This episode of The Trajectory Africa features Lydia Idem, Chief Operating Officer of LoftyInc Capital and Managing Director of FM Capital Group. We discuss what “point B” looks like for digital commerce on Africa’s S-curve, why asset-heavy models are more necessary than investors like to admit, why venture debt may be a missing ingredient in African VC, and how talent, timing, strategic partnerships and focus, shape outcomes in logistics and e-commerce.
[00:00] – Introduction and context for Lydia’s role in the series roundup
[04:55] – Africa’s S-curve, fund returns, and the need for longer-duration capital
[10:34] – What “point B” looks like for LoftyInc in digital commerce
[13:51] – The asset-light vs. asset-heavy dichotomy
[22:21] – Talent as a constraint
[26:39] – The absence of venture debt and its consequences for early-stage startups
[36:02] – Forecasting human capital needs
[41:21] – Value-added services diluting focus
[47:02] – Embedded finance and digital commerce business models
[52:22] – Value-added services vs. regional expansion
[55:52] – Using capital, boards, and investor networks to scale
[1:02:30] – The production and export opportunity
[1:06:52] – First principles
Recommendations:
Connect on social media: