THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), in partnership with Nyima’s Bantaba Media Platform, is spotlighting changemakers who are transforming narratives and reshaping Africa’s future. As part of a series of interview publications (VOD & Podcast), Nyima’s Bantaba Media Platform profiles four innovators across East and Southern Africa who are not only talking about change but building it from the ground up.
In this edition, Nyima Jadama spotlights Itu Mamasedi, founder of Eyam Skincare & Wellness SA.
Across Africa, a quiet revolution is underway — led by innovators who are merging technology with creativity to shape Africa’s digital future.
Mamasedi is among Africa’s new generation of changemakers using artificial intelligence (AI) to redefine beauty, health and self-care for the African market. His journey reveals how technology, creativity and purpose can come together to build inclusive innovation that truly reflects Africa.
“Don’t fall in love with your solution. Fall in love with the problem.” — Itu Mamasedi
Innovative tools like AI are dominating African markets, but few entrepreneurs are integrating them into personal wellness quite like Itu Mamasedi. Through his company Eyam Skincare & Wellness, Mamasedi is developing a skin analysis AI tool tailored for African skin tones — an underserved area in global skincare innovation.
“Eyam,” a Zulu word meaning ‘it is mine,’ embodies personal ownership and empowerment. “We wanted to create clean, personalized skincare that truly represents Africans,” he explains.
Through early trials, Eyam discovered that beyond skincare, there’s an opportunity to bridge into healthcare — empowering consumers to understand their skin and overall health more deeply.
From Music to Tech to Wellness: A Story of Reinvention
Mamasedi’s entrepreneurial journey is far from typical. He began in the music and entertainment industry, inspired by platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, before venturing into tech. His first startup, a music-streaming platform called Streamundo, taught him critical lessons about innovation and failure.
“As founders, we must know when to move on. You don’t fail when you get it wrong — you fail when you stop trying.”
His resilience now fuels Eyam’s success. For Mamasedi, failure is part of innovation — an essential step toward solving Africa’s most unique challenges.
Building Inclusive Technology for Africa
Eyam’s AI work confronts a global bias: the lack of data for black and brown skin tones.
“Most datasets used to train large language models exclude darker skin. That’s a major problem,” Mamasedi says. “Inclusivity isn’t just our business goal — it’s at the heart of what we do.”
By working with research institutions to source diverse skin data, Eyam ensures its technology represents the real people it serves. In advertising, too, the brand features ordinary African women instead of idealized, photoshopped imagery — pushing back against the exclusionary standards of global beauty marketing.
Ethics, Data and Trust in AI
Mamasedi highlights both the promise and pitfalls of AI in Africa:
“AI models are only as good as the data they’re trained on. If your data set isn’t diverse, your results won’t be either.”
This is especially true for underrepresented African languages and dialects — from isi Zulu to Kiswahili — that rarely appear in AI training datasets. Eyam is committed to ensuring both data quality and data privacy, with human-centered accuracy as a non-negotiable.
Africa’s Rising Tech Identity
Mamasedi believes that Africa’s tech scene is shifting from consumer to creator.
“African entrepreneurs are resourceful and capable. With the right tools and patient investment, we can compete globally.”
He calls for greater international collaboration — not through aid, but through partnership and trade. Programs that provide technical skills and cloud infrastructure (rather than just funding) are already helping startups like Eyam thrive.
Redefining the Narrative
Through platforms like The Unfiltered Podcast, Mamasedi and other innovators are reclaiming Africa’s story.
“The world is no longer telling Africa’s story — we are. African entrepreneurs are owning their narrative and showing how we’re building real solutions from the ground up.”
The “New Image of Africa” campaign embodies this spirit — amplifying the voices of founders who are changing perceptions of Africa as a hub of innovation, creativity, and resilience.
Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
“Start. Don’t be precious with ideas — be urgent on execution. Version one is never perfect, but you’ll never reach version two if you don’t start.”
Eyam is already expanding into Namibia and Botswana, with eyes on the broader African market. For Mamasedi, the goal is simple yet transformative: create authentic African solutions using African innovation.
Watch the interview on Youtube HERE
For more information about the project and the broadcast publication, visit: https://www.freiheit.org/de/subsahara-afrika/focus/ein-neues-bild-von-afrika
