Capital City Times
Tiisetso Maloma, author of ten books and one of South Africa’s longest-running entrepreneurship bloggers, is reshaping Africa’s creative and publishing landscape with a bold new vision: a Venture Studio Fund dedicated to intellectual property (IP), publishing, and adjacent industries across the continent.
With a career spanning over 15 years, Tiisetso has built a reputation as a thought leader in innovation, economics, and entrepreneurship. His frameworks, such as the EBC Business Model, the Human Greed Pyramid, and the concept of Ubuntu Stoicism, have influenced startups, corporates, and policymakers alike.
Today, as a Venture Capital Fellow at VC Lab’s Venture Institute, Tiisetso is leading the charge in creating scalable publishing models that integrate technology, film adaptability, and IP licensing. His portfolio already includes a catalogue of over 1,000 manuscripts with potential for film and digital adaptation, distributed across Southern Africa through his company Bula Buka Distributors.
“A venture studio approach — backed by IP, publishing infrastructure, and technology — unlocks long-term evergreen value across Africa’s creative economy,” Maloma says.
Beyond publishing, his career reflects extraordinary versatility:
Led and contributed to the creation of 100+ products across publishing, fashion, beverages, education, music tech, and events.
Collaborated with international institutions such as the Obama Foundation, Standard Bank, Sappi, Wits Business School, and ABSA.
Delivered coaching and strategy to entrepreneurs through Standard Bank, Innovation Hub, and Technoserve.
As the Founder of Startup Picnic and one of South Africa’s longest-running entrepreneurship blogs (15+ years), Tiisetso has become a trusted voice for young entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of innovation and markets in emerging economies.
Now, with his Booktech-focused Venture Studio Fund, Tiisetso aims to position Africa not only as a consumer of global creative industries but as a leading producer of IP with global influence.
About Tiisetso Maloma
Tiisetso is an author, entrepreneur, and venture fellow based in South Africa. He has published ten books, created economic and innovation frameworks, and is raising a Venture Studio Fund to scale publishing and IP-based businesses across Africa.
