repat repat: Recent Episodes
Emy Makakalala & Evi Muco
A new podcast about Africans from the diaspora returning to do great things.
In our inaugural season, our guests recount the personal reasons behind their jump, reassure and inspire us with honest anecdotes; and share practical tips to help us make the leap.
26 years ago, Tayo Oviosu received two acceptance letters: the first to study in Lagos, the second in Los Angeles. He chose the latter and decided to stay in California for over a decade, forming part of a generation of tech pioneers. Fast forward 14 years, he finds himself back in Lagos, brain-picking his local network about big audacious business concepts, and progressively crystallizing the idea of what is now Paga, a multi-channel network of agents allowing millions of customers in Nigeria to transfer money, pay bills and buy things digitally.
In this episode, Tayo inspires us and gives us the confidence to create meaningful relationships with those we admire, to ask the tough questions, and to challenge traditional leadership. Because after all, what’s the worse that can happen?
This episode was recorded in the middle of the pandemic, between London and Lagos
Background reading:
- There Was a Country by Chinua Achebe
- Paga, Tayo’s venture launched in 2009 in Nigeria and now operating in Ethiopia and Mexico
- Draper Venture Network, venture capital fund founded by Tim Draper, early investor in Hotmail
Alex spent the first 9 years of her life on the Continent, first in Addis Ababa and then in Brazzaville. Her family abruptly left the Congo at the break of the civil war to return to the United States, where she went to college and started her career.
It’s only a decade later that she decided to make the jump and to further explore the African side of her identity by moving to Kenya. With Alex, we reflected on our parallel yet different experiences building a new lifestyle and community in Nairobi and tried to articulate tips for those thinking about moving back.
In this episode, Alex shares her family story and her evolving relationship with her parents. She opens up about her ongoing journey around identity, and the importance of embracing fluidity and solitude in the process of self-discovery.
This episode was recorded in person in Nairobi
repat repat is your new podcast about stories of individuals from the African diaspora who have decided to move back to the Continent to explore different paths.
In our inaugural season, from Lagos and Doula to Nairobi and Lusaka, our guests recount the personal reasons behind their jump, reassure and inspire us with honest anecdotes, and share practical tips to helps up make the leap.
Stay tuned!