Excel and start building for a 600 million market.

On our next episode of Beyond the Pivot, we sit down with Gaurav Vijayvargiya, CEO of 260 Brands. From rally driving to global exposure across North America, Asia, and Europe, Gaurav shares how purpose brought him back to Zambia to scale a family business into a fast-growing, impact-driven company.

Inside the episode:

- Navigating succession with strategy
- Taking a Zambian brand to #1 “Amazon’s Choice” in the U.S.
- Why emerging markets are like dark chocolate — complex, resilient, and not for the faint-hearted

Episode drops Tuesday. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to be the first to listen.

🔁 Repost this for someone curious about building and scaling legacy businesses in Africa.

GUESS THE GUEST Next week on Beyond the Pivot, we’re sitting down with a leader reshaping Africa’s food and agriculture ...
18/02/2026

GUESS THE GUEST

Next week on Beyond the Pivot, we’re sitting down with a leader reshaping Africa’s food and agriculture space.

Here are a few clues about our next guest:

- Leads a fast-growing agro-processing company based in Lusaka
- Spearheaded the launch of Zambia’s first locally produced plant-based milk
- Works with thousands of smallholder farmers through a farm-to-fork model
- Helped the company earn “Rising Star African Food Company of the Year” at the Africa Food Awards 2023
- Has lived and worked across North America, Asia, and Africa

Do you know who it is? 👇
Drop your guesses in the comments!

12/02/2026

To build lasting success, businesses need to deeply understand their customers and deliver real value that they’re willing to pay for.

In Africa, where every dollar counts, scaling into new markets is challenging, but with the right ex*****on, a strong profitability focus, and an empathy-driven approach, success is possible. It’s about delivering value, driving revenue, and maintaining good margins, even when the road is tough.

🎧 Catch the full episode with Brad Magrath on our YouTube channel to learn more about his approach to entrepreneurship and growth.

10/02/2026

How does trust shape your entrepreneurial journey?

Whether you're in a high-stakes boardroom or just starting out, your ability to inspire trust will determine your trajectory. Here’s why building trust is the ultimate key to business success, according to Brad Magrath:

- It’s the Foundation of Every Stakeholder Relationship
Trust is essential across the board: with customers, teams, investors, and regulators.

- Trust is the Cornerstone of Success
Without trust, relationships crumble, taking your business goals with them.

- High-Quality Relationships Require Radical Honesty
Trust grows when you can disagree and still stay aligned, leaning into candor and transparency.

Brad dives deep into this topic plus more in our latest episode of Beyond the Pivot. Watch the full episode to hear how trust has shaped his entrepreneurial journey and the key lessons he’s learned.

🎧 Watch now! Link to full episode is in the comments section below.

06/02/2026

It’s Friday, entrepreneurs!

As we approach the weekend, take a moment to rest and recharge. In the latest episode of Beyond the Pivot, Brad Magrath, co-founder of Zoona and now Head of Portfolio at AHL Venture Partners reflects on his journey and the importance of taking time for yourself:

Brad's Takeaways:

- The sacrifices of entrepreneurship: Brad shares how being deeply invested in your business can sometimes mean missing out on time with loved ones or neglecting your health.

- The power of rest: After exiting Zoona, Brad took time to reflect and recharge, emphasising that taking care of yourself is essential for long-term success.

- Giving back: He joined Africa Leadership Group as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence to help scale the work they were doing in supporting African software engineers to sell their services outside of Africa.

As you wind down this week, take a moment to rest and recharge , both for your health and for the bigger journey ahead.

🎧 Catch up on the full episode of Beyond the Pivot and get inspired for the week ahead!

03/02/2026

How do you scale beyond the buying power of a single market?

In this episode, we sit with Brad Magrath co-founder of Zoona, the pioneering mobile money platform that helped transform financial inclusion in Zambia and Malawi, and now Head of Portfolio & Platform at AHL Venture Partners.

Brad unpacks how Zambia’s constrained capital environment often produces stronger business fundamentals and unit economics, and why scaling beyond a single market’s buying power is critical for growth.

He also challenges the Silicon Valley home run mindset, arguing that because the cost of failure in Africa is high, venture capital must be modelled for averages, with a higher frequency of moderate, repeatable returns rather than chasing unicorns.

▶️ Watch the full episode now. Link is in the comments section below

Next week on Beyond the Pivot, we sit down with Brad Magrath, African entrepreneur, business leader, and investor renown...
30/01/2026

Next week on Beyond the Pivot, we sit down with Brad Magrath, African entrepreneur, business leader, and investor renowned for his pioneering work in Africa’s fintech sector.

Brad co-founded Zoona, a mobile money and payment platform that transformed financial inclusion for millions of unbanked individuals across Zambia and Malawi. Under his leadership, Zoona processed over $2.5 billion in transactions and facilitated $300 million in commissions for small-scale entrepreneurs. In 2022, Zoona was acquired by Chipper Cash, where it was integrated into Chipper Cash's ecosystem, allowing for rapid expansion in Zambia through Zoona’s established agent network.

Currently, Brad serves as the Head of Portfolio & Platform at AHL Venture Partners, an impact-focused venture capital firm that invests in high-growth companies across Africa. In this role, he mentors entrepreneurs, helping them scale businesses that address key challenges in sectors like financial inclusion, agriculture, and climate resilience.

In this episode, he covers:

- Zoona’s Transformation
- Building Relationships with Investors
-The Beginner's Mindset
- Brad’s Approach to Leadership

Tune in next week as Brad shares his entrepreneurial journey, insights into leadership, and his philosophy on scaling businesses in Africa. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to be the first to listen in!

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