Africa is brimming with potential. With its youthful population and growing tech scene, the continent presents a unique opportunity for innovators, businesses, and governments. The challenge ahead is to create technology solutions that address real-world problems while preparing for the next billion users. This goes beyond a technical hurdle—it’s an opportunity to reshape Africa’s future by creating solutions that will transform industries, communities, and lives.
Building for the Next Billion Users
Africa’s digital economy is expanding rapidly. To develop technology solutions for the next billion users, companies must understand the continent’s unique needs. With a median age of 19 years and a population expected to double to 2.5 billion by 2050, over 60% of youths will dominate the tech market. Their challenges and aspirations should be at the heart of any technological development.
Success stories like M-Pesa and Flutterwave illustrate how African-born innovations can solve critical issues, such as financial inclusion and seamless payments. What distinguishes these solutions is their ability to address gaps in the market that global players often overlook. M-Pesa succeeded not because it was trendy, but because it provided a real solution—banking the unbanked.
Building for the future means prioritising functionality over aesthetics. Developers must focus on substance, solving real issues rather than catering to fleeting trends. Moreover, while Africa-focused solutions are critical, a global mindset is necessary for scalability. Flutterwave’s international expansion, while maintaining strong ties to African realities, demonstrates how African companies can grow globally while staying relevant at home.
Sustainable Solutions for Africa’s Future
Technology in Africa must be forward-thinking, scalable, and adaptable to the continent’s evolving needs. Key sectors such as health tech, edtech, and fintech offer enormous potential for tech-driven solutions. Health tech can increase access to healthcare services, while edtech can bridge the digital literacy gap and empower Africa’s youth to compete in the global economy. Fintech, already a thriving sector, continues to promote financial inclusion for underserved communities.
However, African startups face significant obstacles. Approximately 60% of African startups fail within three years and 70-80% fail within the first five years, largely due to policy issues such as multiple taxation, regulatory bottlenecks, and challenges in securing capital. Regulatory complexity and costly processes make it difficult for startups to scale, resulting in promising ventures stalling before reaching their full potential.
Africa also ranks poorly on global ease of doing business indices, with challenges in accessing electricity, enforcing contracts, and navigating tax regulations.
Countries like Rwanda, Mauritius, Kenya and Morocco are exceptions, but other African countries like Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa, South Sudan, and Libya do not exceed 40 per cent of the total score. This conclusion deems them as rather unstable environments for conducting business.
This can be attributed to issues like fluctuating purchasing power and inconsistent infrastructure, further limiting the success rate of startups on the continent.
Governments and the Role of Public-Private Partnerships
Governments play a crucial role in enabling this transformation. Public-private partnerships are key, with governments working alongside tech innovators to provide support through tax incentives, expanding internet access, and creating regulatory frameworks that encourage innovation. By collaborating with the private sector, governments can foster a culture of innovation.
Establishing start-up support funds for critical sectors like health, education, and fintech could further drive progress. These funds would provide financial backing for homegrown solutions that address Africa’s longstanding challenges, accelerating the growth of innovative businesses.
Upskilling the Next Generation
Africa’s greatest asset is its youth. To fully harness this potential, investing in education and digital skills is essential. With a young population poised to dominate the future workforce, Africa is on the brink of a digital revolution. By shifting from a consumer of technology to a global exporter of talent, the continent could position itself as a major technology hub.
Malve Academy is a digital and tech skills acquisition institute I founded and it is one of the initiatives fueling this transformation.
Our mission is to train 10,000 African youths for free in the next 5 years. Through our free training programs, Malve Academy has already provided over 120 students with the skills they need to grow successful careers in technology.
By providing access to quality education and mentorship, Malve Academy is actively helping to close the digital gap and empower young Africans to become leaders in global technology and contribute to the greater good of Africa.
These digital skills training will reduce unemployment and equip young Africans to contribute to the global economy.
This isn’t just about creating more jobs; it’s about creating better jobs. As young Africans acquire the skills to succeed in the digital world, they will also be empowered to solve problems within their communities.
The social impact of upskilling cannot be overstated. Providing young people with the tools to thrive in the digital economy will create a ripple effect, improving communities, fostering innovation, and stimulating job creation across the continent.
Bringing It All Together
Africa’s future is promising, but achieving its potential will require collaborative efforts from innovators, governments, and private-sector actors. By developing technology that solves real-world problems, fostering government support for innovation, and investing in the next generation, Africa can not only meet the needs of its next billion users but also emerge as a major contributor to global technology.
The promise of Africa is within reach. Now is the time for stakeholders to unite and create a future that is not only technologically advanced but also socially inclusive and economically transformative.
Dapo Babarinde is a product manager and start-up founder. He is the founder of Process Malve, a business process and workflow automation software company. He leads teams that build digital products that solve real-world problems.
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