Episode 20

full
Published on:

22nd Sep 2025

Snehar Shah’s Blueprint for Africa’s Digital Revolution

The latest episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast spotlights Snehar Shah, a visionary technology leader who’s transforming Africa’s digital landscape. As CEO of IXAFRICA Data Centre and Ambassador of the Nomad Futurist Foundation, Snehar bridges continents, industries, and ideas, driving innovation on a global scale. 

Co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence sit down with Snehar to trace his remarkable journey: from his small-town beginnings in Eldoret, Kenya, to the fast-paced finance and telecom hubs of the UK, and ultimately back home to Kenya, where he’s shaping Africa’s digital future. 


Snehar’s path is one of intentional pivots and multidisciplinary mastery. Armed with an electrical engineering degree from Imperial College London and sharpened by years in global finance, he has cultivated a unique hybrid perspective:  


“I always considered it a superpower to have that ability to understand both worlds.”  


A central theme of this episode is Africa’s extraordinary leapfrogging potential: building world-class digital infrastructure without being constrained by legacy systems. Snehar underscores this through a striking example: 


“Kenya is the birthplace of mobile money... even today, M-Pesa does more transactions than Western Union does globally. More than 80% of Kenya’s GDP runs on the mobile phone.” 


Snehar’s vision extends well beyond infrastructure. Through Moringa School, an edtech platform training thousands of software engineers and data scientists, he is fostering local talent and driving growth by building strong networks and strategic partnerships:  


“In order to succeed, I believe in building the right ecosystem. Without it, if you’re doing it on your own, you’ll struggle." 


His ultimate vision for the future is ambitious yet clear: to help drive sustainable growth in African tech infrastructure and talent and export those successes globally.   


Want to follow along on Snehar’s journey? Connect with him on LinkedIn and witness how he’s driving the next wave of global digital transformation. 

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Nomad Futurist

About the Podcast

Nomad Futurist
The #nomadfuturist show is a true tech podcast phenomenon. The two hosts are technologists and futurists, so they really know their stuff, and following their in-depth conversations feels like you have a backstage pass to a gathering of the best of the
The nomads put a new spin on the tech genre by shining a light not only on technology but also on the human side of the digital age. Tune in if you find yourself thinking about how to integrate into the digital landscape and be a part of the evolving industry.

For over two decades, Phil and Nabeel have provided a powerful catalyst for organizations to create a vision of the future and the will to innovate. As futurists, they deliver a dynamic and entertaining vision of change, blending technology, economics, demographics, culture, and human nature.

With real business experience and a deep understanding of technology, the two nomads know the difference between science fiction and useful forecasting. Rather than focusing on the distant future, they devote themselves to scanning the horizon for emerging technologies and disruptive shifts in human behavior, thereby sharing a compelling vision of tomorrow’s opportunities.