Tiisetso Maloma is the author of 10 books and a Venture Builder at Startup Picnic Venture Studio, where he focuses on publishing and IP acquisition. He is also a Venture Capital Fellow at Venture Institute, pursuing a new trajectory in venture investing.
His writing explores themes of innovation, economics, township economies, BEE/ESD, entrepreneurship, Ubuntu Stoicism, human behavior, and ergodicity. His books include Future of Township Economies, The Anxious Entrepreneur, Introducing Ubuntu Stoicism, and Innovate the Next.
Over the years, he has collaborated with organizations such as the Obama Foundation, Standard Bank, Sappi, The Innovation Hub, and several government departments. He believes this is the easiest, cheapest, and fastest time in history to be an entrepreneur and innovator—a belief reflected in the subtitle of one of his books.
Tiisetso has delivered talks and technical lectures at institutions including Wits Business School, University of Pretoria, Johannesburg Business School, ABSA, The Business Show, and Startup Business Festival. He also served on the Entrepreneurship Academic Advisory Board at UNISA’s Department of Applied Management.
Pioneer in publishing
Over the past decade, he has contributed to the creation of over 100 products in publishing, fashion, beverages, education, music tech, and events. He also pioneered the “diary chronicle” fiction genre through Bula Buka Publishers, publishing titles like Diary of a Zulu Girl and Diary of a Cheating Wife.
Books
Tiisetso’s books offer mental models and practical frameworks on entrepreneurship, innovation, and systems thinking. His book list consist of:
- Forget the Business Plan Use This Short Model
- Innovate the Next
- The Anxious Entrepreneur
- Understanding the 4th Industrial Revolution & Innovation Easily
- Future of Township Economies
- Township Biz Fastrack
- Tales of an African Entrepreneur
- Introducing Ubuntu Stoicism
- 90 Days to Create & Launch
- Innovate Like Elon Musk
Topics
As a speaker, Tiisetso is known for his ability to connect big ideas with practical, real-world tools. He regularly speaks on topics such as:
- The Future of Township Economies (book)
- Why it’s the easiest, cheapest, and quickest time to be an entrepreneur and innovator
- How AI will help Africa produce books into films easily
- The Anxious Entrepreneur: mental models for creators and founders
- Philosophy: Ubuntu Stoicism
- History and evolution of money (Money is Biological book)
- Policy and education interventions to grow Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem
- Venture growth models fit for African realities
- Understanding innovation through complex systems thinking
Developed Models and Frameworks:
He has developed various business models and frameworks, including The EBC Business Model, The Human Greed Pyramid, and Product Adjacent Possible Success Factors.
In the Media:
Maloma has been featured in a wide range of South African and international media platforms, including CNBC Africa, HuffPost, Metro FM, SABC Morning Live, Power FM, Destiny Man, Bella Naija, Under30CEO, Startup Grind, Ventureburn, What is Innovation, and Bizcommunity.
Background as a Product Developer:
In the last decade, Tiisetso Maloma has contributed to the creation of over 100 products across publishing, fashion, beverages, liquor, education, music technology, and events. Some of the brands he has worked on include I am Kool Kid Clothing, Gabble Heights Clothing, Rural Joss Clothing, and Malombo VS. His entrepreneurial ventures include Bula Buka Publishers, Atimeme, Startup Picnic, Ekhaya Moji, and Startup Picnic Academy.
Blog
Tiisetso Maloma’s blog, www.tiisetsomaloma.co.za, has been running for over 15 years, making it one of the oldest blogs dedicated to entrepreneurship, creativity, economics, and innovation. Occasionally, Maloma takes detours to explore topics like music and comedy, adding a unique flair to his content.
Media Images:
Please visit www.tiisetsomaloma.co.za/about
