General
The Coming of Age of the African Startup Ecosystem
While total disclosed funding fell to $2.2 billion – down 25% from the $2.9 billion raised in 2023 – the numbers alone don’t tell the full story. Beneath the slowdown lies a deeper transformation: a shift from chasing valuation milestones to building operationally resilient businesses that solve fundamental problems.
The funding contraction mirrored global trends, as higher interest rates and tighter capital allocation reshaped venture capital markets. Yet Africa’s downturn was not purely negative. In the second half of 2024, the ecosystem saw renewed momentum from large-scale rounds, notably from Moniepoint (Nigeria) and TymeBank (South Africa). Unlike earlier unicorns that focused on aggressive user acquisition, these companies built their success on hybrid business models, blending digital technology with physical infrastructure.
They were not alone. Fintech players like OPay (Nigeria), Wave Mobile Money (Senegal), and MNT-Halan (Egypt) have also demonstrated that control of both the digital layer and key offline touchpoints (agent networks, payment terminals, or physical kiosks) creates defensible advantages in African markets.
Why Operational-First Wins in Africa
The African market’s structural realities (fragmented infrastructure, cash-heavy economies, and regulatory complexity) make purely digital solutions difficult to scale sustainably.
In Kenya, Buupass tackled bus and rail ticketing by first digitising operators’ backend systems, eliminating paper-based inefficiencies and cash leakages before rolling out consumer-facing booking options.
To tackle this, they developed a Bus Management System (BMS) that digitised inventory, sales, and fleet tracking, enabling operators to modernize their backend systems. They also dealt with fragmented, offline-heavy travel ecosystems by forming partnerships with major players like Safaricom and M-Pesa, providing access to reliable hosting, digital payments, and trust validation, key to onboarding high-value clients like Kenya Railways.
Today, BuuPass processes approximately 12,000 transactions daily and has established partnerships with major transportation providers across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Africa. Their growth came not from viral marketing or user acquisition funnels, but from solving fundamental operational challenges for transport operators.
In West Africa, Logidoo approached cross-border trade by introducing consolidated cargo solutions through their relationship, cutting average transit times by roughly 40% along key China–West Africa and Europe–West Africa corridors.
This improvement in shipping speed and cost-efficiency for clients demonstrated how operational excellence and better physical logistics design can unlock scale across cross-border trade.
Similar strategies are emerging in other sectors. These companies prove that solving operational bottlenecks can be more powerful than just building flashy products.
Funding Shifts by Sector and Geography
According to Africa: The Big Deal, fintech remained dominant in 2024, attracting about 47% of total startup funding, but the fastest-growing slices of investment went to logistics, mobility, and healthtech. Logistics startups, for instance, secured over $400 million across disclosed equity and debt rounds, reflecting investor appetite for infrastructure-heavy models.
Geographically, Nigeria maintained its lead in funding volume, followed by Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa. However, emerging hotspots like Morocco, Senegal, and Tanzania posted year-on-year increases despite the continent-wide slowdown, most of these driven by targeted sector plays in logistics, mobility, and energy.
The market correction exposed common weaknesses. Startups that scaled aggressively without building sustainable revenue streams struggled to survive the funding winter. A recurring failure pattern emerged: expanding to multiple markets before achieving operational stability in one, burning through capital on marketing rather than infrastructure, and relying on vanity metrics (downloads, active users) over unit economics.
According to Hiruy Amanuel, Managing Director at Gullit VC, the ecosystem has developed its own success indicators, “I’ve learnt to be wary when early-stage startups rush to scale without focus or financial discipline. That kind of premature expansion, often without the infrastructure to support it, can be fatal. We’ve seen too many founders chase growth metrics or investor hype, only to fall apart because the fundamentals weren’t there.”
Beyond Fintech
Transport and logistics players are building their own fleets. Healthcare startups are embedding themselves into pharmacy and clinic networks. Agri-tech companies are setting up physical aggregation centers to secure supply chains. Even e-commerce platforms are moving into warehousing and last-mile delivery.
This evolution signals something deeper: in African markets, technology works best when it complements, not replaces, the physical systems people already use.
Looking Ahead…
If 2015–2020 was Africa’s “unicorn era,” 2024–2027 is shaping up to be its “infrastructure era.” The next wave of winners will be companies that master operational execution while using technology to enhance reliability, transparency, and scale.
The result is an ecosystem that’s becoming less dependent on external validation and more focused on creating lasting value within African markets. These trends indicate a maturing landscape that prioritizes solving real problems over chasing global tech trends.
The success of companies like BuuPass, Logidoo, Moniepoint, and TymeBank provides a blueprint for the next generation of African startups. The winning formula combines technological sophistication with deep operational expertise, creating businesses that are both scalable and defensible.
For founders, this means longer timelines to profitability but stronger defensibility once scale is achieved. For investors, it means assessing physical assets, partnerships, and local execution capabilities with as much rigor as product and code.
Africa’s startup ecosystem is no longer solely defined by valuation milestones. Its coming of age is marked by companies that solve real problems, create lasting economic value, and build the scaffolding for future innovation.
And that, more than any unicorn headline, may prove to be the measure that matters most.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) recently hosted a high-level delegation from Newryton International Industrial Development Company Limited, a leading Chinese investment and industrial development consortium, to advance discussions on deepening bilateral trade, industrial cooperation, and development financing between both countries.
The Newryton delegation, led by Mr David Chen, Assistant Secretary-General of the China Hainan Investment Council, had earlier engaged with the Nigerian Association of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA). They were accompanied to the NCSP by Mr Joe Onyuike, Vice-Chairman of NACCIMA’s Agriculture and Livestock Trade Group, who conveyed NACCIMA’s support for the delegation’s engagements.
Discussions centered on the establishment of a Nigeria–China Trade and Investment Platform, including a proposed Promotion Centre in China to support Nigerian products, investors, and state governments.
The consortium also presented opportunities within Hainan Province’s Free Trade Port (FTP), which offers preferential policies that Nigerian businesses can leverage to expand exports and attract new investments.
In his address on behalf of Newryton, Mr Pong outlined plans to collaborate with NCSP in accessing FOCAC-supported financing for strategic investments in agriculture, energy, mining, solid minerals processing, and related sectors. The delegation identified aquaculture as a key area of interest and referenced the forthcoming Global Aquaculture Conference in Hainan Province, encouraging Nigerian stakeholders to participate.
They also expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation in vocational training and employment under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Welcoming the delegation on behalf of the Director-General, Martins Olajide, NCSP’s Head of Internal Operations, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to fostering mutually beneficial partnerships.
He highlighted NCSP’s strong interest in the proposed Nigeria–China Trade and Investment Platform and the development of the Nigerian Oil Palm Industrial Park as a flagship demonstration project.
Also speaking at the meeting, Ms Judy Melifonwu, NCSP’s Head of International Relations, underscored the opportunities presented by China’s zero-tariff policy and the forthcoming NAQS–GACC protocol on the export of Nigerian aquaculture products. She noted that these frameworks would significantly enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in emerging global markets.
Both parties expressed commitment to advancing discussions toward a structured cooperation framework covering all priority areas.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Kingdom–Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), established in 2019 as part of a 16-year legacy of UK-funded infrastructure support to Nigeria, convened over 100 senior stakeholders on Tuesday, December 2, to review its progress and formally close out its current phase of operations.
The event brought together representatives from federal and state governments, development partners, development finance institutions, and the private sector to reflect on UKNIAF’s work across the power, infrastructure finance, and roads sectors. Discussions focused on institutional reforms, capacity development, and the sustainability of tools and processes introduced over the past six years.
Since inception, UKNIAF has delivered targeted technical assistance designed to embed evidence-based reforms, data-driven decision-making, and improved institutional performance. Its interventions have mobilised significant financing, strengthened regulatory and planning systems, and enhanced investor readiness across multiple infrastructure markets.
In the power sector, participants highlighted landmark achievements including the development of Nigeria’s first Integrated Resource Plan, which outlines a least-cost and low-carbon pathway for expanding electricity supply. UKNIAF also supported the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in building advanced real-time data capabilities for tariff monitoring, grid management, and outage tracking. The programme enabled pioneering states to establish their own electricity markets following constitutional reforms.
In infrastructure finance, UKNIAF was recognised for strengthening project preparation systems and enabling access to capital. Notable accomplishments include supporting the mobilisation of $75 million from the African Development Bank to the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme in two states, and accelerating mini-grid and solar deployment through improved technical standards at the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
UKNIAF also designed a national project preparation facility, for which N21 billion was allocated in both the 2024 and 2025 budgets to build a pipeline of bankable projects.
Speaking on this, Mr Frank Edozie, UKNIAF Team Lead, described the programme’s close-out as a “handover for sustained delivery,” emphasising that strengthened institutions now hold tools that make Nigeria’s infrastructure landscape more transparent, climate-smart, and investor-ready.
On his part, the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, commended the programme, noting that its technical assistance and advisory services had helped lay the foundation for a sustainable and inclusive electricity supply industry.
Mrs Cynthia Rowe, Head of Development Corporation at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Nigeria, praised the partnership, highlighting achievements ranging from state-level electricity market reforms to unlocking major financing and designing Nigeria’s Climate Change Fund.
Enugu State Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, underscored the lasting influence of the programme, stating that UKNIAF’s impact continues through the expertise and leadership transferred to national and sub-national institutions.
The close-out event reaffirmed stakeholders’ commitment to sustaining tools, reforms, and knowledge products developed under UKNIAF, while strengthening collaboration among public, private, and development actors in the infrastructure ecosystem.
Participants included federal and state agencies such as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Federal Ministry of Power, Ministry of Finance, NERC, REA, and the Transmission Company of Nigeria, alongside development partners including the African Development Bank, World Bank, and IFC, as well as private sector and civil society stakeholders.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, has been slashed by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The Lagos-based oil facility brought down the ex-depot price of the petroleum product by 15.58 per cent or N129 per litre to N828 per litre.
Though the company had yet to release an official statement on this development, real-time market data on Petroleumprice.ng on Friday showed the new price.
Punch reports that data from the platform also showed fresh reductions across several private depots following the refinery’s latest review.
Sigmund Depot cut its ex-depot price by N4 to N824 per litre, Bulk Strategic dropped its price by N3, and TechnoOil slashed its by N15.
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