African startups are rewriting their funding playbook as the global artificial intelligence boom channels venture capital toward the US, leaving founders across emerging markets scrambling for capital.

As Bloomberg publishes its 2026 list of 25 African Startups to Watch, Bloomberg Senior Technology Reporter Loni Prinsloo joins the podcast to discuss the state of the continent’s startup ecosystem. We also speak to Tendekayi Katsiga, co-founder of Deaftronics, the solar-powered hearing aid company featured on this year’s list, about building a business in a tougher funding environment.

You can read the full African Startups to Watch list on Bloomberg.com, and subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter for more stories from across the continent.

African startups are rewriting their funding playbook as the global artificial intelligence boom channels venture capital toward the US, leaving founders across emerging markets scrambling for capital.
As Bloomberg publishes its 2026 list of 25 African Startups to Watch, Bloomberg Senior Technology Reporter Loni Prinsloo joins the podcast to discuss the state of the continent&rsquo;s startup ecosystem. We also speak to Tendekayi Katsiga, co-founder of Deaftronics, the solar-powered hearing aid company featured on this year&rsquo;s list, about building a business in a tougher funding environment. You can read the full African <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2026-africa-startups/">Startups to Watch</a> list on Bloomberg.com, and subscribe to the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/next-africa">Next Africa newsletter</a> for more stories from across the continent.

Next Africa is a weekly podcast about where Africa is going and why it matters to everyone.

Each episode tells a story from the continent and follows it through real life, business, politics and culture. From electricity and climate to jobs, migration, technology, sport and music, the podcast looks at the forces shaping daily life and how those changes connect to the wider world.

The show covers challenges and breakthroughs side by side. It explains the impact of energy shortages and climate risk, but also the rise of new industries, creative economies and young entrepreneurs. Stories are reported on the ground and told with clarity, combining data, context and lived experience.

Hosted by Jennifer Zabasajja and built on original journalism from reporters on the ground, Next Africa puts local voices at the centre of the story, delivering clear, factual reporting without cliché or assumption.

Whether you live on the continent or want to better understand a region shaping the future, Next Africa offers insight, perspective and stories worth listening to.

Next Africa is a weekly podcast about where Africa is going and why it matters to everyone.
Each episode tells a story from the continent and follows it through real life, business, politics and culture. From electricity and climate to jobs, migration, technology, sport and music, the podcast looks at the forces shaping daily life and how those changes connect to the wider world.
The show covers challenges and breakthroughs side by side. It explains the impact of energy shortages and climate risk, but also the rise of new industries, creative economies and young entrepreneurs. Stories are reported on the ground and told with clarity, combining data, context and lived experience.
Hosted by Jennifer Zabasajja and built on original journalism from reporters on the ground, Next Africa puts local voices at the centre of the story, delivering clear, factual reporting without clich&eacute; or assumption.
Whether you live on the continent or want to better understand a region shaping the future, Next Africa offers insight, perspective and stories worth listening to.

Inside the stories shaping the world’s fastest-growing continent.

Next Africa

Can African Founders Adapt as AI Boom Redirects Cash? 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/31fa6b1f-109c-4184-b11d-b45800e03265/transcript