In Dar es Salaam, the Serengeti Business Angels Network (SBAN) has unveiled two new startups—Borderless and Ghala—in a bid to strengthen connections between Tanzanian entrepreneurs and the African diaspora, while addressing long-standing structural challenges in the continent’s economic systems.
The official launch, held recently in the Tanzanian commercial capital, was attended by key figures from the corporate and diplomatic community, including the Dutch Ambassador to Tanzania, Marjo Crompvoets. The event underscored growing interest in initiatives that integrate technology, capital, and community-driven innovation to advance Africa’s growth trajectory.
Founded in 2021, SBAN functions as Tanzania’s first active angel investment syndicate, bringing together both local and diaspora investors to fund early-stage African ventures. Its model combines capital investment with mentorship and strategic support, reflecting a growing recognition that sustainable entrepreneurship in Africa requires more than just financing—it demands partnership, knowledge exchange, and long-term vision.
Speaking after the launch, Rodrique Msechu, founder of SBAN, described the two ventures as “critical in unlocking Africa’s growth potential.” He highlighted how the projects aim to harness diaspora capital and formalise informal economies that account for nearly 90 per cent of employment and over 60 per cent of GDP across Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank Data).
Borderless, founded by Joe Kinvi, a former Growth Lead at Stripe, builds digital infrastructure designed to simplify cross-border investment. The platform allows members of the African diaspora—estimated at over 40 million people who remit nearly US$100 billion annually (African Development Bank Report)—to invest collectively in startups, real estate, and high-growth opportunities across the continent.
According to Kinvi, Borderless aims to “transform remittances from short-term consumption into long-term investment.” The platform streamlines onboarding, compliance, and syndicate formation, creating a trusted bridge between diaspora investors and vetted ventures. Msechu echoed this sentiment, stating that “Africans must fund Africa,” adding that when Africans invest confidently at home, “the world will follow.”
The launch also featured a fundraising “Harambee” event, during which three female-led startups presented investment pitches. The winning startup received 1.72 million Tanzanian shillings (approximately £530) collected from attendees, further demonstrating SBAN’s commitment to inclusive entrepreneurship and gender equity in investment ecosystems.
The collaboration between SBAN and Borderless began as a mentorship initiative and has since evolved into a strategic equity partnership—an example of how intra-African collaboration and diaspora engagement can nurture scalable ventures rooted in local realities.
The second startup, Ghala, led by Kalebu Gwalugano, is an Artificial Intelligence-powered commerce platform operating entirely via WhatsApp, Africa’s most widely used digital communication tool (GSMA Report 2024). By automating order management, payments, and inventory tracking within the chat interface, Gwala enables micro and small businesses to convert everyday messaging into structured commerce.
Ghala represents an emerging category of “chat-based commerce” solutions uniquely tailored to African markets, where digital adoption often outpaces formal e-commerce infrastructure. Through WhatsApp, Gwala integrates business operations seamlessly into daily communication, thereby democratising access to digital markets for informal and small-scale traders.
Since its founding, SBAN’s sector-agnostic investment strategy has prioritised startups that combine financial viability with measurable social and economic impact—particularly within fintech, health-tech, and agritech sectors. The network continues to expand its footprint across East Africa, seeking to redefine how early-stage capital is mobilised and deployed within African contexts.
The launch of Borderless and Ghala signifies more than a celebration of entrepreneurship; it marks a step toward redefining African agency in the global investment landscape. Rather than viewing Africa as a recipient of aid or external capital, initiatives such as SBAN underscore an evolving narrative—one of self-determination, intra-continental collaboration, and diaspora engagement as central drivers of Africa’s future economies.
