Welcome to our first instalment of 2025.

This edition is a little different from our usual newsletter style. Think of it as me reaching out to reconnect before we settle back into our regular rhythm in the coming weeks.

This year, you can expect more of these personal interactions. I’ll be taking time to share thoughts, lessons, insights, and a touch of African wisdom gleaned from the experiences and minds of entrepreneurs far wiser than myself.

Mistakes are lessons, yes, but they’re also costly. You don’t have to make every mistake in the book to learn and grow. The nuggets I’ll share throughout the year might just be what you need to navigate a tricky situation or avoid a potential misstep.

Of course, not everything will resonate with you. After all, this is business, not prophecy. So, before you hit that unsubscribe button, remember that you only have to take what works for you and shelve the rest. Who knows? What doesn’t seem relevant today might just be the wisdom you need tomorrow.

After a month-long break, I’m thrilled to be back at African Hustle.

Taking a break has its perks — a chance to reset, reflect, and recharge. But it also comes with challenges: disrupted rhythms, and the daunting task of picking up the pen again.

Writer’s block is real!!!

Despite the challenges, I’m grateful to return, reconnect, and reignite the spark that brought us together initially.

At the start of 2024, I encouraged you to draft resolutions for the year. This is a ritual many of us perform with all the blind enthusiasm of a New Year’s countdown. Pen to paper, we jot away, year after year. But to what effect?

Welcome To A No Resolutions 2025.

As the calendar flips again, I’ve decided to do away with annual standalone resolutions altogether.

Here’s why.

Nothing changes as we transition from one year to another. The excuses you employed to procrastinate or justify failure in 2024 do not automatically stop because the Earth has made an orbit around the sun.

Your personality and life goals do not change either. Unless you deliberately work to change them. Intentionality!

There is no aha moment at the stroke of midnight. No abracadabra to magically do away with traits you have to unlearn and absolutely no hocus pocus enchantment to make you more likeable or smarter!

The seamless flow and monotonous continuity of time between December 31^st and January 1^st is sobering. Life does not reset with a calendar.

That’s why it feels misguided to base resolutions on the turn of a page when life itself remains in continuous motion.

Again, resolutions are often too small and too short-sighted. They are little nice-to-have items which you won’t typically experience consequences for breaking.

They’re framed to fit neatly within the confines of a single year, making them easier to achieve but rarely transformational.

Instead of shifting goalposts annually, I’ve embraced something far more ambitious: long-term, audacious goals that feel insurmountable when I first write them down.

Be A Visionary

I have put a visionary mindset to the test with African Hustle by setting a 10-YEAR VISION. We want to grow our subscriber base to 3 million active entrepreneurial readers within a decade.

However, in our first year, 2023, we struggled in every aspect. We could not make a dent in the numbers.

From May to December 2023, we attracted fewer than 1,000 subscribers with only about 300 of those readers coming from Africa — our intended audience. Most of the subscribers were coming from regions outside Africa. Our open rate hovered around 30%, which isn’t bad at all.

The numbers did not reflect progress in relation to the ultimate goal. They also did not align with our philosophy.

I felt discouraged. And that is to put it kindly!

Well-meaning friends suggested I pivot to writing about the juicy stuff: politics, entertainment, or even gossip — topics proven to attract quick clicks and swelling audiences.

And truthfully? I considered it. I think anyone in my position would have.

To most people business content is, to put it lightly, boring. It is like reading scriptural texts. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

What kept me in the game wasn’t the thrill of chasing fleeting numbers or the vanity of “going viral.” It was the vision.

The 10-year vision gave me room to breathe, to lay a solid foundation, and to experiment. It wasn’t just about chasing quick wins; it was about building something long-term.

As I’ve interacted with entrepreneurs far more accomplished than myself, one lesson has stood out: The Importance Of Being A Visionary.

A visionary does not reinvent the wheel every year with new resolutions. Instead, they commit to something so big and bold that it forces them to grow.

Have you seen the clip of Jeff Bezos speaking on how you have to be stubborn and relentless in your vision but flexible on the details? The details can change year to year but the ultimate goal remains the same.

And it’s not just Bezos, Bill Gates spoke of the future of the internet before its widespread adoption.

Steve Jobs alluded to the personal computer being small and portable when computers were still bulky and ugly machines.

Elon Musk spoke highly of the internet, EVs and reusable rockets and faced much ridicule for it.

This is what you will be doing when you set a 10-year vision. You are forcing yourself to think long-term. When you do this, be prepared to be laughed at.

Vision + Philosophy = Success Portion

A vision alone, though, isn’t enough.

It has to be anchored by a guiding philosophy — a “why” that shapes every decision and interaction.

Let’s pause for a moment and think about some of the world’s most iconic brands. Their philosophies go deeper than taglines.

What is your philosophy?

At African Hustle, our philosophy is simple: Ignite African Ambition.

Everything we do is tied to this philosophy. So, despite a rocky start, I held onto that vision and philosophy.

And in 2024? We found our rhythm. Thousands of new subscribers joined our journey, proof that a clear vision and strong foundation can weather any storm.

From Now Consider Doing This!

Set a Long-Term Vision

Define what success looks like in 10 years.

What is your ultimate goal?

Dream big but make it Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART).

Reverse Engineer The Vision

Break it into smaller, short-term goals that you can chip away at every year.

1. Identify major milestones as you break your 10-year timeframe into smaller chunks: 5-year, 3-year, and 1-year goals. These milestones will serve as checkpoints for your progress.

2. Break down these milestones into actionable steps

3. For each milestone, list out specific actions, skills, or experiences you’ll need to achieve it.

4. What do you need to learn to make this happen? Identify the knowledge, training, or experience required and start working on it.

5. Give yourself realistic deadlines for each milestone. The clearer your plan, the easier it will be to stay on track.

As we kickstart 2025, I want to challenge you to try this approach. Do not limit yourself to short-lived resolutions, think long-term.

This year, I’m standing beside you as a fellow hustler, working to make it in Africa. Let’s not just dream big — let’s take the steps to make those dreams a reality.

Here’s to building the future we envision, one milestone at a time.

Cheers to a transformative year ahead

Tawanda FD
Chief Hustler @ African Hustle