Across Africa, technology is increasingly moving beyond the idea of simply connecting people to becoming a practical tool for solving some of the continent’s most persistent business challenges. From logistics and manufacturing to procurement, construction and entrepreneurship, a new generation of African technology builders is focusing on one central question: How can technology make businesses work better?
In Zambia, software engineer and entrepreneur Euphemia Chikungulu is part of this growing movement. Through software development, entrepreneurship, technology conversations and advocacy for women in STEM, Chikungulu is building a career around a simple philosophy: technology should not exist merely because it can be built; it should exist because it solves a real problem.
Her work sits at the intersection of technology, business and community building, with initiatives designed to support both established enterprises and emerging innovators.
One of her most notable ventures is Flowcheck, a workflow management platform designed to help businesses streamline and automate how work moves through their organisations.
The platform targets industries where processes can be complex and where delays, poor documentation and fragmented communication can have significant financial consequences. These include transport, logistics, supply chain, procurement, mining, manufacturing and construction.
Flowcheck allows businesses to document different stages of their operations and customise workflows according to how their organisations actually function. Rather than forcing companies to completely change their systems to fit a piece of software, the platform is designed around the idea that technology should adapt to the needs of the business.
That approach reflects a broader challenge facing African businesses. While digital transformation is frequently discussed at the policy and corporate level, many businesses still rely on manual processes that make it difficult to track work, identify bottlenecks, maintain records and coordinate teams.
For Chikungulu, addressing such gaps represents an opportunity for technology to deliver tangible economic value.
Chikungulu’s technology journey extends beyond developing products.
She is also the founder of Founders Build, a podcast platform and network created to facilitate conversations around technology, entrepreneurship, startups and the realities of building products.
Through Founders Build, she engages developers, entrepreneurs, builders and other change makers who are working on solutions across different sectors.
The platform provides a space for conversations that are often missing from conventional technology narratives, what it actually takes to build a product, the challenges entrepreneurs encounter, lessons from failure, industry trends and the experiences of people developing businesses in African markets.
That emphasis on conversation is significant because Africa’s technology ecosystem is expanding rapidly but many emerging builders still operate without access to the networks, mentorship and practical knowledge that can help transform an idea into a sustainable product.
By creating a platform where builders can share their experiences, Chikungulu is contributing to an ecosystem in which knowledge itself becomes a resource.
Chikungulu’s experience also demonstrates the growing importance of African developers building solutions for African operational realities.
Businesses in sectors such as logistics, construction, manufacturing and mining often operate across multiple locations, teams and stages of production. The complexity of these operations creates opportunities for software to improve efficiency, visibility and accountability.
The challenge, however, is ensuring that technology responds to the realities of businesses rather than simply importing models developed elsewhere.
Flowcheck’s focus on customisable workflows reflects this need. Businesses can document their own processes and configure them around their operations, potentially allowing technology to become part of existing systems rather than an additional layer of complexity.
This is particularly relevant for growing African enterprises seeking to digitise while managing limited resources.
Beyond entrepreneurship and software, Chikungulu has become an advocate for greater participation of women in technology and STEM.
Her journey has placed her in spaces where women continue to be underrepresented, from software engineering to technology leadership and entrepreneurship.
In 2024, Microsoft Surface featured her as part of its International Women’s Day recognition, highlighting her work in coding, renewable energy advocacy and efforts to encourage others to challenge barriers.
For Chikungulu, representation is not simply about placing more women in technology careers. It is also about creating networks and environments where women can build, lead, innovate and support one another.
Her support for women’s networks and STEM initiatives reflects the argument that Africa cannot fully benefit from its technology potential while large sections of its population remain excluded from opportunities to participate in building that future.
Her experience in technology has also extended into the logistics and financial technology space.
Chikungulu participated in HiPipo’s #40Days40FinTechs Zambia and Malawi edition while serving as Chief Technology Lead at Nyamula Logistics.
At Nyamula, she was involved in a platform designed to connect cargo owners with reliable transporters while integrating digital payments into the logistics process.
The intersection of logistics and digital finance is particularly important in African markets, where the movement of goods often involves multiple actors, fragmented systems and payment challenges.
By connecting transport services with digital payments, technology can potentially improve not only efficiency but also trust and transparency between businesses and service providers.
Her experience illustrates how software engineering can move beyond writing code to directly influence how industries operate.
What makes Chikungulu’s work particularly relevant is the breadth of her approach.
She is simultaneously building software, creating platforms for entrepreneurial conversations, advocating for women in technology and supporting the development of digital solutions for industries that form the backbone of African economies.
Her work reflects a wider transformation taking place across the continent. African technology is increasingly being built not only for consumers but also for businesses, governments, supply chains and industrial sectors.
The next phase of Africa’s digital transformation may therefore depend less on how many applications are created and more on whether those applications solve meaningful problems, improve productivity and create economic opportunities.
Chikungulu’s work embodies that philosophy.
Through Flowcheck, she is tackling operational inefficiencies. Through Founders Build, she is helping create a community around entrepreneurship and technology. Through her advocacy, she is encouraging more women and young builders to participate in STEM and innovation.
Her ultimate ambition is straightforward: help businesses operate more efficiently while giving more people, particularly women and emerging builders, the tools, networks and confidence to create products that matter.
In an African technology ecosystem increasingly defined by homegrown innovation that may be one of the most important shifts of all moving from building technology for technology’s sake to building technology that creates measurable value.
And for Chikungulu, the journey appears to be only beginning.
