Alesimo Mwanga

Alesimo Mwanga is the Executive Director at PAWA Africa, an organization dedicated to fostering youth and women entrepreneurship, enhancing access to finance, and driving social impact initiatives across Africa. With over a decade of experience as a development economist and ecosystem player, Alesimo has been at the forefront of understanding and supporting the continent’s tech and startup landscape, from conducting research on South Africa’s tech ecosystem for JETRO to founding PAWA Africa. She brings a nuanced perspective on the realities African founders face, including regulatory hurdles, capital constraints, and market access challenges, emphasizing that while funding opens doors, relationships, credibility, and execution are what sustain success. Alesimo is candid about the ecosystem’s gaps, including a lack of genuine collaboration, the tendency to celebrate individual success over collective progress, and cultural mindsets that hinder African entrepreneurs from fully supporting one another. Through her work, she provides pragmatic guidance for founders looking to expand across borders: start small, visit markets before committing, build authentic relationships, and exercise patience. Alesimo envisions a future where programs are better designed, corporate acquisitions in tech increase, and policy and private sector support are more deeply integrated , ultimately creating a more connected, collaborative, and sustainable tech ecosystem in Africa.