Building Inclusion, Empathy, and the Future of Mental Health Tech with Onkgopotse Khumalo (Amari Health)

MASHSTARTUP

What does it take to turn a deeply personal struggle into a Pan-African healthtech startup that’s reimagining how we access mental healthcare?

In this episode, I sit down with Onkgopotse Khumalo, founder of Amari Health, to unpack her journey from the world of finance and consulting to building one of South Africa’s most intentional healthtech startups. After losing a close friend to suicide and navigating her own search for support, she set out to create a platform that makes mental healthcare more affordable, inclusive, and culturally relevant.

We dive into the lessons of building with purpose, the complexity of tackling taboo issues in African communities, and the balance between AI-driven technology and deeply human empathy. Onkgopotse opens up about the influence of her mother’s entrepreneurial journey, the realities of raising capital as a black woman founder, and the vision behind Amari: a Pan-African platform where mental wellness is accessible to all.

This is a story about more than healthtech. It’s about resilience, cultural sensitivity, and the heart it takes to build solutions that carry both personal and societal weight.

If you care about the future of African entrepreneurship, the role of technology in solving real problems, and the fight to make mental healthcare accessible for everyone — this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.