Our Journey
VICTORY IS WON THROUGH MANY ADVISERS
I’ve written and rewritten this website more times than I care to admit. Doubt is a frightening thing.
Was it clear enough? Was it polished enough? Would anyone care enough to read it?
Did I have the words to capture your attention and convert the sale? (You know you care)
So, I delayed.
I told myself the website wasn't ready; the offer needed one more tweak, or the business wasn't ready. I’m certain, though, it was me who didn’t feel ready. And because of that, the website, and therefore the business, slowed a bit.
We are no strangers to business failure around here.
BFTech started out as a vision, and for a few years, was called ukuNetworka.
It was a different name, with varying expressions of the idea and, eventually, a name we had to leave behind because it carried in it the scar of my failure, what I felt was a slow, public and costly failure.
There were things we got wrong. Things we built that didn't work in the way we expected. Decisions we had to revisit. Directions we had to reconsider.
And there were times when it was difficult to tell whether the problem was the business, me the founder, the family, the community or the system around us.
Sound familiar?
Because this is what we've learned while building BFTech: Sometimes the business isn't the problem. And sometimes the founder isn't either. Sometimes you are simply too close to the thing you are trying to solve.
You need another perspective. Someone who can see what you can't, challenge the assumption you've been carrying for over six months, who knows the person you need to meet, has navigated something similar, or who can help you make sense of what is happening and work out what to do next.
We didn't figure all of that out alone. People helped us see what we couldn't see.
They questioned things we had become too close to. They opened doors, made introductions, allowed us to share their platforms, shared their insights and experiences. Gave useful practical feedback. And, when needed, perspective and encouragement.
That changed how we think about building.
For us, that is about having the right people around you when you reach something you can't seem to get past, not having more people in the room for the sake of it.
That is the heart behind BFTech Africa.
A place to not only talk about building a business, but where builders can bring the things they can't solve alone. Sometimes that means sitting across the table from us or bringing the challenge into a room of other builders.
Bring the difficult transition, the decision you've been circling, the business that has outgrown the way you used to run it, the funding question you can't quite get your head around, or he opportunity you can see but can't yet work out how to reach.
A place to process the process of building, with people who can bring different experiences, perspectives, networks, questions, and resources to the table.
Building is rarely neat and predictable. And no one figures out every turn by themselves; you shouldn't have to either.
That is BFTech.
A space for Builders Processing the Process.
How We Do What We Do
Because there isn't one way to build a business, so there is also not only one way to work with BFTech Africa
Vision Strategy
A two-hour, one-on-one session for the founder who needs to see the way forward.
Bring the part of the vision and how it's unfolding that isn't making sense.
Together, we make sense of what's happening and identify what needs to move next.
You leave with:
a clearer view of what is really going on
perspective on the decision or challenge in front of you
a sharper sense of your options
practical next steps you can act on
Best for: The founder making sense of the "messy" middle, a specific challenge, decision or moment where you need perspective without committing to a longer intervention.
Founder Transition Strategy
A time-bound intervention for founders navigating a significant shift.
This is focused, multi-session work around a defined transition, understanding what is shifting, what is getting in the way and what needs to change.
The founder, the business, and the transition itself shape the work.
You leave with:
a clearer understanding of the transition you're navigating
the specific issues that need to move
a focused direction for the next stage
practical actions and decisions to move the business forward
Best for: Moving from employment into entrepreneurship, changing direction, or trying to work out what the next version of the business needs to look like.
The Builders' Hub
A space for The Builders.
The Hub is an ongoing space to bring the questions that emerge as you build, and learn tactics from what other founders are navigating.
It isn't networking for networking's sake, nor another programme you have to complete. It's a place to keep building with other people who are building too.
You get:
a curated community of founders navigating real business challenges
live conversations and problem-solving
access to different expertise
Best for: Founders who want ongoing community, perspective and access while they build.
Our Founder
I’ve spent most of my medical career in the Sub-Saharan healthcare labyrinth as a medical advisor at the intersection of policy, access and patient outcomes, a strategist redefining primary healthcare models, navigating and facilitating transitions in the health insurance space and a pharma executive advocating for demographically reflective data and new drug registrations.
But none of those roles tell you how:
Returning from surgery to a portfolio coup almost messed me up emotionally and spiritually, or coping with the guilt of drafting a boardroom proposal lying next to my son's hospital bed, and remotely coordinating back to school from 13000km away and wondering whether any of this is worth it.
It doesn't tell you of the army of family, friends, and one remarkable aftercare mom who made it possible and stood in to host midweek sleepovers, cook meals, check homework, school drives, school holiday trips, and bedtime prayers.
Genuine support didn't come from where I expected it, but those who came - activated their networks and held me up. Through them, I learned the true value of communityand that one can overcome many things when the right people come around you.
That’s the heart behind BFTech Africa. A place to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually process the building process, find practical strategies, wisdom and insight for the way forward and build ventures that are established, with a community that knows the realities of wearing many hats.
We're barrier-breakers and bridge-builders, all at the same time.
Founders, operators, and technicians, fluent in industry politics, community trends, and playdate negotiations.
Women who recognise that Ubuntu is also a business growth strategy.
NOBULUMKO
Founder | Mama | Vision Strategist | Encourager | Advisor
