The kind of Entrepreneurs we need in Africa.
The kind of entrepreneurs we need in Africa now are builders.
Africa stands at a historic crossroad. With the rise of artificial intelligence and the rapid evolution of global systems, our continent risks falling not just decades—but entire centuries—behind, unless we act with strategic urgency.
What we need now is a new breed of entrepreneurs: the kind who built America.
The ones who took on foundational work—laying down pipelines, standardizing industries, building logistics and energy networks.
People like John D. Rockefeller didn’t chase the spotlight; they solved problems that changed the future.
We need that same spirit in Africa.
We need entrepreneurs who are willing to solve root node problems.
Root node problems are a unique category of issues in any system. They are foundational, multiplicative, and blocking. They are the kinds of problems that:
• Anchor entire systems. They are at the base, holding everything else up.
• Multiply results across the board. Solving them unlocks exponential progress across multiple layers.
• Block advancement. Until they are fixed, they act as bottlenecks preventing everything else from scaling.
A Root Node Problem Example:
Take the oil industry. When Rockefeller standardized refining, transportation, and pricing, he didn’t just make oil efficient—he unlocked mass production, mobility, and economic scale. That one decision became a catalyst for an industrial boom. He didn’t build gadgets—he built foundations.
In contrast, a Non-Root Node Problem:
Creating another e-commerce platform without solving logistics or payment interoperability may be helpful, but it rests on shaky ground. It won’t scale well. It’s an upgrade on a broken system.
Examples of Root Node Problems in Africa Today:
• Data Infrastructure: Without consistent data on health, food, energy, and finance, we are guessing our way through national development.
• Interoperable Payments: We need seamless financial communication across banks, apps, and borders to drive commerce.
• Logistics & Transportation Standardization: Goods can’t move, businesses can’t scale, and farmers can’t thrive without reliable systems.
• Power Supply & Grid Networks: No stable electricity, no industrial growth. Period.
Root node problems may not be glamorous. They’re often invisible to the everyday user. But once solved, they create the conditions where thousands of new businesses can thrive. AI will only multiply the effect of what’s already working—or broken.
This is why our generation cannot afford to focus only on surface-level innovation.
We don’t just need more tech—we need foundational tech.
We don’t just need growth—we need scalable systems.
We don’t just need solutions—we need root node solutions.
Final Thought:
Root node problems are foundational, multiplicative, and blocking. Solve them, and you open up the future. In Africa, our greatest innovations will come from those bold enough to fix the foundations.