“I became a founder - then burnt out" episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 9, 2026 · 22 MIN

“I became a founder - then burnt out"

from Focus on Africa · host BBC World Service

Now, despite a start-up boom happening in Africa, a recent study showed that many of Africa’s start-up founders say their jobs have negatively impacted their mental well-being.60% of founders reported experiencing anxiety, 58% high stress, 52% exhaustion, and 20% depression. Key stressors include fundraising, inflation and economic instability. Focus on Africa host Nkechi Ogbonna had a discussion with Jihan Abass, founder of Lami Insurance Technology - a Kenya-based fintech - and Mawano Kambeu, founder of Zambia-based digital company, Dot Com Zambia, to discuss burnout, mental health and navigating Africa’s complex start-up scene.Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Carolyne Kiambo and Fana Weldye Senior Producer: Priya Sippy Technical Producer: Terry Chege Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 9, 2026

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