Building Your First Leadership Team in Africa

The Talent Competition Is Real

African startups are competing for talent not just with each other, but with global tech companies that now hire remotely from anywhere. Google, Microsoft, and Amazon all recruit from Lagos and Nairobi. How do you compete when you can't match their salaries?

The answer is a combination of equity, mission, and growth opportunity. The best talent often wants to build something meaningful, not just collect a salary. Your job is to articulate why building your company is the most exciting opportunity they could pursue.

What to Look For

For early leadership hires, prioritize adaptability over experience. You need people who can wear multiple hats, make decisions with incomplete information, and thrive in ambiguity. Previous startup experience helps, but so does resilience and intellectual curiosity.

Be wary of 'big company' executives who want to recreate their previous environments. Your Series A company isn't ready for the processes and structures of a mature organization. You need builders, not managers.

Creating an Attractive Environment

Beyond compensation, think about what makes your company somewhere people want to work. Autonomy matters—talented people want to make decisions, not wait for approval. Growth matters—can you show them a path to bigger roles as the company scales? And culture matters—people stay where they feel valued and challenged.