Authors’ note

There are no shortcuts to scale.

Taking a venture from startup to high-growth maturity requires deep consideration. It is complex, arduous, and will be different each and every time. Factor in timing and some fortune. As explained in Scaling: Small Smart Moves for Outsized Results, “we cannot reach these goals in the traditional way, with each effort producing a near linear amount of return. We need to do things differently so that we can achieve outsized goals without expending a correspondingly outsized amount of resources”.

This report is a collective playbook of insights and smart moves. We present a series of recommended actions for ventures, ecosystem actors, and systems catalysts. 

We believe that collective and collaborative efforts are required to maximise the potential of the African scaling ecosystem, now and into the future. Greater intentionality is needed, which is why we have proposed a suite of pathways to take forward this work into a phase 2 implementation roadmap, alongside an open invitation to others to participate at the vanguard of change. In the spirit of these principles, we have chosen to walk our talk, and publicly share our research, making it accessible and available to all.  

Breakthrough change is never simple. The basis of innovation - originating something new that is intrinsically of high value - is non-linear, difficult, often uncomfortable work that requires tenacity and sheer bloody-mindedness. But these are essential ingredients in creating the new and wholly original. There is no formula, no replicable formats to ‘cut and paste'. Scaling is hard because if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. 

Buckle up for the rollercoaster scaling ride - we wish you luck on your journey ahead.

Scott Walker & Belinda Bowling

June 2022