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A Snapshot Of African Tech Hubs : 314 Of Them And Growing Faster Than You Think

A Snapshot Of African Tech Hubs : 314 Of Them And Growing Faster Than You Think

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The last mapping exercise done by the World Bank in September 2015 listed less than 120 tech hubs in Africa. As of July 2016, mobile trade and lobbying association GSMA research identified 314 active tech hubs in Africa. This number is growing weekly, according to GSMA. Here’s a snapshot of the African tech hub scene as of July 2016, according to GSMA’s new study.

Tech Hubs in Africa_Infographic.pdf

Funding is increasing for African tech hubs

In July 2016, the GSMA launched its own innovation fund to support start-ups in Africa and Asia. The association says it’s working closely with leading local tech hubs best positioned to identify local startups. Support includes funding, mobile-focused mentoring, and helping foster relationships with mobile operators.

Tech Hubs in Africa_Infographic.pdf

Why you should care

Telecoms.com in 2009 described GSMA as one of the most powerful trade associations in the world, lobbying governments on everything from tax policy to pricing strategy related to mobile.

The London-based GSMA connects about 800 mobile operators and 250 companies worldwide in the broader mobile ecosystem, including device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies. The association organizes the GSMA Mobile World Congress, the largest annual event in the mobile industry.

In Africa, half the tech hubs are concentrated in five countries (South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco), but almost every other African country has at least one or two active tech hubs.

Photo: smesouthafrica.co.za
Kids hacker camp in South Africa. Photo: smesouthafrica.co.za

Leading countries for tech hubs by region

Southern Africa: South Africa

West Africa: Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal

East Africa: Kenya and Uganda

North Africa: Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt

Computer class in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Photo: africa.com
Computer class in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. Photo: africa.com

What counts as a tech hub?

GSMA looked at all kinds of physical spaces that fall under the broad term of tech hubs: incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces, fab labs, makerspaces, hackerspaces and other innovation spaces.

A Johannesburg tech hub that goes beyond traditional incubation or acceleration programs. Photo: blackgirlscode.com
A Johannesburg tech hub. Photo: blackgirlscode.com

Why tech hubs are so prolific in Africa

Accelerators and incubators, which provide startups with business support and services to help them grow – account for almost 60 percent of tech hubs. Incubators and accelerators usually help gain access to three critical resources for start-ups: skills, funding and network, according to GSMA. Successful start-ups like Kudobuzz (supported by MEST incubator program in Ghana) or People Input – (supported by CTIC Dakar in Senegal) are examples of the enabling role played by accelerators and incubators in Africa.

Other types of tech hubs go beyond the traditional incubation or acceleration programs, playing a crucial role in the innovation ecosystem. An example is Black Girls Code, which enables young girls to access computer science technology in Johannesburg.

“Eventually, it is this ‘facilitator’ role of tech hubs, irrespective of their type, that explains their success and proliferation in those regions,” GSMA reported.

 

Sabrine Assem, 25, founder and CEO of Ferka2, heads one of the only all-woman tech startups in Cairo. Photo: Jonathan Kalan/citylab.com
Sabrine Assem, 25, founder and CEO of Ferka2, heads one of the only all-woman tech startups in Cairo. Photo: Jonathan Kalan/citylab.com

Creating a tech community

The goal of leading tech hubs is not only to offer space and services to start-ups but also to create a large community of stakeholders (partners, start-ups, investors) Social networks are often a powerful tool used by tech hubs to build up these communities.

Photo: techrepublic.com
Photo: techrepublic.com

Finding information on African tech hubs isn’t easy

It’s difficult to find open source listings related to the different stakeholders involved with local African tech hubs — such as start-up events, tech media, co-working spaces, incubators, and venture capital funds, GSMA reports.

Photo: vc4a.com
Photo: vc4a.com

Every tech hub is independent

Though franchises and hub alliances are developing across regions, tech hubs remain independent. Examples of well-known international tech hub organisations with strong local presence include Silicon Valley-based Founder Institute, Cape Town-based Rlabs, Jokkolabs (launched in Dakar, Senegal) and Vienna-based Impact Hub. Jokkolabs for example, started in Dakar in 2010 and now has active hubs in Cotonou, Ouagadougou, Abidjan, Banjul and Casablanca. All these spaces remain independent but share and respect a same set of values – “the coworking manifesto,” GSMA reported.

Inauguration of Saboutech Incubator in Guinea. Photo: Twitter
Inauguration of Saboutech Incubator in Guinea. Photo: Twitter

Tech hubs use social networks to build communities

GSMA measured online activity (number of likes on Facebook or Twitter, frequency of posts on LinkedIn, websites updates) to assess how active tech hubs were depending on regions, countries or type of hubs. Among the most active were well-known hubs like BongoHive in Zambia, Co-creation Hub in Nigeria, and iHub in Kenya. Lesser known and more recent organisations with strong social media followings inlcude Nework Lab in Morocco and Saboutech in Guinea.

mLab SA, based at the Innovation Hub in Tshwane, South Africa. Photo: infodev.org
mLab SA, based at the Innovation Hub in Tshwane, South Africa. Photo: infodev.org

Tech giants are involved in local African tech hubs

Another way African tech hubs build up communities is by developing partnerships with different types of organisations. The GSMA study shows tech giants Microsoft, Google and Amazon are by far the most engaged. Through these partnerships, they provide startups with financial support and free or cheap access to their products. For example Amazon’s Activate is a package designed for startups in select accelerator or incubator programs with up to $15,000 worth of Amazon Web Services for two years.

MTN Cameroon launches mobile app development contest. Photo: camer.be
MTN Cameroon launches mobile app development contest. Photo: camer.be

Mobile operators are increasingly involved in  African tech hubs

Of the active tech hubs researched by GSMA, 13 percent have a partnership with a mobile operator. In Africa, Orange, MTN, and Vodafone are the leading partners. Orange partnered with Cipmen in Niger, ActiveSpaces partnered with MTN in Cameroon. Like the tech giants, these mobile partnerships help both parties, GSMA reported. Startups usually get access to the mobile operators’ assets (APIs, sales and distribution network, branding) while mobile operators get access to local innovation.