Southern Africa is home to a fast-growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, with startups building innovative solutions in fintech, agritech, healthtech, and digital transformation. The region also boasts being home to some of the continent’s dynamic and experienced serial entrepreneurs, industry experts and seasoned mentors, responsible for driving some of the biggest startup achievements to come out of Africa.
Through the VC4A Mentorship Marketplace, we are able to create a repository of the most brilliant vetted mentors and offer founders in this community seamless access to their practical advice, strategic insights, and hands-on guidance. We’ve selected 10 of the top startup mentors from Southern Africa who are actively helping entrepreneurs build and scale their businesses.
Aditya Raja Ram (Gaborone, Botswana)
Expertise: Angel investing, real estate development, construction
Background: Aditya is the CEO of Acumen Property Group and an angel investor with Angel Network Botswana. He holds a Master’s in Real Estate Development from Columbia University and has worked in India, Maldives, South Africa, and Botswana. He also serves as Secretary of Angel Network Botswana.
Contribution: Offers guidance on investment readiness, growth strategy.
Connect to mentor: Aditya Raja Ram.Antoinette Mundopu Machiya (Lusaka, Zambia)
Expertise: Finance & accounting, digital innovation, agribusiness
Background: Antoinette is a finance and strategy expert with 15+ years of experience in telecommunications and financial services. She focuses on supporting early-stage startups in digital finance and agribusiness.
Contribution: She mentors founders on finance, strategy, digital transformation, and scaling operations sustainably.
Connect to mentor: Antoinette Mundopu Machiya.Justice Udzembwe (Harare, Zimbabwe)
Expertise: SME growth and financing, record-keeping, strategic planning, leadership development and digital literacy.
Background: Justice has over a decade of experience in banking, working with corporates and MSMEs. He is the Managing Partner at Imani Development Fund and is dedicated to helping SMEs improve financial management, competitiveness, and access to capital.
Contribution: He mentors startups on financial literacy, business development, and strategic planning, ensuring they operate as competitively as larger businesses..
Connect to mentor: Justice Udzembwe.Kabanda Leah Lopa (Lusaka, Zambia)
Expertise: Business Law and corporate governance
Background: Kabanda is a business lawyer with 13+ years of experience, including roles at the Ministry of Justice and the Development Bank of Zambia. She holds master’s degrees in International Business Law (Queen Mary University of London) and International Trade Law (University of Turin). She is a partner at CC Gabriel & Co Legal Practitioners, specializing in legal support for MSMEs.
Contribution: She mentors startups on business law, compliance, governance, and leadership communication, helping founders navigate legal complexities.
Connect to mentor: Kabanda Leah Lopa.Kgomotso Grace Sekhute (Broederstroom, South Africa)
Expertise: People & culture transformation, leadership coaching, change management.
Background: Kgomotso is an organizational development consultant, executive coach, and psychologist with 26+ years of experience in business transformation and system implementation. She is the Founder & CEO of Penologic (Pty) Ltd and BionicsForAfrika Healthcare (B4AHC).
Contribution: She supports startups with talent strategy, leadership coaching, and managing organizational change, helping founders build strong teams and workplace cultures.
Connect to mentor: Kgomotso Grace Sekhute.Maimbolwa Mooto (Mongu, Zambia)
Expertise: Agribusiness, financial inclusion, women & youth entrepreneurship.
Background: Maimbolwa is an award-winning business mentor (AAIN Best Business Mentor 2024, Southern Africa) and a finance professional with 15+ years in business management. She is the Founder & CEO of Mooto Farms Limited, a fast-growing agribusiness with nationwide reach and strong partnerships with banks, NGOs, and development organizations. She is an alumni of TEF, AWEC, UNITAR, UN FAO, AWIEF, and WIA54, with expertise in investment readiness and export strategy for agribusiness startups.
Contribution: Maimbolwa mentors startups on agribusiness development, financial management, and scaling women-led enterprises, helping entrepreneurs access funding and build sustainable businesses.
Connect to mentor: Maimbolwa Mooto.Mildred Nakachinda (Lusaka, Zambia)
Expertise: People & culture transformation, leadership coaching, change managementEco-friendly fashion, startup growth, sustainability.
Background: Mildred is the Founder & CEO of Fashion Thrills, an eco-friendly fashion brand. She is passionate about helping early-stage startups grow and thrive, particularly in the fashion, design, and sustainability sectors.
Contribution: She supports startups with talent strategy, leadership coaching, and managing organizational change, helping founders build strong teams and workplace culturesShe mentors startups on business setup, sustainability, and strategic growth, ensuring founders receive guidance to scale successfully.
Connect to mentor: Mildred Nakachinda.Nathaniel Munetsi (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Expertise: Corporate banking, financial management, business strategy.
Background: Mildred is the Founder & CEO of Fashion Thrills, an eco-friendly fashion brand. She is passionate about helping early-stage startups grow and thrive, particularly in the fashion, design, and sustainability sectors.
Contribution: She supports startups with talent strategy, leadership coaching, and managing organizational change, helping founders build strong teams and workplace culturesShe mentors startups on business setup, sustainability, and strategic growth, ensuring founders receive guidance to scale successfully.
Connect to mentor: Nathaniel Munetsi.Nchimunya Munyama (Lusaka, Zambia)
Expertise: Agritech, technology consulting, cybersecurity, leadership coaching
Background: Nchimunya is the CEO & Founder of Netagrow Technologies, an award-winning agritech startup. He is a cybersecurity expert, technology consultant, and Mandela Washington Fellow. Recognized globally, he has been nominated for Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 and the Norrsken Impact Accelerator.
Contribution: He mentors startups on leveraging technology for business growth, cybersecurity, and digital transformation, helping entrepreneurs build innovative and impactful ventures.
Connect to mentor: Nchimunya Munyama.Tsepo Ngwenyama (Cape Town, South Africa)
- Expertise: EdTech, social entrepreneurship, digital inclusion, impact investing
Background: Tsepo is a venture development specialist and Programmes & Portfolio Head at Injini, a pan-African EdTech accelerator and Think Tank. He has worked with multiple entrepreneurial support organizations, including leading the Social Entrepreneurship Impact Lab powered by FNB. He is also an AVPA Africa-Asia Impact Investment Fellow.
Contribution: He mentors startups on building commercially sustainable, impact-driven businesses, with a focus on education technology and social enterprise scalability.
Connect to mentor: Tsepo Ngwenyama.
Find any mentor tailored to your professional and startup needs on VC4A’s Mentorship Marketplace. Connect with top mentors in fundraising today and gain access to their insights and networks.
Explore other tools on the VC4A platform, such as the Startup Academy, where you can sharpen your entrepreneurial or mentoring skills, or the Deal Room (returning soon), where you can showcase your business to investors. Combined, these resources form a powerful ecosystem designed to help you achieve your business growth ambitions and succeed.
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