Business
Sabi Bolsters Advisory Group with Four New Members
The advisory group has been established to inform the strategy and implementation of Sabi’s vision as the company continues its growth trajectory
LAGOS, Nigeria, June 15, 2022/APO Group/ —
Sabi (Sabi.am), Africa’s leading provider of commerce infrastructure for the distribution of goods and services, is pleased to announce the appointment of four new advisory group members whose experience and networks will support Sabi in its mission to resource and grow SMEs in the informal sector.
The advisory group has been established to inform the strategy and implementation of Sabi’s vision as the company continues its growth trajectory. The group consists of Vidit Aatrey, Founder & CEO of Meesho, Ian Black, Managing Director of Shopify, Sapna Goyal, Corporate Development Director of Udaan, and Bame Pule, Founder of Africa Lighthouse Capital.
Our goal has always been to build and establish a robust team of experts – from our leadership team right down to our agent network – that lives and breathes our core values
Vidit Aatrey, one of the leading Indian entrepreneurs of his generation, is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Meesho. Vidit, an alumnus of IIT-Delhi embarked on the journey of creating Meesho back in 2015, together with his college batchmate and friend Sanjeev Barnwal, with an aim to build an ecommerce start-up for small businesses at a time when everyone told them that ecommerce is saturated. Seven years later, they have today built India’s largest social commerce platform at Meesho. Meesho has already empowered 2 million+ entrepreneurs, mostly women, and is on its way to create more. Through its platform, it enables entrepreneurs to start an online-business with zero investment and provides them with the resources, tools, logistics and payment capabilities to run their business. Prior to Meesho, Vidit worked with ITC and Inmobi.
Ian Black is the Managing Director of Shopify Canada. Prior to that, he was the Director of Retail at Shopify. In that role, Ian managed the business and go-to-market strategy for Shopify Retail in Toronto, by overseeing sales, solutions, partnerships, and operations, working alongside marketing and R&D leadership. Prior to joining Shopify, Ian was head of UberEATS’ American and Canadian divisions. He was also a management consultant with Bain & Company in Toronto and New York where he advised companies and private equity funds on strategy and growth.
Sapna Goyal is the Corporate Development Director (strategic investments, partnerships, and M&A) at Udaan, a leading B2B e-commerce platform in India. For over ten years, she has investing experience in early and growth-stage internet start-ups in India. Prior to Udaan, Sapna worked with Goldman Sachs Investment Partners VC & Growth Equity Fund and was responsible for investments in the Indian internet space. She also has investing experience in Indian Public Markets as part of a hedge fund at Goldman Sachs. She is passionate about the power of digital transformation on the Indian economy and how it is a great leveller. She is an active angel investor.
Bame Pule is the founder of Africa Lighthouse Capital, an independent private equity firm founded in 2012 to invest in and nurture businesses into African champions. The firm has a particular focus on helping investee companies adopt global best practices regardless of sector, attain benchmarks equivalent to those of global peers, and expand into multiple key African markets. Prior to founding Africa Lighthouse Capital, Mr. Pule worked at Actis Capital, ShoreView Capital, Goldman Sachs & Credit Suisse in New York and Salomon Brothers/Citigroup in Los Angeles.
Commenting on the appointments, Anu Adasolum, Co-Founder & CEO of Sabi: said “Our goal has always been to build and establish a robust team of experts – from our leadership team right down to our agent network – that lives and breathes our core values and mission to transform the B2B commerce industry in Africa. We’re extremely pleased to announce that the four members are talented and strategic business leaders whose broad experience will further strengthen our commitment to enable financial inclusion within the B2B community in Africa’s growing informal economy, while providing world class solutions for our merchants. I look forward to working closely with the team to drive forward the next phase of growth.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Sabi.
Events
As global power structures shift, Invest Africa convenes The Africa Debate 2026 to redefine partnership in a changing world
The Africa Debate 2026 will provide a platform for this essential, era-defining discussion, convening leaders to explore how Africa and its partners can build more balanced, resilient and sustainable models of cooperation
Now in its 12th year, The Africa Debate has established itself as London’s premier platform for African investment dialogue since launching in 2014, convening over 800 global decision-makers annually to shape the future of trade, finance, investment, and development across the continent.
Under the theme “Redefining Partnership: Navigating a World in Transition”, this year’s forum will focus on Africa’s response to global economic realignment with greater agency, ambition and economic sovereignty.
The Africa Debate puts Africa’s priorities at the centre of the conversation, moving beyond traditional narratives to focus on ownership, resilience and long-term value creation.
“Volatility is not new to Africa. What is changing is the opportunity to respond with greater agency and ambition,” says Invest Africa CEO Chantelé Carrington.
“This year’s edition of The Africa Debate asks how we strengthen economic sovereignty — from access to capital and investment to financial and industrial policy — so African economies can take greater ownership of their growth. Success will be defined by how effectively we turn disruption into leverage and partnership into shared value.”
The Africa Debate 2026 will provide a platform for this essential, era-defining discussion, convening leaders to explore how Africa and its partners can build more balanced, resilient and sustainable models of cooperation.
Key challenges driving the debate
Core focus areas for this year’s edition of The Africa Debate include:
This year’s edition of The Africa Debate asks how we strengthen economic sovereignty — from access to capital and investment to financial and industrial policy
Global Realignment & New Partnerships
How shifting geopolitical and economic power structures are reshaping Africa’s global partnerships, trade dynamics and investment landscape.
Financing Africa’s Future
The growing need to reform the global financial architecture, new approaches to development finance, as well as the strengthening of market access and financial resilience of African economies in a changing global system.
Strategic Value Chains
Moving beyond primary exports to build local value chains in critical minerals for the green economy. Also addressing Africa’s energy access gap and mobilising investment in renewable and transitional energy systems.
Digital Transformation & Technology
Unlocking growth in fintech, AI and digital infrastructure to drive productivity, inclusion, and the next phase of Africa’s economic transformation.
The Africa Debate 2026 offers a unique platform for high-level dialogue, deal-making, and strategic engagement. Attendees will gain actionable insights from leading policymakers, investors and business leaders shaping Africa’s economic future, while building strategic partnerships that define the continent’s next growth phase.
Registration is now open (http://apo-opa.co/46b19gj).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Invest Africa.
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