We had the good fortune of connecting with Guy Kamgaing and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Guy, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have been working with African Telcos for 20 years. I understood the market, our users and partners noting that there was a real need and desire for affordable entertainment content where StarNews Mobile could be the solution. While the African mobile market is now one of the fastest growing in the world, a large majority of African consumers do not have access to relevant video content due to costly mobile data plans and a lack in services tailored to local markets. Additionally, a lot of services are not paying creators or the other platforms consume so much data that they aren’t suitable nor do their revenue models cater to the marketplace. I was able to leverage my experience within the local African mobile telecom industry in order to establish strong partnerships with MTN, Orange and Moov, whom we have deals with, to bring StarNews Mobile to life. It was necessary to highlight local African celebrities’ rich and original content and allow its players to monetize their fan-bases which has been particularly challenging during the pandemic. With StarNews Mobile, we are able to fill the gap of income generation for content producers in Africa. Thanks to our strong partnerships with mobile operators, we were able to penetrate the market and test our product with little to no marketing effort. We knew that the competition was present and worked to create a different product, innovative, and accessibility to everyone.

What should our readers know about StarNews Mobile?
StarNews Mobile is a network of mobile video channels that allows celebrities and brands to monetize their fan bases in Africa, the world’s fastest growing mobile market. StarNews works with popular local and international celebrities in South Africa and The Ivory Coast to create exclusive and addictive short videos that fans are eager to pay for. Due to our strong distribution and marketing partnerships with pan-African mobile operators, relationship with local African artists, and seamless monetization offering through micro-payments,  StarNews has built a service that excels in its simplicity, affordability and content appeal. StarNews successfully closed a $1.8M pre-A round with Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), the most prestigious pan-African fund and Santa Monica based accelerator Expert Dojo. StarNews also landed deals with Sony Entertainment and Universal. Recently, StarNews Mobile joined the Snap Inc.’s Yellow Accelerator.
Like any startup, StarNews experienced growing pains primarily with funding a startup geared toward the African market due to the perception of little return; staffing and developing local talent; as well as creating awareness of StarNews’ platform for underrepresented mobile users.
I’ve learned several lessons, both personal and with business, during my journey to build StarNews. Personally, I’ve learned that I am resilient in my belief and fight to invest in the future of the African tech and mobile market. With business, I’ve learned the nuances and intricacies of direct to consumer marketing; the importance of staying highly tech driven; and that data drives impactful decision making. I am proud of our amazing teams, both global and local, who are dedicated to each of the countries in which StarNews is present. Our main challenge today is continuing to raise the bar for our users by entertaining them with a great platform that’s affordable and offers great quality content. StarNews started collaborating with local and international African celebrities such as Fally Ipupa, Serge Beynaud, Lady Ponce and Davido and we have been focusing on the development of new content since 2019. Today, StarNews is available in the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo and South Africa and will be launching in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and other countries. We will be announcing significant company updates and expansion over the next six months.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, due to COVID-19 restrictions, outings have been very limited particularly in Los Angeles; however, I have been able to entertain a few close friends and family at home and treat them to a traditional Cameroon meal prepared by my beautiful and talented wife, Solange. Fast forward to a time without COVID, I would stop at Berri’s Pizza for a signature slice, check out Leimert park, head to Santa Monica Beach Pier to experience one of California’s golden sunsets, and end up on Hollywood Blvd. to seal the LA experience!The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents who encouraged me to come to American and chase my dreams and my wife and kids who have helped me make them come true. I truly appreciate their support throughout the journey!

Website: https://www.starnewsmobile.com/

Instagram: @Starnews_Mobile

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekouamxl/

Twitter: @guy_kamgaing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarNewsMobileSA/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw-MWCM7bCWYRzLN1uP3CQw

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.