Jaco Maritz, How we made it in Africa
This week, we interview Jaco Maritz, Founder/Editor-in-chief, How we made it in Africa. Jaco takes us on his media career journey which started at Media24 before launching How we made it in Africa in 2010. He highlights the trends in the business and media space to note and what topics resonate the most with his audience. Jaco also emphasised his belief that the best way to understand Africa’s business landscape is by learning from those already operating on the ground. He also discusses the difficulty of running a successful media platform on the continent. Enjoy the read.
What led you into journalism, and what would you be doing if you weren’t a journalist?
I’ve always been drawn to collecting and distributing information. From a young age, I was involved in various media projects, including my church’s newspaper, launching a blog for frustrated South Africans in London during my gap years in the UK, and even publishing my own poetry book. This passion naturally carried over into my professional life. I began my media career at Media24, part of the Naspers group, before becoming the founding editor of TradeInvest Nigeria. That experience eventually led to the launch of How we made it in Africa in 2010. This year How we made it in Africa celebrates its 15-year anniversary! Our company has since also expanded to being one of the main shareholders in Africa Private Equity News.
If I weren’t in media, I’d likely be involved in investing, property, or trading physical goods—all things I’m already engaged in on the side.
When you’re researching stories, what compels you to work on sharing a particular story with your audience? Any hot trends we should look out for in the coming months?
How we made it in Africa isn’t a traditional news outlet—we focus on long-form interviews with entrepreneurs and investors across the continent. A lot of effort goes into identifying compelling people to speak to. Knowing what will resonate with our audience is more of an art than a science.
As for trends, one I’ve noticed is the shift towards more local manufacturing and value addition within Africa by local firms, rather than relying on exports.
Why is African business so unique and what makes it so exciting to report on?
What makes African business so exciting to report on is the sheer volume of untold stories. So much of the continent’s business activity happens under the radar. I’ve always been drawn to bringing these lesser-known stories to light — whether it’s a recycling company in Equatorial Guinea, a furniture manufacturer in northern Nigeria, or an agribusiness venture in Malawi.
There’s a vast, dynamic economy at play, with more happening than many outside Africa realise.
Which sectors or industries do you like to cover most and why?
Officially, we cover all sectors, but certain industries tend to resonate more with our audience. Agribusiness, manufacturing, and property consistently generate strong interest, likely because they offer tangible opportunities for entrepreneurs. While fintech attracts a lot of attention, relatively few people have the expertise to start a fintech company. Africa’s tech sector is also well-covered by other publications, so we focus on areas that receive less media attention. We also generally steer clear of oil and gas/mining/power, but if there’s a particularly compelling entrepreneur or investor in these sectors, we’re always open to the story.
Why is it important that people around the world get to hear about young, growing companies on the continent?
I wouldn’t say it’s necessary for anyone to hear about companies on the continent. But if you want to do business in some of the world’s fastest-growing economies—or in a region whose demographics will make it increasingly influential globally—then it’s worth paying attention.
The best way to understand Africa’s business landscape is by learning from those already operating on the ground. That’s exactly what How we made it in Africa offers.
How can we encourage more people to join the writing community and dedicate their energy to telling stories about African tech and business?
Running a profitable media organisation is incredibly difficult, and that’s the biggest obstacle to the growth of journalism in Africa. If there was more money in the industry, more people would be drawn to it. How we made it in Africa has been fortunate to survive for the past 15 years — touch wood — but I can tell you, it is not easy.
