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Kojo Ampadu, widely known online as LittleBlackBook91, did not arrive on YouTube chasing influence. He arrived with an instinct to help. Raised in a Ghanaian family where men quietly advised others on marriage and life, he saw early what principled guidance looked like. At 17 he was already offering counsel of his own. Years later, when his videos on relationships and reality dating shows started attracting global attention, the digital world simply confirmed what his upbringing had trained him for. When the Audience Decides Your Assignment Ampadu’s channel began as commentary. Then the comments turned into case studies. Viewers were no longer just reacting to his analysis of shows like Ready To Love and Married At First Sight. They were asking him to speak into their own lives. That demand pulled him from general content into structured coaching. He did not decide to become a coach in isolation. His market told him what it needed and he responded. For founders and creatives this is a powerful lesson in listening to your community. Faith, Healing and the Renewal of the Mind A committed Christian, Ampadu believes the biblical call to heal the sick includes healing the emotionally unwell. His approach is part theology and part psychology. He reminds clients that the Bible speaks of renewing the mind and argues that wisdom is what drives out ignorance. In his framework there are no generational curses, only generational patterns. Once patterns are named, they can be broken. This blend of faith and practicality has made him relatable to Africans and the diaspora who want spiritual depth without vague language. Building a Global Coaching Practice  In 2024 Ampadu took the decisive step to coach full time. That year he worked with more than 300 people and has since refined his specialism. Based in Birmingham, he now serves clients from the UK, Ghana, Nigeria, the United States, Canada and the Netherlands. His preferred setting is working with couples, helping them build emotional safety, healthier communication and conflict resolution. His philosophy is straightforward. Coaching should not create dependence. It should create adults who can stand on their own two feet and choose better. Content Credibility and Cultural Reach Ampadu’s authority is reinforced by visibility. He has interviewed cast members from the Oprah Winfrey Network ecosystem for four years. He has grown his YouTube audience to around 90,000 subscribers. On TikTok he has reached close to 900,000 followers, through a mix of dance content that delights Africans and relationship conversations that ground them. The viral moments give him reach. The weekly live sessions, where people can ask questions in real time, give him trust. He understands that influence today is earned in public and confirmed in private messages. Lessons for Ambitious Readers Ampadu’s path offers three clear takeaways. First, listen to demand. Audience pull is often more accurate than personal preference. Second, package inherited wisdom. Many professionals carry cultural insight but do not translate it for modern platforms. Ampadu did. Third, lead with clarity. He consistently tells people that wisdom is the principal thing and that ignorance is often the real enemy. That clarity has allowed him to speak across faith lines, geographic borders and age groups. A Mission for Africa and the Diaspora Beyond the brand mentions and subscriber counts, Ampadu’s weekly lives are designed for Africans at home and abroad who are trying to build families, businesses and faith without losing themselves. He believes no one should be trying to rescue others while they are emotionally drowning. By creating spaces for honest relationship dialogue, he is contributing to what he calls a blessed mindset in the diaspora. It is a small cog in a bigger wheel, but it is strategic. Emotional health makes economic progress sustainable. The Wisdom Brother Blueprint At 34, Ampadu is still building. He keeps himself physically active to stay grounded, he continues to create content and he continues to coach. His mission remains the same: help people think better, love better and live wiser. In an internet culture obsessed with speed and spectacle, he has chosen to build on discernment and depth. That is why his voice travels. He is not selling drama. He is offering wisdom. And in this era, wisdom is a premium product.

Zimbabwe’s tourism story has gained a powerful headline: Forbes published a ranking titled “The World’s Best Countries To Visit In 2025,” listing Zimbabwe at number one. Forbes  The recognition has been echoed by institutions and tourism advocates as proof that the country’s natural assets and travel experiences are breaking through global perception barriers. For Pan African Voice readers, this is not only a travel story. It is an entrepreneurship story. Tourism is one of the most underestimated SME engines on the continent because it creates demand across a wide supplier network. When a destination receives global attention, the winners are not just hotels. The winners include tour operators, transport providers, food businesses, local brands, photographers, guides, event organisers, safety services, and payment platforms that make booking easier for diaspora and international visitors. The timing is important. Global travel trends increasingly reward experience led trips. Zimbabwe is naturally positioned for that: Victoria Falls, safari routes, heritage tourism, and high value conservation experiences. A ranking alone does not create capacity, but it can trigger a demand surge, especially if travel creators and diaspora communities amplify the narrative. The risk is execution. Tourism brands can collapse under demand if service delivery is inconsistent. The opportunity is professionalisation. Founders who package clear experiences, price transparently, build digital booking systems, and deliver consistent customer support will capture more value than those who rely only on informal referrals. There is also a brand Zimbabwe angle that matters for founders outside hospitality. A rising tourism profile improves investor perception. It can strengthen diaspora confidence, attract events, and create a broader “country premium” that benefits consumer brands, logistics, and creative exports. Smart SEO angle: Zimbabwe best country to visit 2025 Forbes, Zimbabwe tourism business opportunities, African travel entrepreneurship, hospitality SMEs Zimbabwe, diaspora travel Zimbabwe. Advice for African founders and entrepreneurs: treat tourism like product design. Build experiences with clear itineraries, tiered pricing, dependable transport, safety standards, and easy payments. When attention arrives, a systemised business turns popularity into profit.

President of the United Arab Emirates The UAE has announced a $1 billion AI for Development initiative aimed at expanding AI infrastructure and AI enabled services across Africa, positioning artificial intelligence as a practical engine for public services and productivity, not just a frontier technology. The announcement was made at the G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg during a speech delivered by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, who led the UAE delegation on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. According to UAE Minister of State Saeed Al Hajeri, the initiative is designed to provide access to AI computing power, technical expertise, and global partnerships. It is intended to support projects tied to national development priorities including education, agriculture, healthcare, digital identity, and climate adaptation. What makes this announcement especially relevant for founders and executives is the “how,” not just the headline number. Emirates News Agency reports the programme will be implemented by the Abu Dhabi Exports Office, ADEX , which sits under the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, in cooperation with the UAE Foreign Aid Agency. That detail signals a blended model that connects financing, government to government relationships, and delivery partners, rather than a one off grant announcement with unclear execution. For Africa’s startup ecosystem, the biggest bottleneck has rarely been ambition. It is infrastructure. Compute is expensive, reliable data pipelines are uneven, and national scale digital systems are hard to ship without patient capital and strong partners. If this initiative translates into accessible compute capacity, implementation support, and clear procurement pathways, it could accelerate practical AI adoption in sectors where outcomes are measurable and urgent, from smarter farm extension tools to faster clinical triage, stronger digital ID systems, and climate risk forecasting. The opportunity is also a challenge. AI infrastructure without governance can widen inequality. Africa’s winners will be the builders who pair innovation with trust: privacy by design, local language usability, and solutions that work on the realities of bandwidth and cost. For founders reading this, the strategic move is to align your product to public service delivery and measurable productivity gains, then build partnerships early. In the AI era, credibility is a growth strategy.

After fourteen years of closure, Libya’s National Museum has reopened in Tripoli, marking not only a cultural milestone but a modest yet meaningful boost to the country’s economic recovery. Visitors in the museum taking pictures of monumental features. Beyond its symbolic value, the museum’s return reactivates a segment of Libya’s long-dormant cultural economy. Museums generate employment, stimulate tourism-related spending and support small businesses linked to hospitality, transport, security and maintenance. For a country seeking to diversify beyond oil revenues, cultural infrastructure offers an under utilized economic channel. Libya’s National Museum functions as a central repository of the country’s historical assets, housing Greek and Roman sculptures, prehistoric arte facts and mummies from archaeological sites across the country. Reopening the facility restores a key attraction for domestic visitors and, over time, could help Libya re-enter regional and Mediterranean cultural tourism circuits. According to museum administrators, safeguarding the collection during years of conflict preserved assets that would be costly or impossible to replace. Protecting heritage is not only about identity but about protecting economic value. Antiquities and curated exhibitions form the foundation of museum-led tourism, research partnerships and educational programming. The museum’s operations create direct jobs for curators, archivists, guides, security staff and administrative workers, while indirectly supporting vendors, transport operators and nearby businesses. As visitor numbers grow, the surrounding urban economy stands to benefit through increased foot traffic and service demand. For families and schools, the museum also serves an educational function that reduces reliance on foreign cultural institutions and study program. Visitor, Wael Mabrouk, who toured the museum with his children, described it as an opportunity to engage with Libya’s history locally rather than through external narratives or overseas travel. Libya’s cultural heritage sector suffered heavily during years of unrest, with many sites inaccessible or neglected. Reopening the National Museum sets a precedent for rehabilitating other historical locations across the country, potentially unlocking broader tourism and conservation investment. While Libya’s economy remains anchored in hydrocarbons, the museum’s reopening highlights the role that culture can play in gradual economic diversification. It may not transform national revenues overnight, but it strengthens local economic activity, preserves valuable national assets and positions heritage as part of Libya’s long-term development strategy. In that sense, the museum is not only a keeper of the past but a contributor to Libya’s economic future.

Africa is home to a botanical treasure trove generating over $10 billion annually in the global luxury and wellness markets. From Morocco’s Argan tree to the iconic baobab, frankincense, shea, and African Sausage tree, these natural resources form the backbone of some of the world’s most prized skincare, anti-aging, and fragrance products. Frankincense, often called the “scent of the divine,”  is used in high-end perfumes and skincare lines, commanding around $1 billion  in annual global sales. Frankincense Tree native to Africa and Arabia. Shea butter empowers men and women alike, providing velvety, nourished skin through luxury lotions and creams. An image of ripe shea nuts, unripe shea nuts and shea butter cream . The Baobab, revered as the tree of life  for its ability to store water in arid climates, contributes $4.31 billion  to the beauty and wellness sectors. Baobab fruits and baobab trees . Across East, Central, and Southern Africa, other trees like the African sausage tree and gum arabic acacia supply ingredients valued for traditional medicine (skin ailments, infections) and cosmetics (anti-aging, firming), though its unripe fruit is poisonous, while ripe ones are fermented for local beer. Baobab tree produce is e xported primarily to Europe and North America. While global consumers pay premium prices for these products, Africans themselves often enjoy these benefits for free. Many families cultivate these trees in their backyards, tapping oils, powders, and extracts for skincare and traditional remedies. The continent’s natural pharmacy is woven into daily life, offering practical and sustainable solutions for healthy, resilient skin; a key factor behind the celebrated smoothness and durability of Black African skin. This combination of natural wealth and ancestral knowledge has made Africa indispensable to the global luxury and wellness industry. Luxury brands continue to chase these botanicals, fueling a booming market while simultaneously raising awareness of Africa’s unique contribution to skincare, fragrance, and anti-aging science.

While Detty December has become a cash cow for some sectors, others are feeling the strain of runaway festive inflation. For small business owners like tailor Funmi Busari, the season’s promise of opportunity has come with unexpected setbacks. Busari had planned to expand her operations by purchasing an additional weaving machine to meet heightened December demand. After carefully saving the required 400,000 naira, she was caught off guard when the price jumped to 450,000. According to Busari, suppliers are exploiting peak-season demand, particularly from clients preparing traditional outfits for diaspora customers willing to pay a premium. “They know people will still buy,” she says, noting that festive demand has shifted bargaining power away from small producers and into the hands of sellers controlling key inputs. Yet from a macroeconomic perspective, the Detty December phenomenon is delivering tangible returns. The Lagos State government says it generated more than $71.6 million from tourism, hospitality and entertainment during the 2024 festive season, underscoring the growing fiscal significance of end of year travel, concerts and nightlife to Africa’s largest city. That success has also sparked policy debate. Earlier in the year, a proposal emerged suggesting a $500 tourism levy on Nigerians in the diaspora, with projected revenues of $165 million. The idea was swiftly criticised and ultimately rejected. Stakeholders described it as ill advised and potentially exploitative, warning it could undermine the very goodwill driving diaspora engagement. The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission cautioned that such a move would discourage return visits rather than promote them, calling the proposal counterproductive at a time when Nigeria is benefiting from voluntary inflows of foreign exchange. Tourism expert Ikechi Uko agrees, arguing that Detty December’s growth has been organic and should remain so. He believes government intervention risks stifling a model built by Nigerians themselves. “Nigerians create the success that Nigerians enjoy,” Uko says, pointing to the global rise of Afrobeats and Nollywood as industries that flourished without heavy state interference. As Detty December matures, the challenge will be ensuring that its economic windfall does not come at the expense of those priced out of the very celebration they help sustain.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo sits on a concentration of natural wealth that few countries can match. Multiple references, including a QNA feature and globalEDGE country notes, cite estimates that the DRC’s untapped raw mineral deposits could be worth more than $24 trillion. The list is strategic to the world economy: cobalt, copper, coltan, gold, diamonds, and other minerals that power batteries, electronics, and the clean energy transition. The DRC is also central to global cobalt supply, and recent reforms show how fast the conversation is shifting from extraction to traceability and local value. Reuters reported in November 2025 that the DRC produced its first batch of traceable artisanal cobalt through state agency EGC, aiming to clean up the supply chain and meet rising ESG expectations. Reuters So why does a country this rich remain so poor? Because natural resources do not automatically become national wealth. They become wealth when governance, infrastructure, security, and processing capacity work together. For founders and executives, the opportunity is in building the bridges that convert resources into productive economies. That includes logistics, compliance tech, ethical sourcing systems, workforce training, power infrastructure, and local processing. An Atlantic Council report highlights the DRC’s vast reserves of critical minerals and the need to capitalise beyond extraction, a message African entrepreneurs should treat as a call to action. But this story is also a warning. Illicit trade and conflict have long been tied to minerals in the region, and global buyers are tightening standards. You cannot build a world class business on a supply chain the world does not trust. Pan African Voice believes Africa’s real victory is value addition. The DRC does not need sympathy. It needs systems. The founders who help build those systems will be building some of the most important businesses of the next decade.

Rwanda’s decision to restrict and effectively move against second hand clothing imports has become one of Africa’s most debated industrial policy moments. Supporters see it as a push for dignity, local manufacturing, and value creation. Critics warn of consumer price impacts and trade retaliation. A FashionGhana article frames Rwanda as the only East African country to fully implement the ban while neighbours softened under pressure, and it links the policy to the East African Community’s earlier plan to phase out second hand clothes. Fashion GHANA  Broader reporting and research from other outlets confirm the underlying tension: the United States warned that countries could lose benefits under AGOA, and Rwanda’s stance triggered consequences on apparel trade preferences. Whether you agree with the tone or not, the strategic question is real: can African countries protect infant industries while staying competitive in global trade rules? Rwanda’s argument is not only economic. It is cultural and industrial. Second hand imports can crush local textile demand and make it harder for factories to reach scale. But trade partners also have leverage, and AGOA has historically been a major incentive for market access. For founders, this story is a reminder that policy shapes markets. If you are building in manufacturing, retail, or fashion, you must track tariff changes, trade agreements, and industrial strategy as closely as you track social trends. A single regulation can change unit economics overnight. Pan African Voice philosophy is simple: Africa wins when it makes things, brands things, and exports value. That requires long term thinking, patient capital, skills development, and modern supply chains. Rwanda’s stance, and the response it triggered, shows how hard that transition can be. It is not only a business challenge. It is a negotiation with global power.

Ghana’s Tema Oil Refinery, the country’s only refinery, has resumed crude processing after more than six years, a move officials and industry watchers see as a step toward reducing reliance on imported fuels and easing pressure on foreign exchange. Business Insider Africa reports the crude distillation unit is back online, with expectations that the refinery could eventually supply a significant share of local fuel demand. MyJoyOnline adds operational detail, noting that major turnaround maintenance on the crude distillation unit was completed between August 1 and October 30, followed by regulatory inspections and clearance from Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority. This matters beyond energy headlines. Refineries are not just industrial assets. They shape the cost of living, the cost of transport, and the cost of production. When a country depends heavily on imports, it becomes exposed to global price volatility and currency pressure. The restart is framed as part of a broader strategy to strengthen energy security and reduce the annual import burden. There is also a founder lesson: infrastructure takes patience, and credibility is built through execution. TOR is restarting with a phased approach, according to MyJoyOnline, to stabilise systems and optimise performance before full recommissioning. MyJoyOnline  The same logic applies to business turnarounds. You do not sprint back to scale. You rebuild the systems that hold the scale. TOR’s nameplate capacity is widely cited at 45,000 barrels per day, and MyJoyOnline reports upgrade work including a new furnace expected to help restore capacity and support a medium term expansion plan. For investors and operators across Africa, this restart is part of a bigger theme: local processing capacity is becoming strategic again. Countries want resilience, jobs, and more value captured at home. The opportunity for entrepreneurs sits in the supporting economy: maintenance, safety, logistics, procurement, data systems, and workforce training.

Across Africa, a better educated generation is working harder than ever, yet many are struggling to turn effort into stability. The Economist’s “generation hustle” framing captures a reality founders see daily: young people stacking side jobs, gig work, micro businesses, and informal trade to survive rising costs and thin formal job markets. A public summary of the piece highlights a 26 year old Nigerian juggling three part time jobs under high inflation, and it argues this pattern is not isolated. It notes that a large share of young Africans struggle to access stable, well paid work, despite higher education levels than previous generations. That gap between aspiration and opportunity is shaping everything: consumer behaviour, politics, culture, and religion. Why should business leaders care? Because the hustle economy is now a market. It is creating demand for tools that help people earn, save, learn, and protect their dignity. Think payments and payroll for informal workers, affordable upskilling, health cover for gig workers, logistics for micro merchants, and credit models that understand irregular income. The summary also points to frustration with governance and a search for hope, including growing religious movements and shifting social trust. For brands and employers, that means community matters. People buy from and work for organisations that feel human, fair, and consistent. At Pan African Voice, we see the opportunity inside the tension. Africa’s youth are not short on ambition. They are short on systems. The founders who win will build infrastructure for everyday progress: products that respect low bandwidth realities, pricing that matches incomes, and partnerships that open pathways into formal opportunity. Your competitive advantage is not only innovation. It is empathy at scale.

Qatar and Egypt have signed one of the region’s biggest tourism and real estate partnerships, with Qatari Diar and Egypt’s New Urban Communities Authority agreeing to develop the Alam El Roum project on Egypt’s North Coast in Matrouh Governorate. The announced value is about $29.7 billion, and the vision is not a single resort but an integrated coastal city designed for year round living, leisure, and investment. Alam El Roum is planned across roughly 4,900 acres with 7.2km of Mediterranean beachfront, positioning it as a statement project in the same conversation as the North Coast’s fastest growing destinations. The plan includes residential neighbourhoods, luxury resorts, tourism and entertainment assets, artificial lakes, golf courses, and three marinas, one of them international. What makes this deal important for founders and executives is the infrastructure layer. The development is expected to include power distribution, desalination and treatment plants, schools, universities, hospitals, and a service free zone. This is the new playbook for mega tourism projects: destination plus services plus long term population, so the asset can earn beyond peak seasons. The deal structure also signals seriousness. The agreement includes a reported $3.5bn cash price and an in kind component of 396,000 square metres of built up area, with profit sharing that allocates 15% of profits to NUCA after Qatari Diar recovers costs. Arabian Business  For Egypt, it is investment inflow and jobs. For Qatar, it is strategic positioning in a high potential tourism corridor linking the Gulf’s capital with North Africa’s coastline. Pan African Voice readers should zoom out. The real opportunity is not only construction contracts. It is the ecosystem that follows: hospitality supply chains, entertainment, experiences, mobility, fintech for tourism, and workforce training. When a mega resort city is built, whole categories of businesses get created around it. The founders who win are the ones who arrive early with services that scale.

Abdesslam Laraki made his name as the designer behind Africa’s first super car, the Laraki Fulgura, before pushing boundaries further with the Sahara hyper-car. Now, the Moroccan automotive pioneer is turning to history for inspiration, developing a lightweight electric sports car rooted in the golden age of Grand Prix racing. The new model, known as the Grace and named after Princess Grace of Monaco, traces its origins to a unique commission. Laraki was approached by Prince Albert II of Monaco to design a one-off vehicle for the 2020 Ocean Gala charity auction. Drawing inspiration from the legendary Bugatti Type 35B, winner of the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix in 1929, Laraki created an electric homage that blends classic aesthetics with modern engineering. The response was immediate. Interest from collectors and enthusiasts followed the gala debut, prompting Laraki to secure funding to transition the Grace from concept to production. Only 250 units will be built at Laraki Automobiles’ factory in Casablanca beginning in early 2026, with prices starting at $250,000 and rising for bespoke specifications. While its top speed is capped at 120 kilometers per hour, performance is not the sole focus. Alongside the Grace, Laraki is developing the AEON-1, an electric hyper-car capable of reaching 354 kilometers per hour. Designed in contrast to the heavy electric vehicles dominating the market, both models prioritize lightness through carbon-fibre monocoque construction, aluminium framing, and a driver-focused cockpit. In a nod to traditional motoring pleasure, the EVs will feature a seven-speed sequential gearbox. “I want to create a modern electric vehicle that rewards the owner with a classic driving experience,” Laraki says. His journey began in Casablanca in the 1980s, where, at just 11 years old, he built a go-kart inspired by the Lamborghini Countach. That early fascination led him to study automotive and industrial design in Switzerland, France, and the United States before returning home to establish Laraki Automobiles in 2001. Since then, his work has consistently challenged assumptions about where high-end automotive innovation can originate. From the Geneva Motor Show debut of the Fulgura to the unveiling of Africa’s first hyper-car at Pebble Beach, Laraki has sought to place Morocco on the global automotive map. “My ultimate goal is to take Laraki to the next level,” he says. “To make it Africa’s first high-end automobile OEM.”