People, Places, Progress and Prospects, Bye, Bye, 2023.
Wrapping Up 2023 from Sahara Ventures CEO’s Desk.
Dear valued colleagues, partners, and friends,
As the year draws to a close and we embrace the warmth of the festive season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable journey we’ve undertaken at Sahara Ventures in the past year.
In 2023, Sahara Ventures continued its steadfast commitment to shaping a dynamic entrepreneurial landscape across Africa, beginning with our beloved Tanzania. It has been an exceptional year filled with accomplishments and renewed purpose.
One of our proudest achievements has been our unwavering support for the evolution of third and fourth-generation universities that foster innovation and entrepreneurship. Through groundbreaking projects like Innoversity, SUSIE, and DALILA, we’ve illuminated the path toward a brighter, more inventive future for academia.
Our dedication to nurturing startups reached new heights, with several success stories emerging from our accelerator programs, including PesaTech Accelerator, AYUTE Challenge, and Startup Bridge Pamoja. We’ve witnessed these startups grow and secure vital capital, a testament to their potential and our shared vision.
In the presence of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, we inked a momentous Memorandum of Understanding alongside our esteemed partners at Hindsight Ventures. This landmark agreement has fostered collaboration between the Indian and Tanzanian startup ecosystems, creating a bridge that transcends borders.
Our pipeline startups took centre stage at various local, regional, and global startup events, exemplifying their resilience and innovation. Their presence at the Africa Startup Summit in Algeria is a shining example of their prowess. They have attracted investments and strategic partnerships that accelerate their growth.
Sahara Ventures has also forged impactful relationships with universities to facilitate technology transfer and commercialize research, catalyzing innovation within academia.
This year’s Sahara Sparks, themed “Embracing Disruptions,” marked a pivotal shift from traditional conference formats to a vibrant marketplace. This transformation facilitated tangible transactions and allowed us to cultivate new partnerships, including an exciting venture into climate change in collaboration with Climate KIC.
Our commitment to knowledge sharing led to the creation of insightful reports on burgeoning subsectors in Tanzania, specifically health tech and edutech, further solidifying our role as a knowledge hub.
Our mission remains resolute — to fortify the African startup ecosystem, commencing with Tanzania. We are deeply honoured to collaborate closely with the Tanzania Startup Association (TSA) and other stakeholders in this transformative journey. We look forward to continuing to work together and building our startup ecosystem through initiatives such as SiliconDar, Startup School, and others.
This year has been a fulfilling one. I launched my book, “The Diary of an African Hub Manager,” and embarked on a formal journey as an Angel Investor. These experiences have enriched my perspective and strengthened my resolve. I look forward to launching another book and investing in a few more startups next year, Insh-Allah.
As we look ahead to the coming year, our ambitions know no bounds. We are poised to restructure our organization, embracing a venture studio model as part of our accelerator programmes and launching our investment network and fund. Our dreams are grand, and our passion unwavering — we aim to revolutionize the startup ecosystem and create abundant opportunities for Africa’s youth.
We are looking to invest more time in emerging and future technologies, exploring ways to effectively utilize them to develop relevant products and solutions for our markets. We will keenly follow the advancement in Generative AIs, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Digital Twin, etc. Africa has an important role to play.
We sincerely thank our esteemed mentors, strategic partners, and clients for their unwavering support. As we revel in the festive season, we eagerly anticipate the exciting collaborations and achievements that await us in the year ahead.
Enjoy the festivities, and let us forge ahead together, with renewed zeal, to pursue innovation, entrepreneurship, and shared success.
Warmest holiday greetings and wishes for a prosperous New Year.
Jumanne Mtambalike,
CEO, Sahara Ventures.
