Black Entrepreneur Experience
Description
Episode 586: Africa's Next Generation | Joshua Ngoma
What does it take to turn challenges into opportunities for an entire generation?
Joshua Chimakula Ngoma is a former mining engineer, social entrepreneur, and author of It's Time for Africa. After nearly three decades in mining, he turned his attention to developing Africa's next generation of entrepreneurs.
In this episode, Joshua shares how his childhood experiences shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and why he believes entrepreneurship begins with solving problems. Through Enterprising Africa Regional Network (EARN), he helps young people develop practical skills and access the resources, mentorship, infrastructure, and markets needed to build businesses.
We also discuss agriculture as a modern business opportunity, the importance of creating jobs, lessons from family and mentors, and Joshua's vision for Africa's future.
In this episode:
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From childhood entrepreneurship to a career in mining
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Why Joshua shifted his focus to developing young entrepreneurs
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Building an ecosystem that supports business ownership
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Making agriculture and food economics attractive to young people
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Helping entrepreneurs create jobs for others
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The role of partnerships, funding, and mentorship
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Lessons from his parents and career mentors
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Why problem-solving is central to entrepreneurship
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Joshua's vision for Africa and its diaspora
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Building a legacy that continues beyond the founder
About the guest
Joshua Chimakula Ngoma is the founder of Enterprising Africa Regional Network (EARN) and the author of It's Time for Africa.
Connect and learn more: EARN: https://earninternational.net/ Book website: https://www.itstimefor.africa/
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Episode Chapters
00:00 — Meet Joshua Ngoma 01:02 — From Mining Engineer to Problem Solver 01:31 — Childhood and Early Entrepreneurship 04:53 — From Mining to a Mission for Africa 06:13 — Developing African Entrepreneurs 08:42 — Turning Training Into Job Creation 09:48 — Success Stories and Business Growth 12:27 — The Challenge of Funding Entrepreneurs 13:53 — Making Agriculture Attractive to Youth 17:30 — Corporate Partnerships and Impact 21:20 — Expanding Across Africa 22:48 — How EARN's Business Ecosystem Works 25:18 — The Message Behind It's Time for Africa 28:04 — Joshua's Zone of Genius 29:27 — People, Mentorship, and Leadership 30:21 — Building a Lasting Legacy 31:21 — Lessons From His Parents 34:41 — Career Mentorship 36:18 — Entrepreneurship as Problem Solving 38:22 — Rebuilding Through Mining and Agriculture 40:23 — Building Capability and Opportunity 42:30 — Rapid Round of Fun 45:17 — Connect With Joshua Ngoma