Episode 174: Glass Houses & Glass Ceilings: Mary Njoki on Building A PR Agency & The State of PR in Africa Report

Episode 175: Kasi Insight’s Yannick Lefang On Building Africa's Leading Indigenous Decision Intelligence Company

In this episode of the Pure Digital Passion Podcast, I sit down with Yannick Lefang — Founder & CEO of Kasi Insight, Africa's leading decision intelligence company — for one of the most intellectually rich conversations I've had on this podcast. Yannick's path to founding Kasi is unlike almost any other founder story in the African technology biased ecosystem. Born in France, raised in Cameroon, trained as an electrical engineer at the University of Ottawa (cum laude), he spent over a decade in financial risk management at TD Bank in Toronto — before joining the International Finance Corporation to advise African banks on risk frameworks across East, Southern, and West Africa. That experience revealed a data gap no one had filled: Africa had no reliable, high-frequency, pan-continental consumer intelligence platform. So in 2017, he built one. Today, Kasi Insight tracks consumer sentiment, economic signals, brand performance, and retail dynamics across 21 African markets — conducting 120,000+ interviews annually and generating 80 million data points. Their Kasi Index of Consumer Sentiment is distributed on Bloomberg and Refinitiv. We cover his entire journey — from his grandfather's entrepreneurship lessons in Cameroon, to the Nortel collapse, the Lehman Brothers crisis at TD Bank, the Kasi founding story, and what it actually takes to build Africa's consumer data infrastructure from the ground up: 00:00 — Introduction & background: Who is Yannick Lefang? 03:33 — Growing up in Cameroon: the grandfather who shaped an entrepreneur 10:00 — From medical school expulsion in Benin to engineering in Canada 18:36 — Cultural shock: arriving in Ottawa from Cameroon in January 20:44 — The collaboration lesson that turned his academic career around 24:41 — Career journey: Nortel, E*TRADE, and moving to Toronto's financial industry 30:00 — Inside TD Bank: market risk, capital markets, and the 2008 financial crisis 33:00 — Two weeks into a new TD role — and into the middle of a Lehman Brothers write-down 35:00 — The mentor question that started everything: "If you had a magic stick..." 36:17 — The inflation basket that didn't work, and the pivot to survey data 37:33 — Why Kenya (not Cameroon): the lunch conversation that changed the company 38:51 — The founding logic: Africa was making decisions without a feedback loop 44:57 — The moat: why 9 years of primary data cannot be bought at any price 47:35 — From data company to market research company to decision intelligence company 52:23 — Building the infrastructure: 1,500+ ground-level researchers, country by country 54:33 — Why Kasi built its own platform (Tableau was $2,999 per user) 55:18 — Who the clients are: Bloomberg, Reuters, African banks, FMCGs, NGOs 56:49 — Kasi tracked COVID in Africa before the WHO declared a pandemic 1:00:14 — What separates Kasi from traditional research companies 1:03:44 — The vision: becoming the Bloomberg of Africa 1:06:50 — Advice for young Africans: work ethic, challenging the status quo, and the informal market 1:10:48 — Closing reflections

Episode 174: Glass Houses & Glass Ceilings: Mary Njoki on Building A PR Agency & The State of PR in Africa Report

81% of African PR professionals are using AI — but are they using it right? Mary Njoki breaks it down. In this episode of the Pure Digital Passion podcast, I sit down with Mary Njoki — Founder & CEO of Glass House PR — for a wide-ranging, hour-long conversation covering her founder journey, the story behind the 2026 State of PR in Africa Report, and what the findings really mean for the industry. Mary founded Glass House PR in 2012 at 23 years old, starting with a modem, a laptop, and a free website template. She finished high school at 16, discovered PR through volunteer work at a Nairobi youth community, and spent the first two years doing pro bono work before landing Facebook as a client in year three. Thirteen years later, Glass House PR is one of Africa's leading Pan-African communications agencies — and a couple of weeks ago released the 2026 State of PR in Africa Report, the most comprehensive and current examination of the African PR industry to date. We cover: 1. The real story behind the 81.5% AI adoption figure (it's about depth, not just usage) 2. The shift from SEO to GEO and why organizations with content cultures win the AI era 3. The human premium and what it takes to direct AI rather than be directed by it 4. The Gen Z opportunity, algorithm volatility and the case for owned media 5. AI governance as self-governance, and why Africa's most urgent AI challenge is training LLMs on African data. Time Stamps 00:15 Introduction and guest welcome 02:07 Why "Glass House PR"? The meaning behind the name 02:34 From computer science dreams to PR: the unconventional path 03:30 Finishing high school at 16 and starting a company at 23 04:25 K Crew and the volunteer moment when PR clicked 05:46 Building Glass House PR with a modem and a laptop 06:39 Two years of pro bono work and the early conviction 09:40 Building a Pan-African footprint 10:00 Facebook in year three: the validation moment 12:10 Before Facebook, there was Google — and a near miss 13:54 Introducing the 2026 State of PR in Africa Report 14:29 The Turkey summit that triggered the whole initiative 16:41 The methodology: 54 agencies, 16 countries, 80 students 17:09 Why 16 countries? Mary wanted 54. 18:15 How the AI and digital-first theme emerged from last year's findings 20:34 Producing Pan-African findings across radically different markets 21:34 The most surprising finding: 81% using AI — but at a basic level 24:47 From SEO to GEO: optimising for AI citations, not search clicks 27:11 Why the future belongs to content creators, not advertisers 27:58 PR budgets rising from 2027 — because of thought leadership content 28:18 74.1% say AI enhances vs 42.5% of Gen Z say it reduces authenticity 31:31 "How do you become the human agent?" 32:00 The 10,000 hours argument: AI amplifies mastery 33:52 Gen Z: microwave generation or untapped opportunity? 34:42 "They just need direction" — Mary on developing Gen Z talent 35:48 Legacy practitioners and the fear that Gen Z is "cheating" 36:13 Finding 7: the generational platform split 36:39 Algorithm volatility, TikTok's Africa problem, and rented land 38:40 Traditional PR agencies and the digital-first reckoning 39:38 The client who still wants to see a newspaper photo 40:55 Trust metrics vs vanity metrics and the Kenyan media landscape 44:42 AI governance: self-governance before external policy 46:35 AI sameness and the value of original human creativity 48:10 "The authenticity that comes with originality can never be replaced" 49:04 Training LLMs on African data: owning the narrative at algorithm level 51:12 Global South amplifying humans vs Global North replacing them 52:40 It's not about AI leadership — it's about use case studies 53:24 Advice for young Kenyans and Africans entering PR in the AI era 54:49 AI proficiency: the new "do you have computer packages?" 56:27 The question nobody asks — and why tech and PR have always been one

Episode 173: The Bolt Kenya & Ipsos Gig Economy Report Launch Media Discussion Panel

Kenya's gig economy drives over KES 100 billion in annual economic impact and supports 150,000+ jobs. Top Bolt drivers earn up to KES 400,000 monthly, with 53% citing ride-hailing as their primary income source and 98% reporting improved livelihoods. This 49-minute panel features Kenya's platform economy leaders—platform operators, policy experts, and ecosystem builders—breaking down the operational realities behind the numbers, Bolt's comprehensive safety investments, smart regulatory frameworks, inclusion challenges, and the projected growth to 300,000 gig workers by 2028. Panelists Moderator: Moses Kemibaro – Founder & CEO, Dotsavvy | Host, Pure Digital Passion Dimmy Kanyankole – Senior General Manager, East Africa, Bolt Kenneth Anye – Director of Public Policy, Africa & International Markets, Bolt Mbugua Njihia – Venture Builder & Solution Architect Key Discussion Highlights Earnings Reality: 1/ Average: KES 63,000/month across driver cohorts 2/ Top 20%: KES 180,000–300,000/month 3/ Highest single earner: KES 400,000/month (3x average salary, 6x minimum wage) Safety Investments: 1/ Emergency button with medical/security dispatch 2/ AI-powered trip anomaly detection 3/ Live trip sharing 4/ Driver vetting (ID + good conduct certificates + PSV insurance) 5/ 12% of Bolt workforce dedicated to safety Policy Framework: 1/ 53% primary income source + 98% improved livelihoods 2/ Need for holistic regulation addressing fuel costs, financing, commissions 3/ Mobile money's light-touch regulation as blueprint Growth & Inclusion: 1/ Gender participation gap: 3% female 2/ Rural penetration: 22% 3/ 2028 projection: 300,000 gig workers Time Stamps 0:00 – KES 100B impact + 150K jobs 2:30 – Earnings: KES 63K avg → KES 400K top 9:00 – 53% primary income + 98% better lives 15:00 – Volatility (62%) vs retention trends 22:00 – Safety deep-dive 30:00 – Policy: holistic vs single-issue 37:00 – Gender/rural inclusion gaps 43:00 – 2028: 300K workers ahead 47:00 – Key takeaways

Episode 172: Actnable AI's Dharmendra Jain & Josiah Kimanzi Make African Research Faster, Smarter, & Actionable

Dharmendra Jain (Founder & CEO) and Josiah Kimanzi (Client Service Director) reveal how Actnable AI is transforming market research across Africa—from emotional response analysis to qualitative automation. Given their 30+ years running operations for Kantar/TNS across India, Nigeria, Kenya and beyond, they're now building Nairobi-rooted AI tools that fix slow fieldwork, manual analysis, and generic global platforms.What you'll discover in this 50-minute deep dive:1/ How Neuro AI measured identical telecom ads triggering radically different emotions across African cities (Lagos rational, Kinshasa needed full rewrite)2/ Qual AI's "chat with data" magic—turning raw transcripts into instant themes, sentiments, and action recommendations3/ DIA platform unifying structured surveys + unstructured social/media for holistic consumer insights4/ Real client wins: massive data projects delivered under impossible deadlines5/ Why African research lags AI adoption (skills gaps, infrastructure) and how to fix it6/ Future vision: affordable enterprise-grade insights for African SMEsTheir origin stories are pure gold:a) Dharmendra's "falling in love" moment: processing India's Indian Leadership Survey (240K respondents)b) Josiah's anthropologist pivot → Research International → Kantar Nigeria's 20-country client service for Heineken, MTN, Coca-Colac) Nigeria's "beautiful chaos" that forged their partnership (and that legendary chapati meeting!)About Actnable AI: Nairobi HQ serving Kenya, India, USA, South Africa. Specializing in Neuro AI (facial/emotional analytics), Qual AI (qualitative automation), real-time calling agents, and language solutions. Built by practitioners for African market realities. actnable.ai00:00 - Intro: Why AI research matters for African brands00:45 - Dharmendra's data origin: Indian Leadership Survey (240K respondents)02:30 - Josiah's anthropologist → research career pivot04:15 - Nigeria operations: "Beautiful chaos" survival stories07:45 - How they met (the chapati moment!)10:30 - Founding Actnable AI: From Field Management System to AI15:20 - Neuro AI case study: Telecom ads across African cities22:10 - Qual AI & DIA platform: Chat with unstructured data28:40 - Client wins: Speed + measurable business impact34:15 - African research's AI adoption barriers (skills, infra)41:20 - Future: Local AI democratizing SME insights46:30 - Leadership lessons: Ops → founding transition49:00 - Closing: Data-driven decision-making as African standard

Episode 171: Building Kenya’s & Africa’s Technology Talent with Moringa’s CEO Nikki Germany

In this episode of Pure Digital Passion, I sit down with Nikki Germany, CEO of Moringa, to explore how a girl from rural Australia — the Land of Oz — ended up leading one of Kenya's and Africa’s most impactful technology education institutions, and how Moringa is building tech talent not just for Kenya, but for the world. We talk about Nikki’s journey from Expedia and Google to Bridge International Academies and Copia, and how those experiences in scaling mission‑driven organizations prepared her to lead Moringa through rapid growth — to nearly 5,000 learners in a year. We dive into Moringa’s four learning verticals (software engineering, data, cybersecurity, AI), its industry‑led, hands‑on curriculum, the role of technical mentors, and why “durable skills” like critical thinking and collaboration matter as much as code. Nikki also breaks down Moringa’s AI Academy, the shift to flexible virtual and part‑time learning (70% of learners now fully online), accessibility through financing and scholarships, and the growing demand from global employers for African technology talent. We close with practical advice for students, parents and working professionals on how to choose the right technology programme and build a mindset of lifelong learning. If you’re curious about technology education, AI skills, or the future of work in Africa, this conversation is for you. 00:00 – Intro and who is Nikki Germany 01:39 – Growing up in rural Australia and creating her own opportunities 03:23 – Sabbaticals, global careers and discovering Africa 05:18 – Why Nikki chose Kenya and first impressions of the technology ecosystem 06:48 – Lessons from Bridge and Copia: how to scale high‑impact organizations 08:59 – Entrepreneurial tendencies and joining Moringa as CEO 13:19 – What Moringa is and its mission to develop technology talent the world needs 14:53 – What makes Moringa different from generic online schools and bootcamps 16:45 – Technical mentors, hands‑on projects and industry advisory panels 17:49 – “Durable skills”: problem‑solving, critical thinking and mental toughness 21:29 – Capstone projects and solving real‑world employer problems 23:03 – The four learning verticals: software, data, cybersecurity and AI 24:43 – Pathways from intro courses to bootcamps and advanced professional programmes 24:58 – Who Moringa serves: high‑school leavers, university students, grads and career‑switchers 26:35 – Keeping up with fast‑moving technology: curriculum engineers and global benchmarks 28:03 – Inside the AI Academy: Gen AI, AI for marketers, agents and upcoming AI engineering 30:29 – Building globally competitive programmes and serving global talent demand 31:55 – Why many learners add a Moringa certificate on top of a CS degree 32:54 – Flexible delivery: 70% virtual learners, 50% part‑time, learners across Kenya and abroad 34:19 – Impact stories and alumni outcomes: startups, game dev, AI in health, corporate roles 41:36 – Advice to students: start with intro programmes, talk to alumni, use open days 42:51 – Advice to working professionals: accessible AI programmes and testing the waters 46:00 – Future‑proof skills: technology, AI and data literacy + curiosity, collaboration and communication 48:30 – Moringa’s long‑term vision and legacy in Africa’s technology ecosystem 50:00 – Closing thoughts and how to learn more about Moringa