Protected: TechPoint Africa

TechPoint Africa, a digital media organization covering business and tech in Africa, recognized early on that relying solely on traditional distribution channels was a risky proposition. After suffering severe setbacks due to Google’s manual penalties, the team saw firsthand how vulnerable a media business could be when overly dependent on third-party platforms. This prompted a strategic shift toward building direct, engaged communities through alternative distribution channels. 

Click Here to Download NAMIP’s 3 Year Impact Report

The team began experimenting with niche Facebook Pages tailored to specific interests, such as startups. The goal was to attract target audiences and engage them in deeper conversations around curated content. One early page focused on startup culture grew quickly, reaching 12,000 followers within a few months. However, the project had a clear milestone: a 20,000-follower threshold was required before TechPoint would commit additional resources to full community engagement and monetization. 

Unfortunately, the staff member originally tasked with leading the project underperformed and failed to maintain consistent progress. “It was more a staffing/operations issue,” says founder Muyiwa Matuluko. “The person I tasked to do it wasn’t showing up day to day, and I didn’t have the bandwidth to monitor them every day.” Eventually, the team reassigned the project to a new manager, hoping to revive the effort with better oversight and execution. 

The stalled Facebook experiment highlighted a broader insight: even promising strategies can falter without the right human resources and accountability structures. But the commitment to testing new models remained. 

Innovating Through Pitch Friday 

While the Facebook strategy was being reassessed, another initiative was already bearing fruit. Pitch Friday, launched as a monthly community meetup for early-stage founders, quickly became a cornerstone of TechPoint’s engagement strategy. Held every second Friday, these sessions allow entrepreneurs to pitch ideas, receive feedback, and connect with peers. 

Though Pitch Friday was not designed with immediate financial return in mind, its long-term community-building power has paid off. The event also gave rise to the Equity Merchants newsletter—a weekly bulletin now boasting nearly 8,000 subscribers, 40% of whom work in or run startups. This community has become a key feeder into the flagship TechPoint Digest, which is now one of the site’s top traffic drivers, generating millions of impressions annually. 

More importantly, Pitch Friday has yielded direct financial returns. Founders who first attended or pitched at the event later returned as paying sponsors. 

This dual-pronged approach—community engagement and relationship-building—has allowed TechPoint to build a sustainable engagement funnel that does not rely solely on advertising or search algorithms. While direct monetization through events or paid subscriptions remains limited, the community’s value has translated into longer-term sponsorships and business opportunities. 

The Role of NAMIP 

Although both the Facebook strategy and Pitch Friday predated TechPoint’s involvement with NAMIP, the program has played a pivotal role in sharpening the team’s business thinking. “The major NAMIP influence has been in [the] learning access for me and my team,” says Muyiwa. “The physical and virtual workshops have consistently informed our internal decisions and pivots.” 

He highlights sessions with the Daily Maverick team, Carl of Ventureburn, and Frank of BusinessDay as particularly impactful. One direct result of this exposure was TechPoint’s ambitious goal to grow its flagship newsletter to 150,000 and has built it to 30,000—a target inspired by lessons learned through NAMIP programming. 

Lessons and Looking Ahead 

TechPoint’s story is one of strategic adaptation. From distribution setbacks and operational misfires to meaningful community experiments, the company has embraced an iterative, learning-first approach. Today, events and newsletters are not just content channels but relationship engines that connect startups, sponsors, and audiences in meaningful ways. 

Looking forward, TechPoint plans to double down on its niche community strategy. Facebook Groups will be relaunched with improved team oversight, and Pitch Friday will continue to serve as a platform for discovering talent, building trust, and forging business relationships. “These things take time,” says Muyiwa. “But if we’re patient, we’ll see the return.” 

In a media landscape where platform dependence can destabilize entire business models, TechPoint’s resilience offers a compelling lesson: communities take work, but when built with care, they pay dividends in trust, credibility, and long-term growth. 

Click Here to Download NAMIP’s 3 Year Impact Report