Browsing: African

Africa’s technology ecosystem is receiving fresh attention as new investments target artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and climate innovation.

Africa’s artificial-intelligence startup ecosystem is producing more founders and new companies, but fewer young businesses are securing the early capital required to turn experimental products into commercially sustainable ventures.

native African companies took less than 2% of the continent’s startup funding in the first half of 2026, Grégoire de Padirac, CEO of Digital Africa, told BusinessDay. Over the same period, the number of African startups raising at least $100,000 fell to 190, the lowest since 2021

Grindstone Ventures has launched a 500 million rand fund, approximately $31.2 million, to support African tech startups from seed stage to Series A.

Between January and August 2026, African startups raised $2.10 billion across 275 tracked funding deals, slightly edging out the $2.07 billion raised during the same eight-month period in 2025. Out of these 275 transactions, 255 deals disclosed their figures, while 20 startups kept their funding amounts private.

More than 600 entrepreneurs, students and business professionals from 24 African countries gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the BUILD Conference, which was co-hosted by the Brigham Young University Management Society and BYU-Pathway Worldwide.

South African e-commerce consumers shop more frequently on local websites rather than international platforms, but Chinese brands like Temu and Shein are still making a dent in the market despite showing slowing growth in South Africa.

Spending in South Africa’s e-commerce market will grow by an estimated 22.5% in 2026, and the sector has reached a major milestone in its share of national retail turnover.

Africa’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem is producing more founders and companies, but a shrinking pool of early-stage capital is making it increasingly difficult for them to secure the first $100,000 needed to turn promising ideas into viable businesses.

African InsurTech startups have attracted more than US$300 million in funding over the past five years, but capital alone does not create insurer contracts, distribution or recurring revenue. Doage is building its proposition around that commercial gap, combining market-entry support, partnerships and early-stage investment to help ventures move from promising products to sustainable insurance businesses.