Hey hey 👋🏼
Hope your week is going well.
Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention in African entrepreneurship: solving real problems, at scale, with practical solutions. Not the “raise money first” hype. I want to break down two stories that show exactly how founders are doing it—and what you can learn from them.
Before we dive in, quick heads-up. If you want to get your brand in front of 3,000+ founder operators and professionals building amazing businesses, book a call here and follow me on LinkedIn for the latest African founder stories.
Story 1: Siny Samba — Making Baby Food Locally in Senegal
Siny Samba, Founder of LE LIONCEAU
In 2017, Siny Samba, a young food engineer from Senegal, noticed that every jar of baby food in local stores was imported. None were made locally.
Coming from France, where she studied food processing engineering and worked in R&D for a leading European baby food company, she returned home determined to do something different. That’s how LE LIONCEAU, Senegal’s first 100% locally made baby food brand, was born.
How she did it
Start small, start local: Siny sourced indigenous superfoods like baobab, moringa, fonio, and millet.
Solve for taste and familiarity: Baby food was not only nutritious but also tasted like home, giving parents confidence.
Empower communities: She created jobs for women and smallholder farmers, integrating social impact into the business model.
Impact so far
35+ employees
5,000+ local farmers supported
1,500 women empowered
110,000+ babies nourished
Now expanding into Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, and Mali
Key takeaways for founders
Solve a problem you’ve experienced yourself — it gives insight that no market research can fully replicate.
Start small but with clear impact metrics — Siny knew exactly what success looked like for her business and community.
Combine profit with purpose — Social impact doesn’t just feel good; it builds brand loyalty and trust.
Story 2: Baraka Chijenga — Fixing Food Waste in Tanzania
Baraka Chijenga, founder of Kilimo Fresh Foods Africa LTD
In Tanzania, nearly half of the food grown never makes it to a plate. Farmers were underpaid, families were paying more for less.
Baraka Chijenga saw the problem firsthand while farming tomatoes, capsicums, and watermelons. He quickly realized the system was broken: middlemen, poor storage, and unreliable buyers were destroying value.
Instead of giving up, he stopped farming and started building solutions.
His first venture, Eliminex Tanzania, focused on organic production.
But the real challenge was the entire supply chain, so he co-founded Kilimo Fresh Foods Africa LTD, a tech-enabled distribution platform.
Results
10,000+ tons of food saved from waste
Hundreds of farmers earning stable incomes (some increasing from $350 → $1,500)
Production quadrupled for many farmers
300+ farmers on the platform (30% women)
25+ B2B clients served
Recognition: Africa’s Business Heroes 2025 finalist, Sankalp Africa Awards 2025 winner
Key takeaways for founders
Identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks — real problems are profitable problems.
Leverage technology where it adds the most value — Baraka didn’t just farm, he digitized the supply chain.
Measure impact rigorously — scaling is easier when you can show tangible results.
Why these stories matter for you
These are not stories of overnight success. They are practical, grounded, and replicable lessons for anyone scaling a business in Africa.
Focus on real problems your customers face.
Start small, scale thoughtfully.
Embed social impact or measurable change wherever possible.
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That’s it for today. Dive into these examples and ask yourself: what real problem can I solve that no one else is tackling at scale?
Catch you in the next edition,
Angela.
P.S. Forward this to a founder friend who’s serious about scaling. You never know which story might spark their next big idea.