Black Americans find purpose and profit in Africa
Experts and investors in the diaspora put their shoulders (and hearts) to the continent's start-up wheel
As global relationships are reconfigured for a new world order African entrepreneurs are finding new allies, as is exemplified by Robert E. Williams’ appointment to the board of African venture capital firm Anza Capital.
Williams is extremely well-placed to build bridges between African start-ups and US investors. An African-American and long-time tech and telecoms executive with a global track record, he brings personal conviction in addition to experience and access to global networks and capital.
He is also a graduate of B-Direct, a US-based, Africa-centric board preparation and placement programme tailored for US executives looking to apply their boardroom expertise in African markets. Williams’ appointment at Anza Capital is the first placement of a graduate of B-Direct, a programme that goes beyond governance to cover cultural dexterity.
“Black Americans should be among South Africa’s most natural international partners,” says Larry Yon, a longtime advocate for African investment within the diaspora and co-founder of B-Direct (along with board governance and cross-cultural strategy experts Andra Ward and Henri Ward).
Yon has mapped out how African-American professionals can support African start-ups, not just as investors, but as advisors and board members, replicating a Silicon Valley-style ecosystem of mentorship and equity participation.
“Something often underestimated is how valuable the African global diaspora can be to Africa’s development and to scaling businesses across and beyond Africa,” says Yon.
Diaspora communities in the US — Irish, Chinese, Indian and so on —play outsized roles in building economic bridges with their homelands. They create robust cross-border ecosystems, leveraging family ties, language and cultural fluency to drive billions in trade and investment.
African-Americans, largely forcibly disconnected from their ancestral homelands, are frequently left out of this narrative. But not any more, and Anza’s new board member, Williams, is likely just the first of many. There’s a growing appetite among Black professionals in the US to connect meaningfully with the continent. It is not driven by charity or sentiment alone, but rather through an interest in the joint opportunity and prosperity.
This isn’t about handouts. “It’s about backing brilliant founders with real potential, including several who also happen to look like me,” says Ohio-born Williams, who is now based in the Washington, DC area.
Anza Capital, an early-stage VC firm based in Johannesburg, is focused on scalable, tech-driven businesses that create social and economic impact. Williams has started to engage with Anza’s portfolio companies, including health tech firm Welo, biomedical innovator Impulse, and AI and data company Locstat.
“What strikes me is the passion,” he says. “These founders aren’t chasing valuations, they are solving real problems in their communities. That kind of mission-driven innovation leads to sustainable success.”
These companies are tackling problems in their communities with innovative tech: start-ups that are giving people access to healthcare coverage and life-saving medical devices, for example. These solutions, born out of necessity at home, also have global relevance.
Beyond the personal, Williams sees Africa as a savvy business play. “The scale of the opportunity is enormous, especially when you look at the parallels between the tech being built in Africa and the challenges in parts of the US.”
In a career focused on scaling tech operations globally, Williams has held leadership roles at AT&T, Amazon Web Services, and in cybersecurity and AI. He’s worked with the UN and the World Economic Forum, aligning tech with global development goals.
He is optimistic, even as international partnership priorities are evolving for some US leaders. “Federal investment is not the only option,” he says, noting conversations he’s had with leaders in the State of Maryland about foreign direct investment and a focus in life sciences, an industry with parallels to the Anza portfolio. “States, universities, private endowments, they still want to find growth and create global impact.”
Involvement of the likes of Yon and Williams tends to be catalytic too. Williams is already seeing this interest ripple across his network. “As soon as I shared what I’m doing with Anza Capital, I had people from Canada, the UK, the US, senior leaders in venture arms of Fortune 500 companies, asking how they could get involved.”