Combining a passion for music and innovation with extensive production expertise, he is a dedicated contributor to the African music industry. Through Baziks, he actively structures and shapes the Congolese music landscape.

Baya Ciamala, a Congolese entrepreneur, radio host, and producer, is the founder and president of Baziks, a music streaming application dedicated to Congolese and African music.

Baziks, initially conceived as a brand and blog in 2016 and officially registered in 2019, swiftly evolved into a startup with a clear mission. Its goal is to provide independent artists with a platform to share and directly monetize their work, circumventing traditional music industry channels. The platform aims to empower African musicians and creators to distribute and sell their digital works directly to both local and international audiences.

Baziks offers a streaming solution entirely focused on Central African music, with particular emphasis on Congolese creativity. The platform seeks to boost the visibility of African music while protecting artists against piracy, leveraging locally developed technology. This model also aims to structure the music ecosystem in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by improving music access and ensuring fair compensation for creators.

The platform allows artists to manage their content, choose between streaming or direct downloads, and connect with their audience without intermediaries. This direct-to-fan model is built on the principle that artists should retain a significant share of the revenue generated by their work.

Each year, Baziks organizes the Baziks Digital Music Conference, an event that convenes industry experts, artists, producers, and institutional partners to strengthen ties within the music industry. In addition to this conference, the startup supports the local scene through concerts and cultural events. It also offers editorial content, crowdfunding campaigns, and digital ticketing services.

Baya Ciamala holds a degree in radio production, obtained in 2002 from the Congolese Institute of Audiovisual Media. He also earned a diploma in artistic management and project development in 2007 from the AMI Centre for the Development of Contemporary Music in France.

His professional career began in 1999 at Raga Media Sprl in Kinshasa, DRC, where he worked as a radio and TV host and producer. In 2006, he became head of the media’s radio department. From January 2011 to June 2025, he served as a public information assistant at the United Nations Mission in Congo.

Thanks to his startup Baziks, Baya Ciamala has received multiple accolades. He was the winner of the Digital Lab Africa Online Music Prize in 2016, the 1000 Entrepreneurs Prize at the Africa–France Summit in 2020, and the Orange Social Entrepreneur Award (POESAM) in DRC in 2021.

Melchior Koba

Ronny Kitio, a Cameroonian computer scientist, is using tech to shake up the African music industry. He created Colorfol, a digital platform that serves as a home for music, videos, and podcasts from Francophone Africa.

Kitio, who graduated in fundamental computer science from the University of Yaoundé 1, founded Colorfol in 2019. He launched it to respond to the specific needs of artists and fans in the region. The platform allows users to discover, stream, and legally buy African music, while giving independent artists visibility and fair income.

“Our goal is to create a user-friendly platform that responds to the specific needs of our markets in Francophone Africa,” Kitio said in 2024. “We want to encourage fans to buy music directly from the artists, thus offering instant monetization for them. We are committed to ensuring fair compensation by allocating 70% of revenues to the artists.”

Colorfol doesn’t stop at music. The platform also features video content, podcasts, and digital ticketing for concerts, showcases, and other cultural events. This positions Colorfol as a full-service hub for both fans and professionals in the African music ecosystem.

Before launching Colorfol, Kitio founded ColorTechnology in 2017, a tech company where he worked as CEO, analyst, and developer. He started his career in 2011 at EMEKA Distribution in Cameroon as a maintenance technician. In 2014, he joined Camtel as a network technician, then moved to Orca Cameroon in 2015 as IT manager.

Kitio’s innovation has earned international recognition. In 2019, he won a spot in the AYADALAB program organized by the French and Goethe Institutes. That same year, he was a finalist in the African Application Launchpad competition. In 2020, he won Best Francophone African Startup from the International Organisation of La Francophonie. In 2021, the French Institute awarded him the IFC Innovation Label.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• Program recovered 43.5 tons of devices for repair, reuse, or recycling

• 28.5% of Orange's annual phone sales in the region were collected

• Initiative supports affordable access to tech and reduces e-waste footprint

In 2024, Orange Middle East and Africa ramped up its circular economy efforts by collecting 284,000 used mobile phones, equal to 28.5% of its annual phone sales in the region. The data comes from the company’s 2024 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, which outlines its push to reduce environmental impact while improving digital access.

Titled "Cultivating Impact", the report highlights the achievements of Orange’s “Re” program, which collected 43.5 tons of electronic waste for refurbishment or recycling.

The initiative was active in five countries, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Egypt, and Jordan, and is built on four pillars: collection, repair, refurbishment, and recycling. In West Africa, Orange partners with Ateliers du Bocage, a French social enterprise that specializes in managing used electronics. In Egypt and Jordan, the process is fully managed through the "Re" program.

Phones in working condition are restored and sold at lower prices. In Egypt, more than 10% of devices sold by Orange in 2024 were refurbished units. The program also operates in Senegal and Morocco, where demand for affordable refurbished devices is rising fast. Irreparable phones are dismantled, and components are processed through certified recycling channels following environmental standards.

The circular model also applies to internet boxes. In 2024, Orange collected 172,000 boxes, of which 115,000 were refurbished. This helped avoid 2,800 tons of CO₂ emissions, which Orange says equals the emissions from 150 car trips around the African continent.

Orange has also launched public awareness campaigns and expanded its network of collection points — especially in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, and Jordan — to encourage more returns. The goal is twofold: to cut down on electronic waste and make digital devices more affordable in a region where access remains below the global average.

According to the GSMA, a basic smartphone costs about 18% of monthly income in low- and middle-income countries, rising to 39% for the poorest 40%, and up to 51% for the bottom 20%.

Through these efforts, Orange aims to establish itself as a leader in circular economy practices within the telecom industry, combining innovation, environmental responsibility, and digital inclusion. The “Re” program, part of its core CSR strategy, is expected to expand to more of Orange’s subsidiaries in Africa and the Middle East in the coming years.