Innovation & Technology in Africa – Yvonne E. Gamble on Solving African Challenges
“He had made the world for me,” recalls Yvonne E. Gamble, CEO of SanPete Financial Group, of a defining moment with her grandfather. “And that all I had to do was want it. Anything in the world that I wanted would be mine and could be mine.” This profound belief, instilled in her as a child, became the foundation for a life of limitless ambition, from the blueberry farms of Michigan to the frontiers of venture capital and space technology.
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It’s a mindset of abundance and ownership that she argues is the key to unlocking the future of the African continent.
See the full podcast episode with Yvonne E. Gamble
In a powerful episode of The Obehi Podcast, host Obehi Ewanfoh sat down with Yvonne E. Gamble to discuss innovation, finance, and the urgent need for a psychological and economic awakening across Africa and its diaspora.
Yvonne, a futurist with roots in Morocco and over 40 years of business experience, delivered a masterclass on how the stories we tell ourselves shape our reality. For entrepreneurs of African descent looking to build a meaningful life and legacy, her message is clear: to build the future, you must first own your story and understand the true value of your heritage.
The Mindset of Wealth: Beyond Money
For many, finance is a daunting world of numbers, markets, and capital. But for Yvonne, it’s something far more fundamental. “It’s not just about money,” she explains. “It is also about the mind.
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It’s about the mindset.” She believes finance touches every aspect of our lives, from birth to death, and learning to manage it is a form of self-mastery. The goal isn’t to let finances use you, but for you to use finances.
To illustrate this, she offers a simple yet profound analogy. “Let’s take it from a very simplistic standpoint: the body. We breathe in air… your body then regulates how much actually goes in.” Finances, she argues, work the same way. It doesn’t matter if you have a few dollars or billions.
The mechanism of intake, regulation, and use is what determines your well-being. True wealth isn’t about accumulation; it’s about understanding how to use resources effectively to live well. “It doesn’t matter how much they have,” she says. “What matters is that they exist and they exist well.”
This perspective is crucial for the diaspora community, where the conversation around finance is often centered on lack rather than abundance. By shifting the focus from chasing money to cultivating a mindset of effective resource management, we begin to see the world not as a place of scarcity, but as one of boundless opportunity, a lesson Yvonne learned from her grandfather years ago.
The Paradox of a Self-Sufficient Continent
Yvonne makes a startling and powerful declaration that should echo in the halls of power and the streets of every city from Lagos to London: “The African continent itself… is the only continent on the face of this earth that is totally and 100 percent self-sufficient.”
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This isn’t hyperbole; it’s a fact based on natural resources. Africa, she points out, does not need to import anything to sustain itself. Yet, the reality on the ground appears starkly different, with African nations importing everything from food to electronics.
This disconnect, she argues, is the result of an “artificial demand” created by centuries of colonial influence and a narrative that convinces Africans what they have isn’t good enough.
She uses a brilliant example to expose this psychological manipulation. “When you think of chocolate, what does your mind automatically think of? Swiss chocolate.” The irony, she reveals, is devastating. “There is no chocolate tree, plant, anywhere… to grow it in Switzerland. None.
The climate is too cold.” The raw material comes from Africa, yet Switzerland has branded itself the world’s chocolate capital, reaping the rewards while the source remains undervalued.
The same story applies to the technologies driving the modern world. “One of the biggest needs that we have is for those lithium-ion batteries,” Yvonne states. “We need that lithium so that we can electrify the world. Well, guess where it is? Africa.”
From plutonium and uranium to the foundational resources of global industry, Africa holds the keys. The problem has never been a lack of resources, but a lack of belief in their value and a failure to own the story of that value. The journey from roots to relevance begins with recognizing that the roots themselves are the source of all relevance.
The Pied Piper’s Song: Breaking Free from Deception
If Africa is so rich, why does it suffer? Obehi poses this critical question, and Yvonne answers with a chillingly accurate parable: the Pied Piper. The story, she explains, is not just a children’s nursery rhyme but a perfect metaphor for colonization. “A conqueror does not say, ‘I’m coming here to conquer you.’ They say, ‘I’m coming here in the name of peace. We’re going to play this song for you.'”
This “song” is the promise of a better life elsewhere, the lure of foreign currency, and the subtle message that salvation lies outside one’s own borders. It puts people into a trance, leading them to abandon their own riches in pursuit of a mirage.
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The colonizers, she warns, “are coming in with a happy face and… with money, and you’re thinking that that is helping you. But look around. Are you being slowly moved out of your own homes?”
This is where the role of the African diaspora becomes critical. Having lived outside the “eye of the storm,” those in the diaspora can see the full picture. They have experienced firsthand that the “better life” often comes with its own challenges, including systemic racism and a loss of identity.
Their experience provides them with a unique perspective and a responsibility to sound the horn. “You have to speak up and speak out and do not be afraid to tell your story,” Yvonne urges. “To tell the truth.”
This is the essence of Obehi Ewanfoh’s Story to Asset Framework, which teaches entrepreneurs how to transform their personal and cultural narratives into powerful marketing assets. The diaspora’s story is an invaluable asset in the fight to awaken the continent.
A Call to Action: The 10-Year Plan for a New Narrative
Words without action are fleeting. Yvonne doesn’t just diagnose the problem; she provides a prescription. “Make it your business,” she declares, proposing a 10-year plan for storytellers of the African diaspora. “Align with others… we’re going to start telling these stories and just flood the market.”
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She compares this strategy to how the Jewish community has relentlessly told the story of the Holocaust, ensuring the world never forgets. Through podcasts, films, and social media, the global majority can and must reclaim its narrative. “We are the pebble droppers,” Yvonne says, describing herself and others like Obehi. “I drop that pebble on the ocean that becomes a tsunami on distant shores.”
Her own 10-year goal is a testament to this philosophy. She plans to build STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and space centers at 146 church planting sites across 30 different African countries. Her goal is not just to bring information but to empower.
“I’m a master trainer,” she says. “What I do is I train others to train… I want you to own it so that you can then turn around and teach it.”
This vision of empowerment, connection, and collaboration is the ultimate path forward. It is a call to stop waiting for saviors and to become the architects of our own future. The sleeping giant of Africa must wake up. It starts by recognizing the wealth beneath our feet and finding the courage to tell the world, “This is mine.”
To dive deeper into transformative conversations like this one, explore over 1,000 interviews on The Obehi Podcast and discover a wealth of knowledge from entrepreneurs and professionals at AClasses Media.
