On this episode of My Tech Story Africa, host Alice Kanjejo sits down with Ntsako Mgiba, venture builder, serial tech entrepreneur, and founder of Darkies in Tech, for a powerful conversation about building community as a catalyst for transformation in South Africa's tech ecosystem.Ntsako draws on his experience in venture building, and ecosystem development to share the journey that led him to create Darkies in Tech, from being the “only Black founder in the room” in Cape Town to recognizing that many Black founders were building in isolation.Despite attending a reputable university and having "the right accent" that granted access to white spaces, Ntsako witnessed firsthand how people of color navigate a landscape shaped by apartheid's legacy, where profiling based on origin and speech patterns determines opportunity access.The conversation reveals the intentional architecture behind Darkies in Tech: a vetted, high-quality community focused on two missions equipping founders to build resilient ventures that shift narratives about people of color in tech, and driving systemic transformation in the broader ecosystem. Ntsako emphasizes bridging five critical access gaps: market, funding, talent, knowledge, and community. Unlike performative inclusion programs that offer training without genuine opportunities, Darkies in Tech creates intentional platforms connecting founders with investors, partners, and market access that truly moves the needle.Ntsako keeps it real when it comes to community building calling it "extremely difficult" and reveals the delicate balance between democratizing access while maintaining high standards. The path to sustainability required four years of building goodwill before monetization, establishing trust through the community's core principle: "we give value before we take it." From merchandise to ticketed events to paid memberships subsidized by corporate sponsors, every monetization decision prioritized member value over profit.This conversation is a masterclass in authentic community building, where genuine care isn't optional but essential, where trust is earned through years of consistent value delivery, and where transformation happens not through performative inclusion but through intentional redistribution of opportunity, knowledge, and capital.To keep up with Ntsako Mgiba, check out his LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ntsako-mgibaCheck out Darkies in Tech:https://www.darkiesintech.com/
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