The Trajectory Africa

In this episode, Kuhle and I explore the SME investment opportunity, how it’s similar to and different from tech, and the ways in which tech-enabled SMEs and tech ventures play complementary roles in the broader venture ecosystem in Africa.

Show Notes

Welcome to Track 5 of The Trajectory Africa, a podcast series exploring the trajectory, or pathway, of venture capital and startup formation in Africa. This episode’s guest artist is Kuhle Mnisi. Kuhle is a Principal at Secha Capital, which she joined to marry her finance skill with a deep passion for impact. Prior to joining Secha, Kuhle worked as an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Cape Town, and interned with Act in Africa, a design thinking and entrepreneurship development program, as well as Goldman Sachs in investment banking and PwC in auditing. In this conversation, Kuhle and I explore the SME investment opportunity, how it’s similar to and different from tech, and the ways in which tech-enabled SMEs and tech ventures play complementary roles in the broader venture ecosystem in Africa. 

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Why Kuhle joined Secha Capital, a patient capital holding company that invests in African SMEs looking to grow
  • Secha's mission and approach: how it defines SMEs and why they present robust investment opportunities
  • Why it’s important for SMEs to adopt technology 
  • How SMEs and tech startups are connected, and how SMEs fuel tech startup growth

Kuhle's Recommended Track & Featured Resources:



DJ Saphir’s Spotify Playlist:

What is The Trajectory Africa?

The Trajectory Africa is a “pop-up” podcast exploring the trajectory, or pathway, of venture capital and startup formation in Africa. With the unique African landscape—market characteristics, business environment, goals, and culture—as a starting point, The Trajectory Africa aims to identify a destination for African tech, as well as the sign posts that signal direction of travel. It’s modeled on the concept of a mixtape, in which each episode, or “track” will feature a conversation with a “guest artist”, and a playlist for inspiration.