Customer Service to Scaling Startups: John Egwu on Building Trust in African Tech | #Alitalkstech
Tue Dec 16 2025
In the latest episode of #AliTalksTech, John Egwu shares a candid look at what it really takes to build startups in Africa 🌍
John’s journey began at Jumia, not in leadership, but in customer service during the company’s earliest days. With no playbook for e-commerce on the continent, success came down to showing up, delivering value, and earning customer trust one interaction at a time 🤝
In this episode, the conversation explores: • How starting on the frontlines shaped John’s approach to leadership • Why customer experience was critical in early African tech 💡 • His transition from customer service into data, sales, and operations • Lessons from building J-Force, Jumia’s distributed sales engine 📈 • Why startups often offer the fastest path to real growth
The discussion also traces John’s move to Cars45 and later AutoCheck, where the focus shifted to scaling operations, managing physical infrastructure, and expanding access to mobility and vehicle financing across Africa 🚗💳
This episode offers practical insights for anyone building or aspiring to build in Africa’s tech ecosystem.
🎧 Watch the full episode on YouTube 📌 Subscribe to #AliTalksTech for more unfiltered conversations with the builders shaping African tech
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In the latest episode of #AliTalksTech, John Egwu shares a candid look at what it really takes to build startups in Africa 🌍 John’s journey began at Jumia, not in leadership, but in customer service during the company’s earliest days. With no playbook for e-commerce on the continent, success came down to showing up, delivering value, and earning customer trust one interaction at a time 🤝 In this episode, the conversation explores: • How starting on the frontlines shaped John’s approach to leadership • Why customer experience was critical in early African tech 💡 • His transition from customer service into data, sales, and operations • Lessons from building J-Force, Jumia’s distributed sales engine 📈 • Why startups often offer the fastest path to real growth The discussion also traces John’s move to Cars45 and later AutoCheck, where the focus shifted to scaling operations, managing physical infrastructure, and expanding access to mobility and vehicle financing across Africa 🚗💳 This episode offers practical insights for anyone building or aspiring to build in Africa’s tech ecosystem. 🎧 Watch the full episode on YouTube 📌 Subscribe to #AliTalksTech for more unfiltered conversations with the builders shaping African tech