How we made it in Africa, established in 2010, is an online African business publication, based out of Cape Town, South Africa.

African Business Growth Stories, Ideas andTrends, to help you pursue your next big thing:

• Business Growth Stories: Learn from Africa’s top businesspeople as they reveal how they built their companies.
• Ideas: Potential business opportunities in Africa to explore.
• Trends: How innovation, changing consumption patterns and other forces are impacting countries and industries in Africa.

TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS

2010
April: Launch of How we made it in Africa (HWMIIA) from founder Jaco Maritz’s apartment in Cape Town
July: HWMIIA team undertakes first business trip to Johannesburg. We pitched advertising to insurance company Santam at 08:30 the morning after the FIFA World Cup final (not advisable).
November: First proper office in Shortmarket Street, Cape Town

2011
March: Signing of first major advertising campaign with Imperial Logistics
May: Founder invited to deliver presentation at China-SADC Investment Forum in Johannesburg
June: HWMIIA awarded as a finalist in the Media of the Year category at the Diageo Africa Business Report Awards, together with Africa Report and Reuters, at a gala ceremony in London, UK

2012
May: HWMIIA covers the World Economic Forum on Africa meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
June: Appointment of first full-time journalist

2013
April: HWMIIA signs multi-year sponsorship deal with DHL
November: HWMIIA awarded Bronze prize in the Specialist Publisher category of The Bookmarks awards
November: Jaco Maritz shares journey of HWMIIA at African Leadership Academy – Guest Speaker Series (Johannesburg)

2014
June: HWMIIA founder Jaco Maritz invited to participate in a panel discussion at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School 2014 Business in Africa Conference (United Kingdom)
September: University of Stellenbosch Business School signs advertising partnership wit HWMIIA, joining a growing number of blue-chip clients including DHL, Standard Bank, EY, Siemens, KPMG, Vodacom, etc.
October: HWMIIA invited to attend the Africa Global Business Forum in Dubai, UAE

2015
January – December: HWMIIA’s team of journalists criss-cross the continent to conduct research for a bespoke PWC report, visiting Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Zambia
November 2015: Jaco Maritz participates in HEC Paris Africa Club panel discussion
August 2015: Jaco Maritz delivers presentation on property development trends in sub-Saharan Africa at the Architecture + Interior Design Africa conference in Johannesburg, South Africa

2016
March: Publication of PwC research report, So much in store: Prospects in the retail and consumer goods sector in ten sub-Saharan countries, produced by HWMIIA team
April: HWMIIA founder Jaco Maritz visits Equatorial Guinea on behalf of the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons
June: HWMIIA invited to Singapore as part of an initiative by the country’s Ministry of Trade and Industry to strengthen commercial relationships between Africa and Singapore

2017
June: HWMIIA attends the African Export-Import Bank’s Annual General Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda

2018
November: Launch of HOW WE MADE IT IN AFRICA: THE BOOK

2019
February: HOW WE MADE IT IN AFRICA: THE BOOK featured on CNBC Africa
November: HWMIIA participates in Bloomberg Africa Business Media Innovators conference in Dakar, Senegal

2020
April: HWMIIA launches subscription service. Subscribe here