Zimbabwean startup founder makes Forbes Africa’s 30 under 30 list

Nigel Gambanga Avatar

Let’s have another round of praise for accomplishment and progress in African entrepreneurship. While it’s pretty clear that we haven’t gotten as far as we’d want in our continent’s story on business success, once in a while you get to see something that reminds you that progress is being made and we have cases that deserve some mention.

Which is what Forbes Africa is focused on. The magazine, synonymous with lists of the rich and uber-successful, naturally has a keen interest in the next wave of entrepreneurship success. In the latest edition of Forbes Africa, the attention was on Africa’s top 30 under 30; 30 young, rising stars in African entrepreneurship that have devoted themselves to looking at some of the problems on our continent as opportunities and are doing impressive work in that regard.

25-year-old Clinton Mutambo is a Zimbabwean tech entrepreneur who’s part of the latest Forbes Africa list of 30. He is the founder of Esaja.com, an online Business to Business (B2B) platform that connects businesses to buyers across Africa with the aim of boosting intra-African trade. So far, Esaja, with it’s “Big Business” philosophy, has extended its footprint to over 15 countries throughout Africa and is enabling trade across the continent’s various sub-regions.

By leveraging the power of the internet as a tool for breaking down barriers to trade, Esaja provides sufficient information on businesses spread across the continent while creating relationships between enterprises and buyers, something that would have been difficult to execute otherwise. This makes Esaja an African Alibaba, albeit with a B2B focus.

Regarding his inclusion on the list, Clinton says;

“Pan African publications like Forbes Africa are playing a front line role in sparking Africa’s entrepreneurial revolution. I’m humbled to be listed as one of their 30 young Africans that are working to secure the prosperity of this continent, not just ourselves.”

If you want to check out the full list of Forbes Africa’s 30 under 30, you can get the digital copy of the magazine here, or the latest print edition which is available on some newsstands.

Disclosure: Techzim has worked with Clinton Mutambo on other projects outside Esaja and continues to maintain a relationship with him.

10 comments

  1. macdchip

    Well done brother

  2. tawazzile

    Well done bro keep it up.

  3. japhet

    This is great, Well done brother.

  4. Terry

    Awesome stuff.

  5. Dave

    Well Done Man Keep it up

  6. Clinton

    Thanks for the words of encouragement @macdchip @tawazzile @japhet @terry @dave and the many who’ve been contacting me directly. As you’re likely aware of, Zim’s been going through a lot – especially for us young people who’ve grown up with words like hyper inflation, unemployment & others hanging above us. Startups are endeavors built on a foundation of making bets on the future, committing beliefs to action and teamwork. The funding etc comes way way after this.

    Let’s never stop believing in this nation & continent’s long term potential, especially in the midst of such testing times. A lot of good people are either going out of work or facing a bleak future each day. It was during the great depression that many of America’s economic foundations were laid. We have companies like Liquid Telecom & Telone laying the foundations that can underpin whole new possibilities. In success or failure, our mission is one propelled by a strong belief in the power of possibilities.

    Four year’s ago Techzim published my first ever post, you can read it here:

    http://www.techzim.co.zw/2011/05/zimbos-stake-your-claim-in-the-startup-goldrush/

    I was 21 at the time & largely uninitiated about the intricacies of starting up. Today, I still believe and am excited to see Africa’s various ecosystems begin to open up. Who would have ever thought that operators like Safaricom would back startups or that investors like African Angels Network (An Esaja.com seed Investor) would put so much effort into backing “African explorers”. There’s a lot lacking but I’m thankful. Change will only begin to happen as a direct consequence of action. The more we act, the more things around us will begin to change.

    Best Regards,

    Clinton

    1. ashley zhanje

      wow Clinton am proud of you….well done !!!!!!!!!!!!

  7. donalbain mutambo

    well done bro

  8. craig bernard

    I want to use this medium to thank KLEAN TECH’s who help me with an already hacked ATM machine card. I was so poor without funds so i was browsing one day and i saw somebody testifying how some engineers named Ernest Klean help him from being poor to a rich guy through an already hacked ATM card capable of withdrawing $2,000usd daily and today am also testifying on how THEY helped me. i never believe in it until they send me the card which am using today.I want you to work in hand with them and you will leave the life of being poor you can contact them through their email address; ernestkleantech@gmail.com contact them now.

  9. Anonymous

    great work man,

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