A new live tech show wants to change African tech coverage

The first time Fatu Ogwuche stepped into a studio set up for a live tech talk, the air buzzed with anticipation. A modest ring of microphones, a backdrop painted with the logo of Big Tech This Week, and a screen that would soon flicker to life. In that moment, the future of African tech coverage felt less like a broadcast and more like a conversation waiting to happen.

Over the past year, Ogwuche’s Twitter Spaces series had attracted more than a hundred thousand listeners. Those listeners tuned in to hear founders, investors, and tech professionals share insights in real time. Yet she sensed a gap: the static nature of articles and pre‑recorded podcasts left audiences feeling disconnected from the people shaping the products they use daily. That realization spurred the launch of Tech This Week, a weekly live show that marries current tech news with in‑depth interviews. The format is reminiscent of TBPN, a Silicon Valley‑focused live tech show, but tailored to the African context.

The show will be free to watch, with its production costs covered by sponsorships, advertising, and paid segments. Ogwuche confirmed that four sponsors have committed to supporting a full year of broadcasts. While she declined to disclose the investment amount or sponsor names, the partnership signals confidence in a model that blends commercial viability with public access. This financial structure also underscores the show's ambition to reach a wide audience without charging a subscription fee.

Ogwuche’s audience profile is strikingly diverse. The largest cohort falls between 25 and 44 years old, spanning Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, and diaspora markets in Britain, the United States, and Canada. By positioning the show as a platform for founders, investors, operators, regulators, and everyday users, the program seeks to democratize tech storytelling. In a continent where technology is increasingly woven into daily lifewhether through mobile payments, fintech, or entertainmentthe show promises a more intimate glimpse into the minds behind the innovations.

The past decade has seen African tech companies focus on essential services: payments, savings, investment, and business operations. Yet Ogwuche observes a shift. New ventures are branching into gaming, entertainment, sports, and other cultural arenas. This diversification presents an opportunity to cover technology not just as a business metric but as a cultural force. By weaving stories of personal ambition, societal impact, and creative expression, Tech This Week aims to capture the full spectrum of African tech's influence.

Watching the inaugural episode unfold, I was struck by how the show balances the technical with the human. When a founder explained the algorithm behind a mobile banking app, the audience could see the real‑world implications: a farmer in Lagos accessing credit, a student in Nairobi buying a textbook online. That immediacy, that sense of shared experience, is what makes the live format compelling. It turns abstract data into a narrative that resonates across borders.

With a year of content already planned, Tech This Week will likely become a staple for anyone interested in Africa’s tech pulse. The live format allows for real‑time questions, instant feedback, and a dynamic dialogue that pre‑recorded shows cannot match. As the continent’s tech ecosystem continues to evolve, the show’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility could set a new standard for how stories are told and heard. The next episode will probably feature a startup from Kenya that is redefining digital health, and I am eager to see how the conversation unfolds.