Africa’s tech ecosystem has garnered the attention of some notable investors in recent years, with Tiger Global Management, Kinnevik, and Naspers all making investments into Africa-based tech companies. With the increased prominence of both mobile phones and internet connectivity throughout the continent, many believe the ecosystem will only continue to grow and eventually spawn some globally important and influential tech companies.
Below we’ve identified 13 African tech companies that may be worth watching. The list ranges from budding eCommerce titans in Jumia, Takealot, and Konga.com to startups like AirBnB clone Sleepout.com and Kickstarter sensation BRCK.
| Company | Country | Comparable US Company | Total Disclosed Funding ($M) | Last Equity Funding Round | Select Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumia | Nigeria | Amazon | 211.0 | Series C | JPMorgan Chase, Summit Partners, Rocket Internet, |
| Takealot Online | South Africa | Amazon | 100.0 | Series A | Tiger Global Management |
| Konga.com | Nigeria | Amazon | 38.5 | Series B | Naspers, Kinnevik |
| iROKOtv | Nigeria | Netflix | 16.0 | Venture Capital | Tiger Global Management, Kinnevik, Rise Capital |
| Kopo Kopo | Kenya | Square | 3.46 | Seed VC | Gray Ghost Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners, Khosla Impact |
| Nomanini | South Africa | Square | 2.35 | Series B | Esther Dyson, eVentures Africa Fund, Rockbridge Investments |
| Hmizate | Morocco | Groupon | 1.6 | Seed VC | Hummingbird Ventures, MENA Venture Investments |
| uAfrica.com | South Africa | Squarespace | 1.5 | Seed VC | Andy Higgins, bidorbuy |
| BRCK | Kenya | Veniam | 1.37 | Seed VC | Invested Development, Urban.us, Omvestments |
| Wyzetalk | South Africa | Yammer | 0.74 | Series A | Savannah Fund, Clifftop Colony |
| BudgIT | Nigeria | – | 0.4 | Seed VC | Omidyar Network |
| Sleepout.com | Mauritius | AirBnB | 0.2 | Seed VC | Africa Media Ventures Fund |
| Eventtus | Egypt | Eventbrite | 0.17 | Seed VC | Vodafone Ventures, Cairo Angels |
Image credit: Calle v H // Wikimedia Commons
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