How Alex Chappatte Built African Originals From Scratch

Everyone knows Kenya Originals (KO). Far fewer know the business that made it possible. Before KO became one of Kenya's most recognizable cider brands, it started with just $20,000, a few shipping containers, and a founder trying to build something the market didn't believe was possible. In this Business Edition of Financially Incorrect, Alex Chappatte unpacks what it actually takes to build an FMCG company in Africa. This isn't a conversation about beverages. It's a conversation about execution. Alex explains why manufacturing became a competitive advantage, how Africa Originals navigated one of Kenya's toughest regulatory environments, why distribution matters more than advertising, how cash flow dictates every decision in consumer goods, and why stepping away as CEO became the right decision for the company's next phase of growth. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Access all our links in one place: https://lnk.bio/Financially_Inc 💹 Ready to start trading? 🧑‍🏫 Learn how to trade: https://lnk.bio/fxpesa 📲 Open a demo trading account: https://bit.ly/DemoAccountYT 📈 Start live trading: https://bit.ly/LiveAccountYT --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Episode Chapters 00:00 Coming Up 03:31 Why Africa Needed Its Own Beverage Brand 09:42 Leaving Corporate To Build Something New 16:58 Starting With Just $20,000 24:36 Manufacturing From Shipping Containers 31:48 Navigating Kenya's Licensing Maze 39:57 Why Distribution Decides Market Leaders 48:21 The Marketing Strategy That Built KO 56:44 Beating Tusker Cider On Supermarket Shelves 1:04:52 Why Cash Flow Never Gets Easier 1:12:47 Raising Capital For An FMCG Business 1:19:41 Stepping Down As CEO To Scale Faster 1:25:42 Building The Next Chapter Of Africa Originals 1:29:00 Final Thoughts