My Story
I was born Gerald Ngongo Kalala in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. My parents are originally from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Today, I go by Jay N. Kalala—or Jaynka.
My childhood was marked by the Congo Wars of the late 1990s. When fighting broke out in Brazzaville in 1997, my family fled—first to Gabon, then to Kinshasa, then back to Brazzaville. My father was an investigative journalist. After President Laurent-Désiré Kabila was assassinated in January 2001, my father briefly served as an adviser to the new president, Joseph Kabila. But threats followed. My father was kidnapped. My mother took my siblings and fled to Germany. I came later with my brothers. We settled in Germany in 2001.
This is how I became part of the Congolese diaspora in Germany. Growing up, I was drawn to music and art. My cousin Ferdinand introduced me to hip-hop. My father's journalism work gave me access to recording equipment and video editing on an early Macintosh. In Germany, I met Joan Obi at a youth center. He became my mentor, teaching me audio production with Cubase. Watching him design album covers sparked my interest in graphic design.
By the time I was recording music seriously, I had signed a contract with my music manager Amilton. I recorded remixes with Congolese superstar Fally Ipupa and performed locally. But the music industry didn't sit right with me. Too many stereotypes, too much image over substance. I started reading about finance and business. Eventually, I walked away from music to focus on building things that last.
My Companies
In 2021, I co-founded Champion's Academy DRC with Danyo "Dibuba" Ilunga—a five-time kickboxing world champion and former It's Showtime 95MAX Champion. Like me, Danyo fled the Congo as a child because of the conflict. He grew up in Germany and became a world-class fighter. Champion's Academy is his vision: to create champions in the DRC through fitness and martial arts.
In 2022, I founded Narikia SARL, a technology company based in Kinshasa. We build digital products and also run a fleet of over 100 taxis. In late 2023, I co-founded Nkokal SARL, focusing on real estate development in Kinshasa.
My Software Products
In 2024, I launched several software ventures: Nexokay builds SaaS products for businesses. Gymosphere is software for fitness centers. Growth Foundation Hub is a community of founders creating solutions for African markets. GrowthInvestHub and GrowthInvestAfrica are platforms for financial education. I also run Audience Growth Hub and Growth Market Survey.
Client Projects
I've worked with clients to transform their digital operations: Monaluxe (multi-sector conglomerate in DRC), Fit4xMom (health and fitness app), Bossmetics (permanent makeup and cosmetics), ScratchPub (publishing platform), and Attract (marketing tool).
My work with Monaluxe deserves special mention. In 2018, I returned to Kinshasa to advise Pauline Mona Tshiebe Kayoko, the founder of Monaluxe. She started in 1986 selling bananas and peanuts at a market in Lubumbashi. Today, Monaluxe is a multi-sector conglomerate operating in petroleum, retail, logistics, and freight across the DRC. I helped digitalize their operations and introduced online marketing strategies.
Author & Speaker
In 2024, I published two books: "Price or Value – The Art of Distinguishing the Real from the Fake" and "The Best Stock and ETF to Buy in 2025."
In May 2025, I was a panelist on France 24's economic program La Semaine de l'Éco, discussing African entrepreneurship. The panel was moderated by journalist Karina Chabour and included Elisabeth Moreno (former French Minister and President of Ring Capital/Ring Africa), Grâce Gomé Kemmeth (renewable energy entrepreneur and founder of Light On), and Dr. Jean-Clément Diambilay (founder of the Diambilay Business Center incubator).
That same month, I was invited to the Forum Richesses d'Afrique in Paris, organized by Dr. Jean-Clément Diambilay.
I work across Europe and Africa. I understand both worlds because I've lived in both. I build technology that works in places where the internet cuts out, where people pay in cash, where the standard solutions don't fit.
My philosophy: make technology useful for people.
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Publications
Price or Value – The Art of Distinguishing the Real from the Fake
Book · 2024
The Best Stock and ETF to Buy in 2025
Book · 2024
Essays on RealJayNKA.com and GrowthInvestHub
Speaking & Media
La Semaine de l'Éco
France 24 · 2025
Entrepreneurship in Africa
Regular speaker at conferences and online seminars on digital entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
Services
Financial Psychology Coaching
Business Digitalization
SaaS Development
ERP & Operations Systems
Turnaround Management
Speaking & Training
Awards
Digital Innovation Award
2023-2024
Best SaaS Product
2022-2023
Startup Excellence
2021-2022
Tech Leadership Award
2020-2021