Repurposing Business

Finn Walker was still in high school in Roanoke, Virginia, when he tried to buy a Nigerian bank. He was investing real money through a student investment program, found the platform wouldn't let him do it, and walked away more curious about African markets than before. That's an unusual itch for a teenager to scratch, but it followed him through the University of Virginia, through a summer in Accr...

Richard Lackey has been a paramedic, a disaster relief manager and a hedge fund manager. That's an unusual resume, but it's exactly the combination it takes to do what he's doing now: treating food itself as an investable asset. In 2015, he founded the World Food Bank out of Colorado, built on a simple but radical idea — that you can run an institution like a bank, except the commodity on the bala...

Gerhard Visagie trained as a chartered accountant, which means somewhere a balance sheet is grateful. He spent over a decade in South African agrifood private equity before deciding the real opportunity wasn't one sector but a continent, and around 2007 he conceived of and later incorporated Paladin Africa in 2013, launched in 2022, now running money out of Stellenbosch and Kigali, in both private...

Most conversations about investing in Africa focus on the entrepreneur, the deal, or the sector. My guest today is thinking about the layer above all of that — the architecture that allows capital to flow to multiple managers, across multiple ventures, in a way that individual investors simply cannot replicate on their own. Jonathan Wilson is a Canadian fund manager who has spent significant time...

In this episode, Brett sits down with Curt Laird to tackle a core question facing investors and entrepreneurs across the continent: Is doing business in Africa actually difficult, or simply different? Curt brings a rare depth of firsthand experience in frontier and emerging markets. Having spent years building and operating businesses in high-stakes, complex environments—navigating ventures in Afg...

In this episode, I’m joined by Anthony Farr, the founding CEO of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation and the Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy Africa. Anthony has spent years at the forefront of entrepreneurship in Africa, focusing on how we can foster high-impact leaders to drive systemic change. We dive into a critical shift in perspective: why the "ecosystem" is the true investment when it comes t...

Is the capital stack truly stacked in favor of the stewards, or are we building on a shaky foundation? In this episode, we dive deep into the complexities of investment in Africa, moving beyond just "investing in" to "investing with" the vibrancy of the continent. Joined by Amon Munyaneza, we unpack the critical role of property rights, the nuances of the capital stack, and how biblical stewardshi...

South Africa is at a point of inflection. For years, the "land issue" has been a source of uncertainty and fear for both domestic and international investors. In this episode, I sit down with members of parliament Wayne Thring and Steven Swart from the ACDP to unpack the reality of land reform, the shift toward property rights, and why the "ship is starting to turn." We discuss the 1% productivity...

Is "Investing IN Africa" a fundamentally broken concept? In this episode, Franck Mwenda joins me to discuss why we must pivot to "Investing WITH Africa." We explore the shift from extractive models to collaborative capital and how building local ecosystems is the only sustainable way to unlock the continent's true potential. It's time to stop looking for exits and start looking for partnerships. B...

Despite billions being invested in Africa, relatively little is focused on the Cosmos Mandate or the third strand of the Great Commission. Can the African Diaspora help address this? We dive into the ten spheres of society and why the next generation of African wealth isn't just about money—it's about reclamation. Based on the principles in my new book: https://a.co/d/09FUIHxA Connect with Brett J...

What if the world’s "riskiest" market is actually your greatest opportunity for Kingdom impact? Henry Kaestner joins me to discuss why he is "bullish" on Africa. We dive into the shift from de-risking to "re-risking," the power of marketplace miracles, and why the next generation of African entrepreneurs is staying put to build their own backyards. Based on the principles in my new book: https://a...

Are you investing in Africa, or with Africa? The difference could be the secret to your success. I sat down with serial entrepreneur Jon Kontz to discuss a profound shift in perspective: moving from extractive or philanthropic models to true partnership. We unpack why pacing, humility, and "ordered systems" thinking are essential for any investor looking at the next frontier. This series is inspir...

What does it actually take to drive large-scale investment in Africa? In this episode I’m joined by Okey Enelamah, Chairman of African Capital Alliance and former Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment for Nigeria, to discuss the intersection of capital, leadership, and the immense potential of the African market. We explore what it takes to move beyond the surface and build something that l...

Why is the world looking at Africa, and why should you? In this introduction to my new podcast series, Investing with Africa, I’m diving deep into the themes of my new book to uncover the real opportunities and shifts happening across the continent. Are you ready to see Africa through a different lens? Let’s explore the future of global wealth together. Be sure to check out my new book: https://a....

What happens when a business leader gives God not just their plans, but their ownership? Join Brett for a rich and heartfelt conversation with South African business leader Francois van Niekerk in our latest episode. Francois shares his remarkable journey from corporate life to founding and growing diverse ventures in IT, property, insurance and beyond. Together they explore the historical and cul...

The journey of restoration ends with a beginning. Isaiah 49 reveals not just who you are, but what you’re called to release. In this final episode, Brett unpacks 10 activation truths that kick restoration into motion. You’ve been called, shaped, and strengthened - and now, you’re being sent. This is where restoration stops being just personal and starts becoming global. The restored become restore...

What does life look like when restoration is complete? In this episode, Brett explores the final step of restoration, where hope is no longer fragile but fully formed. This conversation marks the moment where hope becomes home, and faith finds its full reward. Follow along with the book here: https://a.co/d/5EawCWe Connect with Brett Johnson on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Vis...

What if God’s restoration in your life was never meant to stop with you? In this episode, Brett explores how personal renewal carries a larger purpose. This conversation invites us to lift our eyes beyond our borders, to see that God’s favor always expands outward until His purposes reach the ends of the earth. Follow along with the book here: https://a.co/d/5EawCWe Connect with Brett Johnson on s...

What happens when restoration reaches your household? In this episode, Brett explores God’s promise to contend for our families and to bring children back from places of distance and delay. This conversation calls parents and leaders to hope again, to intercede again, and to believe that reconciliation is not a wish - it’s part of the restoration plan. Follow along with the book here: https://a.co...

What if the very things standing in our way were meant to lead us forward? In this episode, Brett explores the promise of God to “turn mountains into roads and raise up highways.” Restoration doesn’t mean a life without resistance—it means seeing resistance repurposed. This conversation invites us to see barriers as blueprints, opposition as opportunity, and the world itself as a landscape being r...

What does it mean to be led beside springs of water when life feels like a battlefield? In this episode, Brett explores the tenderness of God’s guidance, a kind of intimacy that quenches the soul even when circumstances run dry. This conversation invites us to rediscover the springs of refreshment that flow even in the valley, where heaven and earth sing of His compassion. Follow along with the bo...

Can we build a home without becoming stuck there? In this episode, Brett explores the paradox of shelter - the tension between being grounded and being guided. God knows our need for a place to belong, yet He never meant for that place to become our prison. This conversation invites us to live in the “in between”: anchored enough to stay in the game, but free enough to follow wherever the road lea...

What if the promise of “finding pasture on every barren hill” was not just poetic, but prophetic? In this episode, Brett unpacks God’s assurance of practical provision in times of delay. When hope feels far off and the hills looks barren, God reminds His people that He can bring life and fruitfulness from the most unlikely places. What if your current wilderness is the soil of your next harvest? F...

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What have you inherited, and what are you leaving behind? In this episode, Brett explores how God restores desolate inheritances and reawakens legacy across generations. Many people feel like they are starting from nothing, but God promises to reassign what has been lost. Drawing from Isaiah’s promise, “I will keep you and make you a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its...