Role of Technology Startups in Africa's Digital Ecosystem

Abstract

This article examines the role of technology startups in Africa's digital ecosystem. Africa's tech scene is witnessing a boom that has caught the attention of the global community. The boom has culminated in the increase in number of startups and technology hubs across the continent. The growth in Africa's technology sector comes at a time when mobile internet adoption in Africa continued to grow rapidly, with the number of mobile internet subscribers increasing three-fold in the last six years to over 300 million unique subscribers. But despite the boom, fragmented markets, lack of funding and unfriendly business environments pose problems for the continent's new entrepreneurs. Against this backdrop, this article recommends, among others, that African governments should collaborate with private investors to sponsor old and new startups in the continent; provide level playing ground for the development of infrastructure that would support the growth of technology startups; and make bandwidth accessible to startups at reduced rate.