As recently as 1993, 80 percent of Africans had never heard a phone ring according to Cassava Technologies CEO Hardy Pemhiwa. Today, the vast majority of people on the continent own mobile phones. But connecting those phones to the internet remains pricey.

This is where Cassava Technologies enters the picture. The company aims to become the first tech company to connect all of Africa. This massive ambition springs from the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to afford online access, and that providing this access opens the door to job growth and - ultimately - to a better economy.

Pemhiwa tells Leadership Next how he's approaching the challenge, the role of regulators in Africa's growing tech industry, the opportunity for investing in African entrepreneurs, and more.