From Haarlem in the Netherlands to Tangier in Morocco, Jamal Mahdad is developing a portfolio of English-language media brands focused on business, leadership and the economic transformation of Morocco and Africa.
A European upbringing. An African ambition.
For Jamal Mahdad, building a media business in Africa is both an entrepreneurial decision and a personal journey.
Born and raised in Haarlem, near Amsterdam, the 44-year-old Dutch-Moroccan entrepreneur now lives in Tangier, a city increasingly connected to international trade, investment and industry.
His ambition is to develop independent, English-language media platforms that bring greater visibility to African businesses, entrepreneurs and the executives shaping the continent's economic future.
Rather than attempting to compete immediately with established international news organisations, Mahdad is pursuing a more focused strategy: creating specialised publications built around business intelligence, corporate leadership and entrepreneurial success.
At the centre of that strategy is Nora Lina, his privately held media holding company.
Building three media brands from Morocco
In May 2026, Mahdad launched My Morocco Observer, an English-language publication covering Morocco's economy, investment landscape, industrial development and business leadership.
The publication has developed coverage of companies, executives and sectors ranging from financial services and logistics to manufacturing and technology.
Its published work includes analysis of Morocco's industrial ambitions, the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, financial institutions and the country's expanding position in global supply chains.
A month later, he launched Morocco Times Daily, which has since developed a more specialised focus on retail, consumer brands, distribution, franchises and the businesses shaping Morocco's domestic market.
The third brand, My Africa Observer, extends the strategy beyond Morocco.
Launched on LinkedIn in October 2026, it focuses on African founders, CEOs, investment activity and companies building businesses with regional or international reach.
Together, the publications are intended to serve distinct but complementary audiences.
A different approach to African business journalism
Mahdad's editorial strategy centres on a straightforward observation: Africa has no shortage of entrepreneurs building significant companies, but many of their stories remain unfamiliar to international business audiences.
Across the continent, technology founders, industrial groups, financial institutions and consumer businesses are attracting investment, expanding across borders and developing increasingly sophisticated operations.
My Africa Observer aims to make those stories more accessible to an English-speaking audience.
Its coverage places particular emphasis on measurable achievements: financing, revenue growth, customer adoption, international expansion and the decisions of company founders.
The strategy also reflects the changing nature of professional media distribution.
LinkedIn has become an important channel for reaching executives, investors and entrepreneurs directly, allowing specialist publishers to develop audiences without depending exclusively on traditional news distribution.
For a young publication operating with a small team, this approach offers a way to develop recognition within a clearly defined professional community.
Building with a small team and artificial intelligence
One distinctive aspect of Mahdad's model is its lean operating structure.
Rather than building a traditional newsroom with a large staff from the outset, he is developing the publications with a small editorial team and extensive use of artificial intelligence.
AI-supported workflows assist with research organisation, drafting, editorial production and content distribution.
The model has potential advantages in speed and operating costs. It also creates responsibilities.
For a publication seeking credibility among executives, investors and institutions, factual verification, accurate attribution, independence and responsible editorial oversight remain essential.
The challenge is not simply to publish more content with fewer resources.
It is to demonstrate that a small, technology-enabled publisher can consistently produce accurate and useful business journalism.
From publishing to business intelligence
Mahdad's longer-term ambitions extend beyond digital articles and LinkedIn publications.
He is exploring the development of an AI-powered business intelligence platform focused on Morocco and North Africa.
The concept would bring together company profiles, sector analysis, investment developments and structured economic information into a more accessible research resource.
Potential future products include specialist newsletters, company intelligence, executive briefings and paid research publications.
These initiatives remain at the development stage rather than established commercial businesses.
Nevertheless, they reflect a broader strategic direction: moving from distributing business news towards organising information that entrepreneurs, executives and investors can use.
Morocco as a base for African expansion
Tangier is a deliberate part of Mahdad's business identity.
Positioned at the meeting point of Africa and Europe, the city has developed into an important industrial and logistics centre, supported by Tanger Med and Morocco's expanding international manufacturing relationships.
For an entrepreneur with roots in both the Netherlands and Morocco, it also represents a connection between two economic regions.
Mahdad's wider investment and advisory ambitions are reflected in Monodya, another venture he is developing with a focus on Morocco and Africa.
While the activities differ, the common theme is an interest in the continent's long-term economic development, its companies and its entrepreneurial potential.
The challenge of building credibility
The African media landscape is competitive.
Established international publishers possess significant resources, longstanding relationships and extensive reporting networks.
For an independent newcomer, visibility alone cannot establish credibility.
Trust must be earned through accurate information, consistency, a clear editorial identity and a willingness to distinguish genuine business performance from promotional claims.
Mahdad's publications are still at an early stage. Their long-term commercial model, audience scale and position within the wider African media industry remain to be established.
Their development will depend on whether they can convert initial attention into sustained readership, professional relationships and viable revenue streams.
For now, Mahdad is concentrating on building recognisable brands around a specific proposition: giving greater international visibility to businesses and leaders shaping Morocco and Africa.
A long-term entrepreneurial vision
Behind the projects is an entrepreneur whose personal journey has taken him from the Netherlands to Morocco and whose professional interests increasingly extend across Africa.
Mahdad is also a father of six daughters. Family has a visible place in his entrepreneurial identity, including the name of his holding company, Nora Lina.
His ambitions remain substantial relative to the scale of his current operations.
My Morocco Observer, Morocco Times Daily and My Africa Observer are young publications. Their future success will depend on execution, editorial quality and the ability to build lasting audiences.
But their underlying proposition is clear.
African business journalism does not have to focus exclusively on challenges, crises and obstacles. It can also document the companies being built, the capital being deployed, the institutions being developed and the entrepreneurs creating economic value.
For Jamal Mahdad, the ambition is to build a media business around those stories — starting from Morocco, with Africa as its wider horizon.
Mohamed Boubkari is Co-Founder & Editorial Partner of My Africa Observer. He is also Co-Founder & Editorial Partner of My Morocco Observer, where his author archive brings together his published work.
