THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Founding Women is a collection of the inspirational, first-hand accounts of 20 African women who are defying the odds to build successful businesses in technology on the continent.
Among the successful entrepreneurs interviewed in the book are Rebecca Enonchong – CEO of AppsTech ( Forbes 10 Female Tech Founders To Watch In Africa) and Hilda Moraa – Founder & CEO of Pezesha ( She previously founded Weza Tele, the first African tech startup to successfully exit when it was acquired by Jumo.World in 2015) as well as other established and upcoming founders working in energy, health, software and fintech.
Filled with practical advice and words of encouragement, this book speaks to any girl who has a dream but fears the odds might be stacked up too high against her.
Founding Women is a publication of the Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN), a UK-based social enterprise that works to promote sustainable development in Africa through technology innovation and enterprise.
All proceeds from sale of the book will go towards ATBN’s training and mentorship programme for young female entrepreneurs in Africa.
“The release of this book is timely, especially as the world marks International Women’s Day. We must recognise that the playing field is not even for all women. African women in tech are not often visible, particularly, as we are so under-represented in the sector.
“Founding Women is about highlighting role models to show girls and young women across Africa and the world, that technology is for them and that they too can become technology entrepreneurs if they want to. The book also speaks to a much broader audience because ultimately these women’s stories can teach us all something about going for our dreams and not giving up,” said Eunice Baguma Ball, author and founder of ATBN.
As highlighted by the recent #MeToo movement, gender inequality continues to be a pressing issue worldwide, particularly in male-dominated sectors like technology where women face systemic barriers.
Recent findings show that out of the $85 billion invested by venture capitalists in 2017, only 2% went to women, and less than 1% to black female entrepreneurs. This book not only puts the spotlight on some of the challenges faced by African female entrepreneurs, but also showcases their strength and commitment to their visions.
Eunice Baguma Ball is a UK-based, Ugandan social entrepreneur and technology advocate. She is the founder and executive director of the Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN).
Her passion for technology stemmed from her experience working on financial inclusion projects in Uganda where she saw the impact that technology-enabled access to financial services could have on the lives of those in underserved communities. She later founded a technology startup in Uganda. While it was not successful, the experience motivated her to work towards building an African innovation ecosystem where young entrepreneurs can access the support they need to succeed and led her to establish ATBN.
