Tech in Texas: How Sibusiso Built a Software Startup From Bulawayo Roots

Sibusiso Nkosi taught himself to code using a second-hand laptop and a patchy internet connection in his Mpopoma home. A scholarship took him to the University of Zimbabwe, and a tech accelerator programme eventually brought him to Austin, Texas, where he co-founded Savanna Tech — a startup that builds data analytics tools for African agricultural markets.

“Everything I learned about hard work, community, and resourcefulness came from growing up in Bulawayo,” he says. “Those are not disadvantages. They are superpowers in the startup world.”

Savanna Tech recently closed a $2.4 million seed round and has offices in Austin, Nairobi, and Johannesburg. Sibusiso has also launched a coding bootcamp in Bulawayo, running twice yearly and offering free places to young people from low-income households.