Global: Sub-Saharan Africa Ranks Lowest in Global Startup Ecosystems, Urgent Change Needed – Startup Genome Report

The global technological and innovative landscape is rapidly evolving, with North America, Europe, and Asia emerging as dominant players in the startup ecosystem, particularly in early-stage investments. However, a concerning disparity persists in Africa, specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa, as highlighted by a recent report from Startup Genome. Despite its immense potential in recent years, the African startup ecosystem lags significantly behind, signaling the need for immediate transformation.

Ecosystem Value:

Evaluating the strength of a startup ecosystem requires a comprehensive assessment, including its economic impact. This assessment typically involves combining exit values and startup valuations. A comparison of data from the second half of 2020 to 2022 reveals a stark reality: Sub-Saharan Africa significantly lags behind other regions. During this period, the cumulative ecosystem value for the region amounted to only $24 billion, a mere fraction of the over $5.3 trillion and $2.6 trillion achieved by regions such as North America and Asia, respectively.

Early-Stage Funding:

Early-stage funding is the lifeblood of startups, providing crucial resources for innovation, development, and growth. While North America ($139 billion) and Europe ($67 billion) lead in this category, with substantial investments in seed and Series A rounds of tech startups between H2 2020 and 2022, Sub-Saharan Africa significantly lags behind, with a total of only $2 billion.

This scarcity of early-stage investments may be exacerbated by the absence of accessible funding structures, risk-averse investor attitudes, and limited awareness of the potential returns from African markets. However, there is a silver lining, as Sub-Saharan Africa witnessed a remarkable 227% increase in early-stage funding. The early-stage deal count also rose by 43.8% between 2018 and 2022. Promisingly, Lagos leads in terms of ecosystem value ($8 billion), followed closely by Nairobi ($7 billion), reflecting the region’s steady growth despite existing challenges.

Exit Value:

The ability of startups to be acquired or go public is essential for raising capital and achieving growth. Unfortunately, Sub-Saharan Africa’s exit value from 2018 to 2022 remains the lowest at $2 billion, underscoring a significant impediment to the region’s progress. Identifying and addressing obstacles to successful exits is crucial, including regulatory complexity, market fragmentation, and limited cross-border collaboration.

What Can Be Done?

The findings of this analysis underscore the urgent need for change to unlock Africa’s full startup ecosystem potential. Several key actions can strengthen the African startup environment:

1. Increasing Financial Access: Governments and investors must play a more active role in supporting the African startup ecosystem. This may involve establishing venture capital funds, offering tax incentives to angel investors, and facilitating equity-based investments.
2. Strengthening Financial Education: Collaboration among educational institutions, governments, industry experts, and investors is essential to foster a culture of innovation, equip individuals with necessary skills, and create an environment conducive to entrepreneurial success.
3. Nurturing Local Innovation: Africa is not only a consumption market but also a source of groundbreaking ideas and solutions with global impact potential. Encouraging local innovation and entrepreneurship will drive sustainable and inclusive development.

Despite the challenges, numerous African startups, including Andela, Flutterwave, and Paystack, have achieved significant success and are disrupting traditional paradigms while contributing to economic growth. The future of Africa’s startup ecosystem holds immense promise, and with the right support, these startups have the potential to make a global impact.