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Thabiso Foto

Oxford EMBA | CFO | COO | Impact | Tech | Non-exec Director

Thabiso Foto is a Finance and Operations Executive with a decade of experience in finance and operations, focusing on strategy development, tax, statutory & regulatory compliance in investments management and mining-consulting companies across various African jurisdictions.

Currently, Thabiso is leading finance at Founders Factory Africa, supporting start-ups by providing technical finance and operational advice. Founders Factory Africa is a corporate-backed accelerator and incubator, building and scaling tech businesses across Africa.

Thabiso Foto is a chartered accountant who combines financial expertise with a passion for socio-economic development initiatives and a keen interest in leveraging technology to enhance quality of life. Thabiso's educational background includes studying at reputable institutions like MIT Sloan School of Management and the University of Oxford.

With previous roles ranging from Chief Financial Officer to Board member at various organizations including ALUWANI Capital Partners, Absa Group, and African Women Chartered Accountants Forum, Thabiso Foto has demonstrated leadership and expertise in the financial and operational realms.

Highlights

Jul 11 · linkedin

Its been 2 months since relocating to England. Amongst other reasons, one of the motivating factors was to be in close proximity to Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and have access to all the incredible people, networks and resources this great institution has to offer.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the #Oxfordemba programme, I had the honour of chatting to Kathy Harvey, in her podcast series, The Application, we went back down memory lane from my childhood to how my career developed over time, sharing successes, failures and lessons learnt along the way. Being 6th of 7 children in my family, i give credit firstly to my sister Tammy Makgatho, who significantly influenced how i got into finance, and the role my other siblings played through observing them in their respective careers and the mentorship they provided. They have all contributed immensely to who i am today. As Sir Isaac Newton put it” If i have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

Through the #OxfordEMBA program, i have grown even more and continue to lean in to my newly found friends and professional advisors who give generously of their time, and i am sincerely grateful.

You can find the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/dsNduBR8 #OxfordEMBA Tammy Makgatho Adolf Thapelo Makgatho Zandile Makgatho ALFRED MAKGATHO Fortune Mojapelo

Feb 1 · linkedin

"🌐 Amazing Invention - This Drone Will Change Everything 🌐" - title of the video by YouTuber Mark Rober perfectly captures my sentiments after visiting Zipline’s facility in Accra, Ghana this past week. Witnessing their operations firsthand left me in awe of the efficiency and impact that this groundbreaking technology has achieved. The facility receives an order, loads and launches the drone and a delivery is done, all in 90seconds!

Here are some noteworthy facts about Zipline:

Founded in 2014 by Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, Ryan Oksenhorn and Will Hertzler initially focused on delivering medical supplies to remote areas. Fast forward to 2024, they have expanded their operations to consumer products, agriculture, and food deliveries.

🚀 In October 2016, Zipline officially launched its drone delivery service in Rwanda and has since expanded its operations to eight countries across four continents. Initially faced regulatory hurdles in the US, but it was the progressive approach of the Rwandan government that propelled this business. Subsequently (2022) they got the US FAA certification which has enabled them to partner with Walmart and other retail giants in the US.

💰💰Fundraising and Valuation milestones: 🎯May 17, 2019: Raised $190 million at a $1.2 billion valuation 🎯June 30, 2021: Raised $250 million at a $2.75 billion valuation 🎯May 4, 2023: Raised $330 million at a $4.2 billion valuation

📈 Impactful Achievements:

  • In 2019, Zipline's drones recorded having flown 600k miles and made 13,000+ deliveries in Rwanda.
  • By 2022, they managed 75% of Rwanda's blood supply outside Kigali, serving over 400 hospitals.
  • Reduced in-hospital maternal mortality by 88%.
  • Lancet reported a 67% reduction in blood wastage across Rwanda.
  • As of 2024, they have flown over 65 million miles, serving >4000 hospitals, have achieved 900,000+ deliveries, delivering over 9 million products and 14 million vaccine doses.

Kudos to the visionary Rwandan🇷🇼government for being the pioneer, embracing innovation and reshaping the future of healthcare logistics!

"System builders, not the technology, drive nascent market evolution." - Marc J Ventresca

Massive thanks to Jada B. for organizing this site visit, to Eva Hackman and her colleagues for showing us around. 🌟 Check out Mark Rober’s YouTube video #systempreneurship #innovation #technology #regulation

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Thabiso Foto
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Location

London, England, United Kingdom