The Samuele Tini Show - where business, innovation, and sustainability converge

Contested Conservation: What People Really Think | Special Episode 7 ORC 2025

Special Episode — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025.The global conservation debate is loud — but often poorly informed about what people who live with wildlife actually think. In this revealing episode, researchers Dr. Darragh Hare (Oxford) and Dr. Lovemore Sibanda share evidence from multi-country surveys exploring views on militarised conservation, ranger powers, trophy hunting, wildlife crime penalties, and protected area governance.
What they found is both nuanced and surprising:• Communities living near wildlife aren’t always opposed to ranger enforcement• Support varies dramatically depending on governance models• Magadi (Kenya) stands out as a case where community scouts foster high acceptance• Assumptions from global media often misrepresent local realities• Sustainable conservation must factor in perspectives of those most affected
A crucial episode for anyone designing policy, funding projects or shaping the future of African conservation.

Human-Centred Conservation: Redefining Our Relationship with Nature | Special Episode 6 ORC 2025

pecial Episode — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025.How do we build conservation models that work for both people and nature?In this eye-opening conversation, Lessah Mandoloma (Oxford) and Katie Mackenzie (Jamma Conservation & Communities) unpack the principles of human-centred conservation—a framework that challenges siloed thinking, brings communities into decision-making, and addresses the real trade-offs that shape conservation outcomes.
They explore:• Why conservation must start with honest conversations about power, rights, and benefits• How to break silos between health, climate, food systems and biodiversity• Why communities must be treated as partners, not passive beneficiaries• The importance of co-defining goals and returning research findings to communities
A hopeful and practical roadmap for conservation that recognises humanity as part of nature—not outside of it.

Stop Chasing Sexy Startups: Why Boring Businesses Win in Africa

Stop Chasing Sexy Startups: Why Boring Businesses Win in Africa
Fifteen years ago, Kyle Schutter had a choice: get a PhD in biofuels or move to Africa and start a biofuel company. He chose the second option — and landed in Kenya after what he calls the “blue cheese test”: if a country could produce local blue cheese, it probably had enough cold chain, middle class and basic infrastructure to build serious businesses. 
His first venture, a biogas company selling to low-income farmers, raised money and revenue… but never made a profit. His second, a Thai restaurant in Nairobi buying from poor farmers and selling to rich Nairobians, was profitable from month one. That contrast led him to a simple conclusion: a good entrepreneur in a bad business will still lose. 
 
Today Kyle runs Kuzana, an investment and acceleration platform that backs what he proudly calls “boring and profitable businesses” — soybean aggregators, agri-SMEs, and other non-flashy companies that feed the economy and can grow without burning cash. Kuzana offers small, fast capital (starting around $20k), plus a 12-week programme focused on focus, professionalisation and community. On average, companies in the programme 2x their revenue and gross profit in just 12 weeks. 
We talk about why tech in Africa is often overbought, why SMEs face 100% interest locally while the same trade can be financed at 10% in Europe, and what it takes to mint 1,000 millionaires from “boring” businesses. Along the way, Kyle shares concrete stories — like Greenwells, a soybean aggregator that 4x’d in seven months and produced Kuzana’s first on-paper millionaire.
If you care about where real, scalable wealth in Africa will come from, this episode is a sharp, honest reality check.

Evidence Over Emotion: How Dehorning Reduces Rhino Poaching | Special ORC 2025 Episode 5

Special Episode — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025.In South Africa’s fight against rhino poaching, data—not emotion—drives progress.Conservation researchers Dr. Timothy Kuiper and Lucy Chimes share the results of their multi-reserve study on what actually reduces poaching. From aerial patrols, drones, and canine units to the controversial dehorning strategy, they discuss what works, what doesn’t, and why context matters. The evidence shows dehorning can significantly reduce poaching—but only when combined with strong security, community partnerships, and demand-side solutions.A rigorous, evidence-based look at how science is shaping the next chapter of rhino conservation.

The Business of the Wild: Evidence That Conservation Can Pay ! Special ORC 2025 Episode 4

Special Episode — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025.What does it really take to make wildlife land use financially sustainable?Veterinarian and impact-investing specialist Dr. Susan De Witt explores the economics behind conservation, from private conservancies to community lands. She explains how revenue models (photographic tourism, hunting, live sales, and wildlife meat) interact with property rights, wildlife user rights, and access to finance. We unpack the successes of Namibia’s community conservancies, lessons from South Africa’s private sector, and what it will take to channel capital toward conservation that pays people fairly and protects ecosystems.

A Talent Safari: How Startups Hire

Join Samuele tini as he walks listeners into the heart of the Silicon Savannah, tracing a personal journey from London to Nairobi with Ben Hyman, CEO of Talent Safari. Through candid storytelling, Ben reveals the messy, human side of hiring in fast-moving startups — the missed connections, the rare self-starters, and the small bets that turn interns into founders.
Along the way, they untangle practical strategies for founders hunting their first hires, hard-won advice for young talent breaking in, and a clear-eyed look at how AI will reshape recruitment without replacing the human spark. This episode is a roadmap for anyone eager to build or join the teams shaping Africa’s tech future.

The Green Dilemma: Energy Transition and Wildlife in South Africa | Special ORC 2025 Episode 3

Special Episode 3 — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025.South Africa needs more clean energy and raptors need safe skies. Raptor biologist Merlyn Nomusa Nkomo lays out practical ways to make wind farms wildlife‑smart without stalling the transition. We cover how risk mapping keeps turbines out of migration corridors, why blade painting and shutdown‑on‑demand (triggered by radar or trained observers) can cut collisions, and how developers, scientists, and regulators share data to avoid hotspots. It’s a fast, pragmatic conversation about building the grid while protecting endangered species. 

Parks Beyond Parks : Why Amboseli Works for People & Wildlife | Special ORC 2025 Episode 2

Special Episode 2 — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025.In Kenya’s Amboseli ecosystem, people and wildlife have shared space for millennia. Conservation leader Dr. David Western explains how that coexistence works today: mirrored migrations between herds and wildlife, community scouts complementing state rangers, and “parks beyond parks” where tourism outside gates pays landowners to keep habitat open. We dig into restoring mobility to heal degraded grasslands, using early‑warning systems so pastoralists can off‑load or move livestock ahead of drought, and building local institutions that align incentives. It’s a clear blueprint for scaling coexistence across Africa’s rangelands, practical, proven, and community‑led.

Walking with Gorillas: A One Health Story | Special ORC 2025 Conference Episode 1

Special Episode 1  — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025.A scabies outbreak among mountain gorillas sparked a new way of working.  Dr. Gladys Kalema‑Zikusoka tells the origin of Conservation Through Public Health and how a One Health approach links gorilla protection, community healthcare, and livelihoods. We discussed  Village Health & Conservation Teams, why tourist masking remains standard to protect great apes, and Gorilla Conservation Coffee, which pays farmers a premium and funds local programs.  And her story as a leading conservationist in Uganda and worldwide. 

Queuing for Clean Air: Inside Basigo's Electric Bus Revolution

Electric buses are not a pilot anymore. As Dorcus Wanjiru Kamotho explains, BasiGo already has ~100 e‑buses on the road across Kenya and Rwanda, with hundreds more reserved. The unlock: a Pay‑As‑You‑Drive model—lower deposit plus per‑km fee that covers charging and service—paired with night‑time charging on Kenya’s largely renewable grid. We dive into local assembly with KVM (Thika), the new King Long platform to scale production, and how service capability (incl. CATL battery partnership) improves uptime. We also cover policy, open charging, and why passengers in Nairobi literally wait for the e‑bus even when a diesel bus arrives first. A practical blueprint for taking EV transit from proof to scale.