There is no shortage of Africans with ingenious ideas. Many have created prototypes of their inventions, but why do they continue to struggle to scale up? We talk about some of the geniuses we’ve interviewed on Africa Straight Talk.
Tag: nzambi matee
Episode 60: Why African governments accept dumping from abroad while ignoring local innovators
In this episode we look back at some of the most innovative entrepreneurs we’ve interviewed, and why they are struggling to get their brilliant ideas off the ground. Instead of assisting them, African governments continue to welcome dumping of plastics and other toxic materials that seem to make worse the problems these innovators are trying to solve.
Episode 48: Meet Nzambi Matee, the Kenyan Woman Turning Plastic Waste Into Building Materials
When Nzambi Matee sees plastic waste, she sees gold. And she’s on a quest to pave the streets and sidewalks of Kenya with it. Matee is the founder of Gjenge Makers, a Nairobi-based startup that is working to reverse environmental pollution by turning plastic waste into building materials. Matee has received numerous honors for her innovation, including Young Champion of the Earth, an award given by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to young entrepreneurs who are solving the world’s most difficult environmental problems.
Matee speaks with us about her upbringing in Kenya, and the obstacles African entrepreneurs like her run into when they try to innovate.
Africa Straight Talk 