The Flip

Hosted by The Flip Media

Business TechnologyInterviews guests

Website RSS feed LinkedIn X / Twitter Instagram YouTube

Episodes

103

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

About the show

The Flip is an editorial-style podcast exploring contextually relevant insights from entrepreneurs and investors changing the status quo in Africa. The name The Flip comes from the opportunity to flip the script – question some of the pervasive narratives on entrepreneurship, challenge the ubiquity of Silicon Valley thought leadership, and champion the entrepreneurs building a future inspired by Africa. Produced and hosted by Johannesburg-based entrepreneur and American expat Justin Norman. Sayo Folawiyo is the executive producer and b-mic.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 15, 202611 min

Inside China's Used Cell Phone Market

When I was in Lagos, Nigeria, I went to an electronics market called Computer Village. All of the used cell phones there came from China. So on my recent trip to Guangzhou, China, I wanted to find the source at the other end of this global used electronics supply chain. From Guangzhou's "Little Africa", Xiaobei, to the Shengxian Dashatou Second-Hand Trade Market, we're helped along the way by a cell phone merchant in Lagos, a Nigerian mother in China, and a Senegalese trader living in Guangzhou. In my exploration of how the world does business, I’m particularly interested in something I think is really important to the global economy, but that isn’t always in focus - how China trades with emerging markets. 00:00 - Intro 00:52 - Computer Village in Lagos, Nigeria 01:49 - China's export economy 02:11 - China's Little Africa 05:11 - Thanks to Perplexity for sponsoring this episode 06:14 - History of Guangzhou and the Canton System 07:01 - The Used Cell Phone Market Our Links - 🔔 YouTube - https://youtube.com/@TheFlipHQ🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/thefliphq👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefliphq/📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/thefliphq💻 Website - https://theflip.co Credits - Host & Executive Producer - Justin Norman Executive Producer - Sayo Folawiyo Producer - Liz Peterson Local Fixer/Producer - Amy Ip Ka Man Editor - Duy Ta Supervising Editor - Le Anh Do Motion Designer - Thao Phan DOP - Richie Fowler Camera Operator - Chung Wan Kin Camera Operator - Chan Ka Wai Cinematographer - Lawrence Adejumo Camera Operator - Ayinla Muhyideen Adedayo Sound - Imole Aro Special thanks to: Mama Alhaja Toye Ousman Ademola

September 17, 202615 min

What China Taught Me About Global Trade

China's manufacturing scale has no historical precedent. $3.8 trillion in exports in 2025. A $1.2 trillion trade surplus — the largest any country has ever recorded. China is the top import partner for roughly 40% of the world's countries. China now trades 50% more with the Global South than with the US and Europe combined. But trade grew faster than the plumbing underneath it. The banks, correspondent networks, and currency markets that move money between these regions weren't built for this volume, and in many cases, barely exist at all. Which leaves Chinese exporters with a problem: how do you get paid by countries that aren't well connected to the global financial system? To answer that question, we visit the electronics markets of Shenzhen, the historical trade ports of Guangzhou, and the financial center of Hong Kong. In this episode, we're joined by Vincent Yang, Co-founder of Obita. This episode of Money Trails is presented by the Stellar Development Foundation. 00:00 - Intro01:36 - Welcome to Shenzhen02:53 - China's export economy04:45 - China's comparative advantage05:56 - How does China get paid from the Global South?07:20 - New payments infrastructure09:23 - The Canton System10:57 - Hong Kong & stablecoinsOur Links - 🔔 YouTube - https://youtube.com/@TheFlipHQ 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/thefliphq 👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefliphq/ 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/thefliphq 💻 Website - https://theflip.co Credits - Host & Executive Producer - Justin NormanExecutive Producer - Sayo FolawiyoProducer - Liz PetersonLocal Fixer/Producer - Amy Ip Ka ManEditor - Le Anh DoAssistant Editor - Le Minh DoMotion Designer - Thao PhanDOP - Richie FowlerCamera Operator - Chung Wan KinCamera Operator - Chan Ka WaiSpecial thanks toStellar Development FoundationObita

July 30, 202612 min

What Vietnam’s Gold Shops Taught Me About Money

Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. But its currency, the Dong, devalues 3-5% per year to support its export-oriented growth. When the price of gold rises, Vietnamese people queue for hours to buy more. Vietnam is fourth in global crypto adoption, with volumes around $200 billion, and the government just banned global exchanges from operating in the country. What's going on here? In this episode, we head to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to explore this gap between the headlines and the realities on the ground. In this episode of Money Trails, presented by the Stellar Development Foundation, we’re joined by Khoa Do from AlphaTrue and Basal Pay. 00:00 - Why is everyone here queuing for gold? 00:50 - Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City 01:38 - My freelancer asked to be paid in stablecoins 03:00 - Buying gold in Vietnam 03:50 - Vietnam's history of inflation 04:58 - Vietnam's economy today 06:40 - Why is crypto adoption so high? 08:35 - Vietnam's crypto regulation 09:46 - Vietnam's gold monopoly 10:26 - New use cases for stablecoins in Vietnam Our Links - 🎥 YouTube - ⁠https://youtube.com/@thefliphq⁠ 🐦 Twitter - ⁠https://twitter.com/thefliphq⁠ 👥 LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefliphq/ ⁠ 📸 Instagram - ⁠https://instagram.com/thefliphq⁠ 💻 Website - ⁠https://theflip.africa

June 2, 202612 min

How to Fund a Hospital in a Warzone

In Northwest Syria, a critical network of hospitals faces a unique challenge: how do you pay medical staff and fund healthcare when your country is completely cut off from the global financial system? Due to economic sanctions and a fractured banking infrastructure following over a decade of civil war, humanitarian organizations like the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) have struggled to safely distribute funds. Previously, hospital employees had to embark on grueling, risky journeys to the Turkish border, waiting in long lines for hours just to collect their salaries in physical cash. In this episode, we take a firsthand look at how the evolution of cross-border payments is impacting real lives on the ground. UOSSM is sending bulk payments to its employees on the blockchain, who receive their salaries in their digital wallets, and then use informal Hawala networks to off-ramp the digital dollars into cash. In this episode of Money Trails, presented by‪ Stellar Development Foundation‬ we're joined by Ibrahim Abdulhuseyin, CEO & Co-founder & CEO of DigiBank, Tori Samples, the Director of Product, Stellar, and Younes Al-Haj Saleh, from UOSSM's Financial Operations. Watch the full episode on YouTube. 00:00 - Intro 01:27 - How employees used to get paid 02:38 - Civil war and sanctions 03:47 - UOSSM's payment struggles 05:58 - Stablecoin payments 06:49 - How Digibank built Syria's cash-out network 08:38 - Bulk payments with SDP 10:30 - Aid orgs are crypto adopters Our Links - 🎥 YouTube - https://youtube.com/@thefliphq 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/thefliphq 👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefliphq/ 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/thefliphq 💻 Website - https://theflip.africa

April 30, 202614 min

Inside Africa's $16 Billion Waste Economy

Drive through cities in Africa and you’re likely to see a waste problem. In the streets, the sewage, in the waterways…540 million tons of waste goes uncollected every year across sub-Saharan Africa. It's a $16 billion opportunity. But much of the infrastructure is still missing. What would it actually take to build it at scale? In Nigeria, a company called Scrapays is paying people to collect it. In Kenya, Plas-tech is turning the same plastic into cooking gas. 00:00 - Where does your waste go? 01:25 - In Lagos, Scrapay’s Boluwatife Arewa is empowering informal waste pickers 05:44 - In Mombosa, Plas-tech’s Robin Kariuki is turning waste into cooking gas 09:13 - The multi-billion dollar opportunity in waste This episode was produced as part of our series on climate action in Africa, The Greenprint, in partnership with Catalyst Fund and FSD Africa, with the help of UK aid. Watch more episodes of The Greenprint here . Our Links - 🎥 YouTube - https://youtube.com/@thefliphq 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/thefliphq 👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefliphq/ 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/thefliphq 💻 Website - https://theflip.africa

April 1, 202615 min

I Went to Nigeria to Explore How Global Trade Really Works

In Lagos' Computer Village, Nigeria's largest electronics market, everything is imported from China. But how merchants access dollars and pay their suppliers is a challenge. Nigeria imports $20 billion from China every year, yet dollar access problems and legacy banking systems create friction for those doing global trade. So how do countries like Nigeria and China trade with each other? In this episode, we head to Lagos, Nigeria, to see it firsthand - how money moves, and how new technologies like stablecoins are facilitating global trade. In this episode of Money Trails, presented by Stellar Development Foundation. Watch the full episode on YouTube. 00:00 - Inside Computer Village 01:22 - Everything is imported from China 02:32 - The Nigerian Economy 03:56 - Importing phones with WeChat and Alipay 05:18 - No one uses the banks for FX 06:17 - Naira volatility, explained 09:10 - Informal and parallel economies 09:38 OTC Traders Fill the Gap 11:21 - Are stablecoins the future of global trade? 14:43 - Next stop: Syria Our Links - 🎥 YouTube - https://youtube.com/@thefliphq 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/thefliphq 👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefliphq/ 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/thefliphq 💻 Website - https://theflip.africa

January 29, 20269 min

Why Getting Paid Costs More in Emerging Markets

If you're a freelancer or a remote worker from the global south, you likely have a harder time getting paid and participating in the global economy. Maybe a global payments company doesn't operate in your country. Maybe they banned your account or froze your funds. Remote workers and freelancers from emerging markets often have to jump through hoops to get paid, incurring additional costs along the way. Meanwhile, more people than ever are working online, and more of these workers are coming from the developing world. Yet the global payments system is often failing the very people who rely on it the most. Are stablecoins the solution? This episode of Money Trails is presented by Stellar Development Foundation. Watch the full episode on YouTube. 00:00 - The global payments system is broken 01:34 - Freelancing and remote work payment issues 03:38 - Why does this happen? De-risking 04:29 - 1.2 billion people are reaching working age in emerging markets 05:15 - Stablecoins to the rescue? 07:09 - There is a tax on the global south 09:03 - Next episode, we head to Lagos, Nigeria Our Links - 🎥 YouTube - https://youtube.com/@thefliphq 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/thefliphq 👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefliphq/ 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/thefliphq 💻 Website - https://theflip.africa

December 2, 202511 min

I Went to Bolivia Where Businesses Survive on Stablecoins

Bolivia is facing a severe economic crisis. The country is literally running out of dollars. Their foreign reserves have collapsed from $15 billion a decade ago to just $50 million today. In June 2024, Bolivia legalized cryptocurrencies, and digital asset transaction volume exploded - growing over 500 percent in the past year. To participate in the global economy, businesses are turning to stablecoins for access to dollar assets. From Binance peer-to-peer trading to stablecoin-powered credit cards, we explore how people survive when their country runs out of dollars, and how stablecoins are being used for global spending. Watch the full episode on YouTube. 00:00 - Bolivia ran out of dollars 02:06 - Stablecoins to the rescue 03:25 - How did Bolivia get here? 04:11 - Bolivia's parallel economy 06:24 - Meru 09:55 - What happens when a country runs out of dollars Our Links - 🎥 YouTube - https://youtube.com/@thefliphq 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/thefliphq 👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefliphq/ 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/thefliphq 💻 Website - https://theflip.africa

November 4, 202516 min

Inside Argentina's $300 Billion Parallel Economy

Argentina's decades-long economic crises and hyperinflation has a major impact on how Argentine's participate in the economy. The recent story that's been told about Argentina is that people are adopting stablecoins to protect against inflation and currency devaluation. But that's only part of the story... The real story involves long-standing distrust of government and the banks, and overbearing taxes that drive Argentinians to the informal economy. While stablecoin volumes in Argentina surpass $90 billion, Argentina still has over $200 billion in cash circulating in the country, and hidden under mattresses. It's the second-largest holder of US Dollar cash, behind the US itself. In this episode of Money Trails, presented by @StellarDevelopmentFoundation , we explore why Argentines keep their money outside of the formal system, and why they are increasingly adopting stablecoins. In this episode, we’re joined by Manuel Beaudroit, the Co-founder & CEO of Belo. Watch the full episode on YouTube. 00:00 - Argentina's economic crisis 01:45 - Arbolitos on Calle Florida 02:48 - The Blue Dollar 04:01 - Distrust and taxes 07:20 - Why Argentines keep their money outside the formal economy 09:50 - Why Argentina's parallel economy still thrives 10:43 - Cuevas, Argentina's informal exchange houses 13:21 - Why Argentines are adopting stablecoins 15:43 - Subscribe! Our Links - 🎥 YouTube - https://youtube.com/@thefliphq 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/thefliphq 👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefliphq/ 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/thefliphq 💻 Website - https://theflip.africa

September 16, 202511 min

What If You Could Send Money Across Borders as Fast as a Text?

This year, $160 billion in remittance payments will be sent from the US to Latin America. $65 billion will be sent from the US to Mexico, the world's largest remittance corridor. Yet, the majority of payments will be sent via brick-and-mortar stores like Western Union or Moneygram. The future of payments is already here, yet most people are queuing in line, paying in cash, taking a photo of their receipt, and sending it to their families on WhatsApp for collection in their home country. If we can send receipts over WhatsApp, why can’t we send money too? That same question was the motivation for Félix, an AI-powered chatbot that replicates the trusted agent experience om WhatsApp. It’s a user experience made possible by stablecoins. In this episode of Money Trails, presented by Stellar Development Foundation, our user-centric series on global stablecoin adoption, we explore how immigrants send money back home. This episode of Money Trails is sponsored by Rain Cards. In this episode, we’re joined by Manuel Godoy - Co-founder & CEO, Felix Farooq Malik - Co-founder & CEO, Rain 00:00 - Intro 01:06 - Sending money in Jackson Heights 03:22 - Félix CEO Manuel Godoy 04:54 - How Félix works 06:20 - Stablecoin-powered remittance payments 08:49 - Spending money in Mexico 11:38 - Subscribe! Our Links - 🎥 YouTube - https://youtube.com/@thefliphq 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/thefliphq 👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefliphq/ 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/thefliphq 💻 Website - https://theflip.africa

Is this your show?

Claim this listing to keep it up to date, reach guests who want to pitch you, and manage bookings with Guestify.

Claim this listing

More Business podcasts

This Week in Privacy

Privacy Guides

Technology

The Bottom Line

Alexander Spencer

BusinessInterviews guests